Re: Using Numbers
Numbers and facts are essential to anchoring a debate in objective reality. They can be shown to be correct, or incorrect. I have always acknowledged any factual errors I've made.
Better a debate where someone can be proven right or wrong than one where the very concept of "right" and "wrong" have been dismissed up front.
Incidentally, whenever I write about things like government budgets of the past and present, I always use constant dollars.