kaushik.net — A marvelous read with a excellent example. For me visuals that provide awesome insights come from 1) a deep understanding of the goal/objectives 2) from thinking beyond what standard trend lines or stacked bar graphs can provide. Something non-normal to grab attention and yet communicate insights. This is what data visualization can offer.
Jul 8, 2006 View in Crawl 4
eeqmcsqJul 9, 2006
This is why a picture is worth a thousand words, or in this case, a thousand data points.
camochrisJul 9, 2006
The chart which it shows should be titled "How much money does it take to run a superpower?", it's no wonder the Russians ran out.
dilbertlandJul 9, 2006
oops, that should read 800 billion out of 2.5 trillion (instead of million)
twangoJul 9, 2006
I know. When I wanna get high, I VISUALIZE DATA! AWESOME!
veloscaperJul 9, 2006
Social security and Medicare are a separate tax collected to promise and provide specific services and benefits. The chart reflects taxes collected as part of the general federal tax revenue.@dilbertland, if you don't like Social Security or Medicare then you can always move to any Latin American country of your choice. They have the social and economic model you envy already put into pratice.
chandrasonicJul 9, 2006
If you like that sort of things, you surely will also like this : <a class="user" href="http://digg.com/general_sciences/Amazing_Presentation_Brings_Statistical_Data_to_Life">http://digg.com/general_sciences/Amazing_Presentation_Brings_Statistical_Data_to_Life</a>Really meaningful and fascinating.
psientsJul 9, 2006
More money goes into Social Security alone than the entire Defense Department.Most people don't know this, but Social Security is (drumroll) the largest of the largest recipients of government expenditures. Numero Uno. The top.Medicare? Right behind Defense. Social Security and Medicare together Dwarf spending on Defense. Dwarf with a capital "D."I think someone will be making a replacement chart soon.
Closed AccountJul 10, 2006
While I admit that the “Death & Taxes” chart itself looks great, it implies things as being fact that are total BULLs**t:"...this is misleading because Congress has no control over mandatory expenditures."Congress has absolute authority to set the budget of the US—the ENTIRE BUDGET, that is every penny to be spent by the Country. Our politicians created this separate classification, “non-discretionary spending”, and put forth the notion that “Congress is not allowed to tinker with it” because they are gutless cowards, being too afraid to cut even a single dollar from all the dumb, fat, and happy-go-lucky hogs getting free stuff in the US. When using the entire budget, as one must, military/security spending is about 20% of it. IMO, even with all the waste included, it is one Hell of a bargain. Oddly enough, that same military, which ensures that all the dumb, fat, and happy-go-lucky hogs will continue to get free stuff from the taxpayers, is often a target of ridicule of the group that gets the free stuff.
swizzlestickJul 10, 2006
The Awesome Power of PropagandaThis is obviously an attempt to mislead people into thinking that defense expenditures make up a majority of government spending, with the intent that they will put pressure on their leaders to reduce it. It says right in the center of the chart: "Military Spending: 399 Billion | Non-Military Spending 383 Billion", which is really all the artist wants you to take away from this chart. He knows that most people (especially young "activists") will have no idea that discretionary spending is significantly less than half of total spending, or that "liberal" social programs already constitute the bulk of US spending.Here are a few snippets from his deviantart journal:"....Fool me twice, shame on me.: <a class="user" href="http://mibi.deviantart.com/journal/3742329/">http://mibi.deviantart.com/journal/3742329/</a>well, Americans, you asked for it....another 4 years ofrecord job lossrecord deficeitsand living witth fear________ (fill in the blank)congrats""Bye Bye Texas: <a class="user" href="http://mibi.deviantart.com/journal/5659527/">http://mibi.deviantart.com/journal/5659527/</a>thats right!... im outta here bitches! .... so long College Station!so long George Bush Museum!so long cowboy boots!so long jesus freaks!so long country music!so long Dixie Chicken!so long mindless conservative sheep!so long idiot business owners!so long 90 degree nights!so long jacked up pickup trucks!so long shaven chests!so long s**tty beer!so long racists!so long Texas!hello New Englandhello loverhello paradisecatch you all in 2000 miles..."Here's one from just before the 2004 election: <a class="user" href="http://mibi.deviantart.com/journal/3728209/">http://mibi.deviantart.com/journal/3728209/</a>"Here are some things to remember about voting. Read carefully. Your vote could decide this election. ...historically, younger voters have a miserable turnout record..."That's what this is all about, fooling a few more young people into being angry enough to actually show up at the polls, and delivering a victory for the Democrats. Don't be fooled by this misleading political propaganda.BTW, I once got into an argument with a housemate who refused to believe that defense spending was less than 50% of government spending. This myth is widespread among the left.