Source: The Dispatch
by Dan Greenberg
“Making threats is risky. Threats strain relationships and often result in retaliation, which is why threats from operators of protection rackets often rely on ambiguity. Such threats are sometimes euphemistic, but when stripped of the veneer of plausible deniability, their message ultimately translates to, ‘Give me what I want, and I won’t hurt you.’ Protection rackets are especially dangerous when conjoined with government power, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish Donald Trump’s efforts to force the governor of Colorado to pardon Tina Peters from a protection racket.” (02/05/26)