I often see communication from companies that think we (consumers) are dumb.

Examples. 

• Circuit City is filing for bankruptcy due to the economic colapse.
   – The reality is that CC has been failing for the past 5 years. The last 6 months were merly the nail in the coffin.

• Microsoft is cutting 5000 jobs because the slow economy.
   – Again, same story, Stocks and sales have been down for 2 years, yet apple reports one of the biggest profits (26% growth) ever for 4th quarter 08. Maybe the issue is bigger than the current economy.

• I recently switched cell phone carriers. My former carrier wants me back, and is offering me “special deals to come back”
    - The problem is that these so called special deals, are not special. In fact, they are worse than the deals a new subscriber would get walking off the street. 

• Locally, ASU is announcing huge budget cuts because the state is cutting some educational funding. They are dropping programs, loosing teachers, and making class sizes huge. 
    - The problem here is that ASU has raised tuition 233% in the last six years, and the ASU president makes $750k a year, plus $750K in bonuses. The average state school president makes $420k.  Seems to me they are whining and cutting the wrong things. ASU is a business after all. Maybe they should run it like one. 

Consumers are not a dumb as big companies think.