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May 13, 1985
(lemmy.world)
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/15035901
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this post was submitted on 06 May 2024
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A Boring Dystopia
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I suggest looking up what the Pinkertons were about as well. The US had a nasty history when it comes to the poor and people of color who get "uppity".
They still exist to this day, and do the same business. There more recent thing was being hired by Wizards of the Coast to intimidate someone who received MTG cards before official release date.
This was a big stink on the R site; there is no reason to maintain that company name except to capitalize on its horrifying reputation.
I know very well what the Pinkertons did back then — and are still doing as part of various union-buster merc groups hired by Amazon, Starbucks, etc. (the WotC thing is a blip that happened to ruffle geek feathers, so it bubbled up over there), but the simple fact that the general public doesn't (want to?) connect the dots between alt-right, cop gangs, and mercs like the Pinkertons is only one reason that this nation will continue to be slavery based, no matter the cosmetic flourish every 4+ years. 🤌🏽
Pinkertons today is a brand name purchased by a Swedish security firm. It has nothing to do with the previous Pinkertons and (fellow) D&D nerds circlejerking that the guys from Red Dead Redemption had come to (literally ask to) retrieve stolen property without involving the law was very embarrassing.
If it had nothing to do with the name, they would have dropped the name. The reputation behind the name is the point. Plenty of people knew who the pinkertons were before Rockstar released grand theft cowboy.
Just so we're clear, your argument is that this Swedish firm have the same name as 19th century American "mercs" therefore modern day slavery is real?
no, it's that the same power structures have persisted and are still doing the same shit under a different mantle, even if it's technically a Swedish company now (hit those people from Blair Mountain are long since retired, yet the organization is still doing similar things).
PS: "literally ask to" is a funny way of saying intimidate, the reason they refused to involve proper authorities was that legally speaking they had no case
I don't think you're getting me.
The Swedish company is one you are probably familiar with - Securitas. Its quite literally not the same power structure, and completely different shit. They aren't hunting outlaws. They arent union-busting. They are people you send to someones house when you dont want to involve the police. They didn't intimidate the guy - he him himself described the interaction as "very nice, very apologetic". Remind me again how interactions with American police usually go?
https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/trading-card-game/news/magic-the-gathering-aftermath-youtube-prompts-pinkerton-investigation
And no, they definitely had a case. The guy obtained unreleased cards (ie stolen) "from an acquaintance" and then refused all attempts to contact him by WotC. Do you think WotC should have sent police to his door? Would that have been a better loom for them?
again, just because it's a different company doesn't change the power structures that enable them, we aren't talking about corporate structures here (also Securitas does unironically union bust for large companies like Amazon).
as for the "They didn’t intimidate the guy", you don't do that by threatening legal actions and the costs involved bankrupting a person.
That is complete head cannon on your end, as WotC tried calling twice with a suppressed phone ID and then sent the agent directly.
you know, we have this magic thing in the civilized world called "proper legal action", if they had a case they would have just sent a legal notice, inform the police, and the police only come get you if you ignore the court, but they didn't do that, you know why? because no lawyer worth his salt would have signed off on this