Remember Your Responsibilites as a Patriotic American Today

It’s National Swear at a Telemarketer Day! Since the American Teleservices Association has vowed to keep calling numbers on the FTC’s National Do Not Call Registry — not to mention making sure the FCC can’t take over enforcement duties — it’s up to you to do your solemn duty! When a telemarketer calls, remember to curse like a sailor! Don’t worry if the kids are in the room — their momentary discomfort will be far outweighed by the benefit to civilized society at large! Oh, there are a few other suggestions out there as to what to do, but I think we all know they’re not nearly as effective — or fun!

And remember: Your job’s not done until the telemarketer cries!

As deep in the back pocket of big media as FCC chairman Michael Powell may be, he actually came up with a decent workaround regarding enforcement: The FTC has the list, the FCC has the power to enforce it. But — get this — the FTC’s not allowed to provide the list to the FCC. Bureaucratic bullshit, of course. But Powell sent a letter (PDF format) to the Direct Marketing Association, which, unlike its sister organization, has stated an intention to treat the list as valid regardless of its enforceability. In it, he requested that the DMA (who are still a pile of scum, but a little less ripe than the ATA) provide the list to the FCC. That way, he gets around the bureaucratic obstacle the ATA’s thrown into the works. Creative thinking. Doesn’t make me think much better of him, but apparently, even weasels like him can make the right decision once in a while.