New Junkmail: Sign Of The Times

---by Micheal
For years, up until maybe six or nine months ago, I would receive in my mailbox an unsolicited "offer" for a credit card. No previous credit history needed! Bad credit? No problem. Just about every major bank and a host of lesser known 'institutions' were nearly knocking each other down to get me to sign up for their credit card. Buy what you want! No interest (until later, when we whack you!). Easy easy easy!

Last October or so, I noticed that I wasn't getting those "offers" anymore. It was a welcome relief, even if offset by the avalanche of Christmas (junk) catalogs. All good recycling materials, I'll grant you, but I don't really want to be a recycling middleman. That's another story, however.

Starting in November or so, I began to get automated junk phone calls. I was accustomed to "Josh" of satellite TV, at least the first few words of his pre-recorded patter. (I never stayed on the line longer than that) Some new calls joined Josh. The names changed, but Steve, or Diane or Dave, etc. all called from the "Accounts Department" to let me know that I could get relief from my massive credit card debt.

I knew they were mass-market junk calls. I have no credit card debt. We charge what we need, gas, groceries, etc., then pay the balance due by the end of the billing cycle. We carry over no debt from one month to the next. So, I knew the automated calls were intended for Mr. Average Citizen, not me. Dave doesn't get any further into his blather than Josh does.

I was musing over this change in junk communications the other day. Awhile back, the junk was trying to get me to sign up for dozens of credit cards. Then the meltdown comes, due to this very blind abandon by the banks. Now comes the new junk to try and 'help me' with all the debt the stupid cards caused.

The Obama administration is giving us the bum's rush to agree to a huge stimulus package so we can get our economy back where it was. Back to where any moron with a credit card can overbuy in order to keep the factories humming. Don't we ever learn anything?