Critique of Austrian Economics: A Critique [Part 3]

This is part 3 of my critique of the Critique of Austrian Economics by AustrianCritique.

Statistics

AC's critique is going downhill and fast. This segment really has no substance in it.

AC starts by saying that Austrians don't think statistics are very good, since they refer only to the past and can never tell us everything we need to know. He does not tell us why we're wrong, but instead gives us the stupidest analogy ever.

The Austrian take on statistics is much more in-depth than what AC here shows us and he quotes Rockwell without understanding why the aggregate "K" is a problem. Then he gives us an example of how the study of gases is and was conducted. With this he tries to argue that aggregates are actually fine and Austrians are idiots. I couldn't make this stuff up if I wanted to.

But wait, there's more! Austrians actually hate statistics, because they prove that Austrians are wrong. The fastest growth period in American history[1933-1973] was a time of big government and high marginal tax rates, so obviously ASE would reject those kinds of statistics. Problem with this:

1. Mises criticized statistics already in 1912[1].
2. 1933-1973 isn't the fastest growth period in US history; late 19th century is and the markets were pretty free back then.
3. Deductions and loopholes enabled people to avoid those marginal tax rates. The amount of people who actually paid the 91% was practically non-existent[2].
4. Why start at 1933? The "New Deal light" already began under Hoover in 1929[3].
5. Bretton-Woods enabled the exportation of inflation, which Austrians understood already in 1944[4].

I wonder... Does AC believe war creates prosperity? After all, GDP usually goes up during war. This is exactly the kind of nonsense that needs an Austrian approach to it[5].

Next AC wonders how Austrians can talk about the real world at all. After all, we get a lot of our information about the economy from statistics, so aren't Austrians simply cherry-picking? Except that as AC himself earlier said, Austrians do use statistics. Simply not always the same way as mainstream economists do.

"Even the Austrian's allies in business would not want to live in a world without statistics."

There are no "allies" and Austrians don't say we shouldn't have any statistics.

AC ends with a quote from Mike Huben:
"Business employs two kinds of economists: those who can create and use statistics, and those who can create and apply corporatist propaganda. Guess which the Austrians are..."

And I thank you AustrianCritique, for making me waste my time on this worthless piece of shit critique.

To be continued...

[1] The Theory of Money and Credit
[2] Bose Needs Lesson in Tax History
[3] America's Great Depression [Chapters 8-12]
[4] Hazlitt's Battle with Bretton Woods
[5] Depression, War, and Cold War: Challenging the Myths of Conflict and Prosperity