"The National Wimp-Out List"

[RS Davis]

[glow=red,2,300]Garry Reed Wrote:[/glow]
I must have a Reader's Digest version of the Bill of Rights. I just can't find the full, unedited text of Amendment I where it says, "Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech for politicians and charities but telemarketers are screwed because we don't like you."


But aside from that pesky little Constitutional detail, how could 51 million people (and still counting) be so naïve as to voluntarily hand over their phone numbers to the tender mercies of government bureaucrats by signing up on the national "do not call" list? How long will it take for those dialing digits to mysteriously migrate into the databases of political phone banks, charity scammers and postal spammers with reverse phone directories? And what makes 51 million people think that the telemarketing industry won't adapt in ways they'll come to regret?


"Hi, ignorant telephone subscriber. No, don't worry, I'm not a telemarketer. I'm just taking a ... heh heh ... survey. What's your favorite Crunchy-Crud breakfast cereal – Pickle flavored, sauerkraut flavored, or the new High Fiber Artificial Turnip Flavor? You haven't tried Crunchy-Crud? Why don't you just ... heh heh ... give me your name and address and I'll send you a Free Coupon ... to be followed by six tons of postal spam over the next couple of months, all of which will continue to be subsidized by the price you pay for a first class postage stamp."


Who are these 51 million people so incapable of saying "No" to anonymous voices on a pair of twisted copper wires that they have to beg protection from Washington wet nurses? Apparently, they're the same wimps who can't say "No" to their kids when they announce, "I'm gonna, like, you know, tattoo my genitals and stick a bone through my lower lip."

- Rick

[penguin]

That's really the downfall of the "no call" list -- the exclusion of certain types of speech. Why can a congressman harass me, but some poor kid hawking lawn care can't? Personally, I find someone telling me how I should vote much more offensive and harassing than being told I could save money on my heating and cooling bills.

On a related note, there's talk of a "no spam" list being created. That has to go down as a candidate for inclusion in the Modern Museum of Bad Ideas. That would be a list more aptly named the "Please Spam Me" list for offshore spammers. You'd have to be a fool to sign up for that one.

[RS Davis]

penguin said:

That's really the downfall of the "no call" list -- the exclusion of certain types of speech. Why can a congressman harass me, but some poor kid hawking lawn care can't? Personally, I find someone telling me how I should vote much more offensive and harassing than being told I could save money on my heating and cooling bills.

On a related note, there's talk of a "no spam" list being created. That has to go down as a candidate for inclusion in the Modern Museum of Bad Ideas. That would be a list more aptly named the "Please Spam Me" list for offshore spammers. You'd have to be a fool to sign up for that one.

Good points, all, but if Jodi reads this, there's no way she'll let you slide by with the use of the word "harass" up there.

- Rick

[dr snootch]

The thought of the government having my name, phone number, etc. on a list is far, far scarier than every telemarketer in our Good Country. Who should I be more concerned about, an 18 yr-old stoner who wants to cut my grass or a 60 yr-old Attorney General who wants to drop some eaves and spy on his fellow Americans?

BTW, anyone else find it amazing that executives from the top ten telemarketing companies all had their names and numbers on the fed list? Too fucking funny.

[hotjan]

This list should be called The I'm Too Fucking Lazy And Self-Absorbed To Be Nice To Someone For Two Seconds List.
-Meg

[penguin]

HotJan said:

This list should be called The I'm Too Fucking Lazy And Self-Absorbed To Be Nice To Someone For Two Seconds List.
-Meg

I like that.