In the past, Shakespeare famously wrote in his play Henry
VI that the first step for those seeking power was to "kill
off the lawyers". Today, the first step taken by those
seeking power is to hide the numbers and control the message.
Various government
leaders have adopted a political strategy that involves
suppressing basic data, vital information and the statisticians
and scientists who collect, analyze, and disseminate these
numbers.
To gain power
over a society, essential economic, social, health, environmental
and demographic data, along with any resulting reports,
are being suppressed. This suppression is achieved by failing
to collect, analyze, publish, and disseminate objective
information on levels and trends.
Without access
to neutral data, objective information, and technically
sound analyses, populations are left ill-informed and unable
to express dissent. Censorship is often used to suppress
numbers that may contradict the goals of government officials
in controlling the message
Statisticians,
scientists and others responsible for collecting and reporting
data are being dismissed, threatened or silenced. Knowledge-producing
institutions that conduct studies are being defunded and
reduced in size.
Many governments
use various methods, such as internet censorship, media
control and surveillance, to hide the numbers and control
the message. These tactics restrict access to information,
shape public opinion, and monitor online activity.
The primary
strategy of many government leaders today is to hide numbers
and control the message. Anything that contradicts their
message is labeled as false, fake news, lies or treason,
leading to legal action, criminal penalties and imprisonment
for dissenters and those who publish what officials deem
false news.
In countries
like Cuba, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Myanmar, North Korea and Turkmenistan,
for example, the media serves as a mouthpiece for government
officials. Other countries, including Azerbaijan, Belarus,
Cambodia, China, Egypt, Hungary, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Serbia,
Somalia, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Yemen, use harassment,
surveillance, and detentions to control the media and the
message.
In Russia, key
demographic statistics on births, deaths, marriages and
divorce have been classified following a decline in birth
rates.
For about four
decades, the Russian total fertility rate has remained well
below the replacement level, estimated at approximately
1.4 births per woman in 2024, and the number of births has
declined to record lows.
Detailed population
data are no longer being published, leading to a lack of
publicly available demographic statistics since March 2025.
Russian officials
note that despite their country being the largest in the
world, their population is decreasing every year because
of their below replacement fertility rates.
After decades
of population growth, Russia's population peaked at nearly
150 million in 1990 and has been largely declining since
then.
To combat declining
birth rates, Russian authorities have restricted access
to abortions and contraception. They have implemented measures
such as banning what they refer to as "child-free propaganda"
and promoting traditional family values. Also, they recently
announced a ban on TV series and films where women prioritize
their careers over having children.
Similarly, in
the United States, government leaders are reducing and silencing
agencies that collect, analyze, and report vital information.
The communication
platforms of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), for
example, have gone silent. Crucial health data have been
removed from public access and many of the CDC newsletters
have stopped being distributed.
Alerts about
disease outbreaks, which were previously sent to health
professionals subscribed to the CDC's Health Alert Network,
have not been dispatched since March. Also, US officials
have cut funding, dismissed staff, and denied negative data
reports.
Although some
federal health websites have been restored, others are still
down after some numbers were purged. CDC has acknowledged
that its website is being changed to comply with the executive
orders of the president.
Another agency
that has experienced staff firings and funding cuts, which
has created a danger for public safety and well-being, is
the country's National Weather Service. Those reductions
have impacted the collection of vital data used to make
forecasts and the staff who analyze the data to issue critical
warnings about hazardous and extreme weather.
To control the
message, US government officials have reduced funding, fired
and silenced staff, and openly dismissed the consequences
of their actions.
Government officials
deny any negative data and findings on levels and trends
that are reported. They also dismiss anything they don't
enjoy hearing by saying those treasonous scientists, statisticians
and others are spreading false rumors. And they often blame
previous administrations for issues that they cannot dismiss.
Data on the
economic effects of the recently announced US tariffs, including
increased prices for consumers and businesses, are also
being hidden, denied, downplayed or dismissed.
In contrast
to the views of leading economists and many of those in
the business community, administration officials deflect
legitimate criticisms by saying tariffs will help domestic
industries, reduce trade deficits and benefit national security
and strategic independence.
Efforts to eliminate
administration-declared waste, fraud, and abuse have hindered
data collection, analysis and dissemination, laid off or
put on leave tens of thousands of federal government employees,
led to disruptions in services, and adversely affected research
and development at various agencies. Troubling information
is hidden from the public, and justifications for policy
changes and staff layoffs are often confusing, illogical
or simply outright lies.
For example,
the numbers on the proposed reductions in government funded
services and programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food benefits
to low-income families, coupled with the huge tax benefits
to the wealthy are explained away by the use of jingoistic
rhetoric, irrelevant issues, political illogic and empty
promises.
Also similar
to Russia, US government officials wish to raise the country's
low fertility rate, which in 2024 was about 1.6 births per
woman. Besides blaming women for the country's low birth
rate, some officials have referred to prominent women without
children as "childless cat ladies" and are promoting
the return to traditional roles for men and women in American
society.
Administration
officials are proposing a modest financial incentive of
about $5,000 for women to have a baby. Also, a bill proposed
by the US House would provide $1,000 to children born between
2025 and 2028 that could be invested on their behalf.
The US population,
approximately 342 million in 2025, is continuing to increase
in size, after having more than doubled since 1950.
However, again,
similar to Russia, the future growth of the US population
depends on migration. The US Census Bureau reports that
without migration, the country's population is projected
to decline by about a third by the close of the century.
In 1948, the
United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights. Under Article 19 of that Declaration, everyone
has the right to seek, receive and impart news and express
opinions.
Also, during
the past several decades, many countries, especially in
Europe, recognized that it was essential to ensure that
national statistical systems would be able to produce appropriate
data and analyses that adhered to certain professional and
scientific standards.
In 1994, the
United Nations Statistical Commission adopted the United
Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics. Two
decades later, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed
the Fundamental Principles, stressing the critical role
of high-quality official statistical information in analysis
and informed policy decision-making and in support of sustainable
development, peace and security.
In sum, to promote
informed policy decision-making and prevent governments
from hiding data and controlling the message, transparency,
objectivity and accountability are crucial. These qualities
are necessary for holding government officials accountable
and ensuring the public is informed with objective, reliable
and timely data and analyses.
