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AlexMax
07-18-2002, 11:27 AM
It is 3Q 2030.

You're arguing with your wife again. It seems she's missed her spending quota again this quarter. A proud patriot, you have no problem spending 85% and sometimes 90% of your income on consumer goods, yet she can't manage to spend even close to the 75% required by law. It's that foreign mentality, you suppose--that's what happens when you are educated overseas and without the benefit of a corporate sponsor. You have to remind her that if the Internal Consumer's Service (ICS) catches her, she'll be doing time in Philip Morris(TM) Prison like her uncle.

Oh well, hopefully a night at the town's AOL-Time-Warner-Clear-Channel-Blockbuster(TM) Authorized Media Distribution Center will smooth things over with her. That reminds you--you need to have your eye- and ear-implants inspected for this quarter again, otherwise you won't even be allowed in tonight.

You haven't attended church services for a while. Although your wife is a devout follower of God's Customers(TM) and shops in the Church Store at LEAST five tiems a quarter, you're not yet convinced that converting from Consumers For Jesus(TM) was that sound an investment.

Your son Rick has just graduated from the local McDonalds(TM) High School. You want him to go to Pepsi(TM) University like his sister, but he wants to go to Coke(TM) College. Not that it matters--the permits you get at either school are the same. Although he really wanted to attend Stanford(TM), his corporate sponsors rejected that proposal, based on what it might do to his credit rating.

Your youngest daughter just graduated Pepsi(TM) U. It was expensive, but she is all set now, having received a Creative Thought Permit and a Entrepreneurship License. On top of that she's accepted a job at Fortune 10 corporation. Of course almost everyone works for a Fortune 10 nowadays, there being only thirty-some corporations left. It's too bad she had to sign all those NDA's though--you'd really like to be allowed to know where she would be living and how to get in touch with her. Ahh well, it's the price you pay for our corporate security.

Your older daughter, after twenty quarters of employment, was finally permitted to tell you that she is working in middle-management at AT&T. Of course, every job in the United Corporations of America is middle-management. The cheaper--skilled--labor is all outsourced to Those Other Countries, whatever they are called. In ten more quarters, assuming her credit rating remains good and she has attained Shareholder status, she'll be allowed to talk face-to-face (no encrypted channel) with us again!

Apparently, her five year old daughter has been grounded again, this time for racking up a $6000 fine--singing "Happy Birthday(TM)" at a party without a Media Distribution License. She really needs to be taught a lesson--that as a patriotic Consumer of the UCA, she needs to respect the rights of Shareholders and property owners. What a dangerous thoughts she has! She thinks she should be allowed to say whatever she pleases, no matter what it does to someone else's portfolio! No one can get it through to her that terrorist ideas like that will land her in one of those "special" schools--and she'd be subjected to a lower quarterly limit on all her credit cards.

Fax from your wife--she'll be late tonight. Corporate HQ has re-instated fourteen-hour work days until the end of this quarter. It's too bad she's not allowed to quit her job--you could get her a pretty sweet management position any time in your department at Microsoft.

(This text was taken from Slashdot, and was released under public domain by the poster. Scary...no?)

obi
07-18-2002, 11:42 AM
Reminds me of the borg, a bit....

*shivers*

Cronic
07-18-2002, 11:42 AM
You left out planet starbucks, and the microsoft galaxy ;)

Dart Zaidyer
07-18-2002, 11:48 AM
If corporate America continues at the rate it's going without check, you can bet they'll twist the country into this nightmare scenario.
*shudder*

plith
07-18-2002, 12:31 PM
Load of bullshit. How could a large corporation take over way of life? It wouldn't work, ever.

Toolie
07-18-2002, 12:58 PM
Good for a laugh, but entirely not possible at all in this Republic we live in.

Jigglysaint
07-18-2002, 01:28 PM
Dude! You forgot the 666 tatooed on your forhead!

Don't worry, they would have to kill millions of people to even come close to setting up a society like that. All the True Followers of Christ(no trademark) would go underground before the Second Comming.

slothman
07-18-2002, 01:49 PM
Fortunetely people aren't that bad. They would revolt before that happens. It is funny though even if not completely realistic.

The Silent Assassin
07-18-2002, 01:49 PM
Big corporation America is dying. Small Business will rule the world...

Selah
07-18-2002, 09:30 PM
lol. wouldn't happen peeps like their freedom too much...

Carmine
07-18-2002, 09:56 PM
In the future It will be a law to where atleast 3 logo's of Addvertisment on you clothing, And everyone who Isnt famous will atuomaticaly be an organ donar, And stupid Air heads will be are presidents..... Im Keanu Reeves..... I know kung fu, I mean look at the presidents we'v had since after the 50's, There all stupid playboys, Nixon, Kennedy, Clinton, And I bet Bush Is going to make one bigass mistake before he's over, HMMMM... after the 50's.... Like after that "weather ballon" crashed where area 51 Is now, Its aliens people..... Maybe Im just paroniod.

plith
07-19-2002, 09:51 AM
You are. Americans may as a whole be rather stupid, but at least they'll lash out at corporations if they see any move to undermine their freedom.

Carmine
07-19-2002, 04:50 PM
Ya really think so?

People havent really been known to ban together, Especially when fear Is Involved.

All Im sayin really Is that the futures going to have some pretty tight laws, i mean you cant even say gun In school now without going to Juvi... So much for freedom of speech... I just cant wait till they get rid of freedom of press... But it wont happen :cry: .

Beldaran
07-19-2002, 05:05 PM
Actually, that's exactly what its like living in a communist country, which is funny because they are the opposite of captialism. They've convinced all you silly, gullable american kids that capitalism is evil just so they can move in establish exactly this type of system.

Rafnul
07-19-2002, 05:08 PM
Originally posted by Toolie
Good for a laugh, but entirely not possible at all in this Republic we live in.

Thank you, someone for finally noting the "Republic" issue.

Ibis, God of Magicks
07-19-2002, 05:52 PM
You know, actaully that was an episode of sliders....

Shadowblazer
07-19-2002, 06:55 PM
Originally posted by Ibis_god_of_Magicks
You know, actaully that was an episode of sliders.... lol, I was just thinking the same thing man :D

DarkDragoonX
07-19-2002, 07:13 PM
Sliders was badass. I hate the way they never gave the series a concrete ending, though... just like what happened to Earth 2...

theplustwo
07-19-2002, 11:34 PM
nah, all corporations are going to merge into omnicorp™ so nothing will have separate brand names like that.