Friday, August 30, 2002 |
01:15 - Has everybody seen this?
http://www.consumerfreedom.com/
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ConsumerFreedom.com is running the following full-page ad in Newsweek (among other places, I wouldn't doubt):
I can't describe the initial shock and eventual dawning joy I felt upon turning to this page. It felt like I was back in the 80s again-- and I only say the 80s because that's as far back as I can remember with any sentience, and this whole nothing's-my-fault thing has gone steadily downhill throughout my life. I can only look back as far as possible to have any inkling of a world where you could get away with running such a deliciously audacious ad, without having to worry about joyless middle-aged busybodies writing angry letters and getting laws passed to prevent anything so offensive from ever seeing the light of day.
An acquaintance that I had the chance to listen to as he held forth in Canada this past weekend talked about what he called "the Your Own Fucking Fault Amendment", which is the subject of a letter he has sent to his Congresspeople every year since he was eighteen. It's pretty much what it sounds like: If something happens to you that can be shown in court to be your own fucking fault, then you are divested of any right to file a lawsuit to claim damages for it.
Probably not something we'll see taken terribly seriously at any level higher than Third-Tier Coffee-Making-and-Dry-Cleaning-Picking-Up Aide, but now that sites like ConsumerFreedom.com are feeling confident enough to run ads that they know are bound to offend (or, possibly, incensed enough to no longer fear the consequences for it), there may be hope yet.
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