HOW MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH GANGLAND "PROTECTION" THAT INSURED BUSINESSES, OR ELSE??

     As the Mafia and other Underworld Crime organizations grew and dominated private businesses in the various major Cities, they developed a "Protection" system a private business was 'required' to pay for on a monthly, quarterly or yearly basis.
     It worked very well for the Gangsters of the day, in the respect that, if you didn't pay the required dues to the strong-arm collectors, you probably received an anonymous phone call at first, and  then someone popped in on you once in a while unexpectedly. then strange things would unpleasantly happen to your business in devious and sometimes not so devious ways to remind you that you forgot to pay your 'Protection' bill.
     Inevitably, you paid it or else your harassment increased until you either complied or your business was disabled to the point you just gave up and shut down entirely.
     It all seemed to center around major Eastern 'Kingpin' Cities such as Chicago, under the thumb of Al Capone and his strong-arm Soldiers and Cronies. Baseball bats were often used as persuaders.
     Well....., with the progress of modern technology and the evolution of the Internet, the method of reminders became more defined and less physically deadly, but the shutting down of your business is eerily the same.
     Eg: With some major adjustments and differences, such as, the Politics that existed in those days still had a semblance of sincerity in the laws that protected the victims of such "Protectionism".
     Today, there doesn't seem to be any protection from the modern day system.
     It very well may be a result of outsourcing the marketing of many sales techniques used by Countries other than our own. Laws within our borders do not apply to the operations of companies in other Countries, or so it appears.
     Maybe these oddities have been simply over-looked by today's elected Servants of the Gov't "Of the People, By the People and For the People", but somehow, I think monetary "Favors" have more to do with it than anything else.
     Anyway, HP (Hewlett-Packard) outsourced their guarantees and warrantees through companies in other Countries, who in turn, have total control over the sales of such. Coincidentally, they have the ability, along with other companies such as Norton, to also take control of your printers and computers alike. To the point where a customer can no longer maintain and technically examine, correct and eliminate viruses with their own expertise. In my case, for instance, I own an HP printer that sit's idle with a notice that I have installed a Print-head that is incompatible or installed  improperly. I did nothing to the printer except to install the required cartridges each time I ran out. 
     With no success, I had a licensed, qualified repair technician attempt to fix it, to no avail, with it continually reporting the same problem.
     The fact is, no one installed anything in my HP printer, except the fact I was bombarded with notifications my extended Insurance coverage had ran out and required renewal. This was after I had the HP coverage for 2 years from the day I purchased it and had expired 2 months before.
     The very curious thing about this was, when I called Walmart to enquire what I needed to do, and very promptly in return, I was told there was nothing they could do, and to buy a new computer!
     That frustrated me, because I had just reloaded my Color and black ink cartridges to the tune of $75.00. So then I called HP support and it was answered by a man from India who represented the Warrantee coverage for HP. besides being the HP technician.
      I told him my problem and after asking my permission, took control of my computer to investigate my wireless Printer. He then pointed out to me I needed to renew my Warrantee for $149.99. In reply I said I didn't call him to get a sales pitch, but to correct the problem with my Printer. I also told him I had a qualified, Independent technician try to correct it but to no avail.
     His response surprised me by him replying that an Independent Technician could not solve the problem. He then told me I had to renew my Warrantee first and then an HP technician could correct the problem.
     After recognizing the " Chicago-Al Capone ploy" they were using to market their Insurance, I demanded that he correct the problem. He hung up!!
     In checking on the price of a comparable but different HP printer, I purchased another for $90.00 and ink for an additional $60.00.
     I didn't win either way, except to say, I have a brand new Printer with another 2 yr Warrantee for the same price as a one year warrantee for the same price.
     What bothers me more than anything else is the fact that I believe they have the ability to disable my printer or computer to the point you have to hire them to un-disable it or buy a new one.
      So, as I sit in my living room operating my brand new HP printer getting low on ink now, I just have to glance 3 ft. over to see a perfectly good, 2+ yr. old HP disabled printer with new, but different cartridges that don't fit my new one, and wonder; Isn't there something wrong with this picture??
Don't you see the similarity in the Chicago-style rip-off being used by International Corporations and the same techniques used by the "Chicago trained Thugs" in the White house today? They have us between a rock and a hard spot there too! Just sayin'.