> Firing people is not how you get more accurate numbers. It's how you get yes-men. When reality and truth do not matter, why would they want accurate numbers?

> Firing people is not how you get more accurate numbers. It's how you get yes-men. When reality and truth do not matter, why would they want accurate numbers? They do not need the country to flourish, they just need their personal wealth to grow and the rest of the population to remain compliant. From that point of view, shooting the messenger before the message gets out of control makes perfect sense. It is working well enough for many autocratic regimes around the world.