Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!sun-barr!rutgers!netsys!vector!telecom-gateway From: miket@brspyr1.brs.com (Mike Trout) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Can We Outlaw Junk Calls? Message-ID: Date: 12 Sep 89 18:14:48 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Organization: BRS Info Technologies, Latham NY Lines: 43 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 370, message 8 of 10 In article , karl@ddsw1.mcs.com (Karl Denninger) writes: > [much about modern lack of individual responsibility deleted] > If you want to insure that you don't miss something important then buy an > answering machine and screen your calls -- tell your friends and relatives > what you're up to so they don't hang up on it. Instant problem solved. Fine--except for one problem. What about those folks who can't afford an answering machine? There are millions of the new "working poor" who need a telephone for their jobs, yet barely get by on a hand-to-mouth existence. I don't think it's fair for you and me to be able to solve our problems by spending money, while it's an option that many people don't have. It's just another example of how the "haves" have so many advantages over the "have-nots". And the argument that "answering machines aren't very expensive" doesn't apply. What is "not very expensive" to a single working mother who's trying to decide whether to buy beans vs. bread for the kids tonight? Imagine her some evening, frantically trying to cook dinner, stop the kids from fighting while getting them to do homework, do the house cleaning, all in a short enough time to maybe get a few hours sleep before the boss calls again--all interrupted by three calls from people trying to sell her some aluminum siding. Don't get me wrong--I think the bulk of Karl's article is very good, and his points about our society seeking legislative solutions for everything are highly valid. I urge everyone to re-read Karl's article, and think about how we all abrogate the responsibilities that we should be maintaining. I think Karl has zeroed in well on one of our most glaring faults. But I must take issue with his paragraph above. The idea that you can solve your problem by purchasing Product X only applies to those who have the money. Remember that such solutions always leave out a certain percentage of people--who are already rather resentful at being left out of the mainstream--and serves to futher widen the rich-poor gap. Note also that I am not proposing any specific alternative; I intend merely to point out the problems that exist with this approach. NSA food: Iran sells Nicaraguan drugs to White House through CIA, SOD & NRO. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Michael Trout (miket@brspyr1)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BRS Information Technologies, 1200 Rt. 7, Latham, N.Y. 12110 (518) 783-1161 "God forbid we should ever be 20 years without...a rebellion." Thomas Jefferson