Rant: How to better exploit idiots
9 Feb 2005 by Paul Davies
No one likes to think they’re an idiot. And if they know they are, very few admit it. This is tragically sad in a way, but it does open an avenue for mass revenue generation.Thousands of retards are relieved of their cash every year by pyramid schemes and people pretending to be Nigerian.
The OFT is rightly doing something about it: it has launched a campaign to protect fools from falling for fraudulent schemes and becoming part of a criminals’ “suckers” list of potential victims.
The scheme, which includes handing out half a million leaflets in libraries, (not usually the chief domain of the intellectually challenged) is, however, likely to be another big waste of time.
A far better plan would be not to tackle the cons, but to embrace them, and nationalise the whole operation. If the government were to purloin the suckers list, it could generate much needed funds to fill the hole in Gordon Brown’s accounts. And because people don’t like admitting when they’ve been had, no one is likely to complain.
Groups of conscience-driven activists who feel a duty to stand up for those lacking in grey matter will no doubt complain that the government is preying on the stupid through deception and cunning. But, as the return to the fray this week of Alastair Campbell reminds us, underhand tactics are a staple tenet of government operations.
And while he’s about, the OFT should employ Mr Campbell to run the sting. If nothing else, it will utilise his skills of being a crafty conman while simultaneously keeping him out of trouble.
