The 2-Party Blame Game

My mom called the network provider of her mobile phone plan. None of our family have had any signal in a week, and we’re wondering when it’ll come back. After much waiting, the guy on the support line told her: “Oh, we’re not responsible. You have to call the company which sold you the plan.” “But aren’t you operating the network?” my mom said. “You must know if there’s a disruption, don’t you?” He hung up.

After a lot more waiting, she finally reached the other side, the phone plan provider. Guess what they told her? “Oh, we’re not responsible. This other company is operating the network.” Now, she’s stuck submitting some form which probably won’t change anything.

It’s a classic, the two-party blame game. All you need is someone to play ping pong with and plausible deniability. I wouldn’t be surprised if some entities agree on the scheme in advance. “We’ll send you folks, and you send them right back, okay? That way, no one will have to help anyone.”

Help. That’s how you break this cycle. It doesn’t have to be perfect, by the way. Most of the time, we know solutions take time. What we want is someone who says, “Alright, let me figure this out with you,” pulls up a chair, and rolls up their sleeves.

In a world where everyone points at someone else, stepping forward and raising your hand is the greatest act of courage, defiance, and service all at once.