How to Write an Effective Email
Sometimes I receive random emails.
I keep getting emails from the Galveston Historical Society, I get emails about webinars, and then there’s the occasional PR pitch. But today’s email takes the cake.
Entitled “the estate tax,” it’s from a guy in Frisco who rails against the weathly:
These inheritance rich families, and their bankers, lawyers, and money managers are what is wrong with our government, economy, legal system, health care system, and environment today. They have used their wealth and power to buy our politicians and together they are getting away with murder, theft, and environmental destruction on a scale that threatens all of humanity. The $1 trillion dollar Saving & Loan Crisis bubble of the 80’s, the multi-trillion dollar tech bubble of the 90’s, the Enron bubble, Bush’s trillion dollar tax cuts for the rich, the multi-trillion dollar wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the current multi-trillion dollar financial bailout were all designed to transfer and concentrate wealth into the hands of fewer and fewer people. These trillion dollar scams have left the American people picking up the bills and scratching their heads wondering what the hell happened.
He goes on to say that our only option may be a French-type revolution, but even that probably wouldn’t work.
But the absolute best part was the ending:
Therefore, get ready to bend over and take it up your collective asses because it looks like we are going to let a few inheritance rich assholes and their stooges fuck us into an early grave so that they can have more wealth for themselves. But don’t worry, because we all get cake and ice cream afterwards.
Cake and ice cream? Yes please. Ok, maybe he was being sarcastic…
But how many of you will remember his email now? That’s effective (if slightly offensive to some) writing. The full email is after the jump, although I’ve omitted his last name.
Dear Meredith Shamburger,
The estate tax will go from 45% this year to 0% next year. Bush and the Republicans did this and Obama and the Democrats could fix it, but the silence from this administration is deafening. As a result, the potential exists for the transfers of trillions of dollars in tax-free wealth to a few inheritance rich unproductive people down in Texas and across the country in 2010. But don’t worry, there will be new jobs polishing the brass on these rich prick’s yachts.
The Forbes list of the richest Americans is bullshit. I know for a fact that one the richest families in America is not even on the list, any longer, when they should be at or near the top of the list. This family hides their enormous wealth from the public’s eyes because they know if the American people ever found out how much wealth they own, how they got their wealth, and the steps they have taken to protect and expand their wealth there would be major pubic outrage. This information could even inspire a French Revolution type public reaction, and it would certainly inspire voters to vote for a total change in our government’s leadership.
I personally know some of these inheritance rich people and I can tell you unequivocally they do not deserve to be handed all this wealth and power. In fact, they deserve to have most of their existing wealth and power taken away from them. Partly because of the decisions that have been made in their names, but mainly because of the fact that it is bad for the other 99.9% of the American people, bad for our economy, bad for our system of government, and bad for the environment.
These inheritance rich families, and their bankers, lawyers, and money managers are what is wrong with our government, economy, legal system, health care system, and environment today. They have used their wealth and power to buy our politicians and together they are getting away with murder, theft, and environmental destruction on a scale that threatens all of humanity. The $1 trillion dollar Saving & Loan Crisis bubble of the 80’s, the multi-trillion dollar tech bubble of the 90’s, the Enron bubble, Bush’s trillion dollar tax cuts for the rich, the multi-trillion dollar wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the current multi-trillion dollar financial bailout were all designed to transfer and concentrate wealth into the hands of fewer and fewer people. These trillion dollar scams have left the American people picking up the bills and scratching their heads wondering what the hell happened.
What happened, and what is continuing to happen, is the robbing of America and the murder of our constitutional democracy. The middle class is being squeezed down and the vast assets owned by the federal government — our collectively owned assets — are being looted. The kings have retaken control over our lives and they did so with the help of the money corrupted Republican and Democratic parties, in that order. We no longer live in democracy we live in an fascist oligarchy where the super rich along with our government leaders have conspired to gain more wealth and more power for themselves at our expense. They own you and they own your future because they own most of the $14 trillion in federal government debt. The American people are going to be expected to pay back this debt in full along with interest, and trust me when I tell you that these rich people know how to collect on a debt.
I wish I could give you some helpful advice on how to take back your government by voting, but I can’t. The new paperless voting computers and the rigged two party media debating system have me wondering if real change is even possible. Our only hope may be a French type revolution where we go around killing all the super rich people. But even the threat of that possibility is slim because the American people have been so weakened, dumbed down, and manipulated by the corporate owned media, bad diets, lying politicians, and absurd fantasies about life and death.
Therefore, get ready to bend over and take it up your collective asses because it looks like we are going to let a few inheritance rich assholes and their stooges fuck us into an early grave so that they can have more wealth for themselves. But don’t worry, because we all get cake and ice cream afterwards.
Sincerely,
Chris [last name omitted]
