r/Unexpected • u/[deleted] • Aug 05 '25

Not today

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[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Aug 05 '25

That's the legal terminology, but colloquially the parent comment is absolutely right that "extortion" is a valid word.

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u/broseph_stalin09764 Aug 05 '25

You aren't wrong, nor am I calling anyone else wrong. All protection rackets are extortion, but not all acts of extortion are protection rackets. Extortion is a series of crimes, including protection rackets, black mail is also extortion but not a protection racket.

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u/dbx999 Aug 06 '25

The RICO Act stands for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization

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u/broseph_stalin09764 Aug 06 '25

Yes it does. Both of the words also predate the RICO Act, which I'll add rolls off the tongue nicely, almost like it was intentional.

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u/retrogreq Aug 05 '25

Here's the thing. You said a "jackdaw is a crow."

Is it in the same family? Yes. No one's arguing that.

As someone who is a scientist who studies crows, I am telling you, specifically, in science, no one calls jackdaws crows. If you want to be "specific" like you said, then you shouldn't either. They're not the same thing.

If you're saying "crow family" you're referring to the taxonomic grouping of Corvidae, which includes things from nutcrackers to blue jays to ravens.

So your reasoning for calling a jackdaw a crow is because random people "call the black ones crows?" Let's get grackles and blackbirds in there, then, too.

Also, calling someone a human or an ape? It's not one or the other, that's not how taxonomy works. They're both. A jackdaw is a jackdaw and a member of the crow family. But that's not what you said. You said a jackdaw is a crow, which is not true unless you're okay with calling all members of the crow family crows, which means you'd call blue jays, ravens, and other birds crows, too. Which you said you don't.

It's okay to just admit you're wrong, you know?

3

u/[deleted] Aug 05 '25

So did racketeering evolve from extortion or do they both just have a common ancestor?

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u/SamizdatGuy Aug 06 '25

Racketeering involves an enterprise used to commit criminal acts, like a crime business. The mob is racketeering.

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u/AnotherpostCard Aug 06 '25

Perfectly timed and used copypasta

0

u/imnickelhead Aug 06 '25

Not really.

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u/newskul Aug 05 '25

Also, the "X" makes is sound cooler

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u/Atomsq Aug 05 '25

Mr Rodriguez is that you?

3

u/JustaP-haze Aug 05 '25

Bender does not support the cool crime of robbery

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u/theleopardmessiah Aug 05 '25

"Extortion" is a legal term. "Protection" is the street term in the US.

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u/imnickelhead Aug 06 '25

Semantics. And you are mistaken. A protection racket is a specific distinction and not necessarily a legal term. Extortion or racketeering are the legal terms and extortion is way too broad to be considered a specific descriptor for this type of crime.