Corporate Tools

Last night's effort got me to thinking about autopay and whose side they might be on. It is very convenient for a professional crastinator such as me. I like my bills paid on time and I got to believe the companies I deal with like that too. If you have a reoccurring bill like utilities or internet, or even a monthly streaming service, it's nice on both ends to know these things are taken care of so there is no disruption of service or furrowed brows coming your way. I use it for phone, internet and utilities. I generally like it- except when it comes to YouTube TV and their Brokeback Mountain relationship techniques. They do make it hard to quit them. I believe I compared it to George Costanza trying to break up with his girlfriend and her deciding that, no, that wasn't going to happen. We've been over that weird relationship with YTTV. 

It got me reminiscing though about two knuckleheads I worked with years ago, Crackhead Tim and Fucking Danny. Those weren't their real names but that's how most people commonly referred to them. Tim was a gym rat who liked to ball. Danny too, I guess. Maybe he just wanted to shower with Tim. You never know. They joined a health club. If you've ever joined a health club, it probably seemed like a good idea at the time but after a month or so, the bloom was off that rose. You didn't feel like going so much anymore. However, you had signed a contract. You had agreed to have them take out the monthly fees from your checking account. Timmy and Danny didn't know that was going to be a lifetime commitment to play some ball and work out. Nobody ever does. It's like she or he is "the one" until they aren't. The key dilemma with Timmy and Danny was that contract. Health clubs were notorious for this practice. Perhaps they still are. I've never had the desire to join a health club, and I prefer to shower alone. 

So, on a month-to-month deal like utilities, cable or streaming where there is no contract, autopay is not a bad thing. It's really only a dilemma with fucking YouTube TV where they have figured out that, if they make it hard to quit, maybe you'll get tired of trying and just resign yourself to paying. In 2025 could a company be so nefariously greedy. The answer to that is, "Fuckin' A right they can be! Look who the grifter-in-chief is in The White House!" Amazon got caught signing people up for their Prime scam, without the permission of said people. Even under Trump they had to pay a hefty fine, probably because the investigation had begun under Joe Biden's watch. Maybe Trump will pardon his buddy Jeff. Nothing surprises me anymore with this kleptocracy. 

What does surprise me is the child-like opinion that rich people don't steal because they are already rich! I still see maga saying this about Trump and others in his orbit of wealth. Oh, my fucking God, Polly Anna! Does greed stop at a certain number for anyone? Most wealthy people are like junkies who simply can never get enough. If you steal a million dollars, the law comes looking for you. If you steal a dollar from a million people, even the victims don't care. "It was only a dollar..."

Things might get worse with autopay. I don't know, but with the usual suspects here in late-stage capitalism getting absolutely all they can grab, we could see an Executive Order from the grifter-in-chief cementing all monthly autopay's into perpetuity. Maybe. I don't want to give them any ideas so, keep that on the hush-hush. As far as this regime sees The Rule of Law and precedent, they could bring back indentured servitude and even debtor's prisons as solution to any future crises in regard to oligarch's collections dilemmas. Oh, Ferrerman- could that happen? Fucking A right it can. The odds are good that the USSC would sign off on that with the usual 6-3 vote. 

Caveat emptor, consumers. Realize that that admonition also can be used against you in a court of law. "You should have known better and done your homework like Fox news always tells you..."