Thats one heck of a quote from that Judge. Sometimes the right people are in the right place at the right time. Our whole system depends on it after all.
The issue I see here is that like you said.....justice happening comes down to
chance which means logically that an equal number of scams go unpunished or more considering how many people seem to actively work at fogging over others. Only a certain number of the totality is being caught and of those only a certain percentage is judged accordingly because many conmen, having hopped on the money train, try to use the system itself to keep the unjustly received money. As we all know even criminal cartells "lawyer up" to face and confront the system often operating in plain sight but protected by the very system thats trying to prevent them.
CIG entertains multiple shell companies overseas, has a personal lawyer on the team and access to more if needed. They also dont hesitate to overpower single backers finding the courage and the money to confront CIG in court. According to various articles the "intentional scam" is suggestively (that is...highlly probable/likely) going on for years now, supported and backed by more than just the few top tier CEOs. Whats probably true is that the kickstarter success was an immense surprise for Roberts which also explains their deidcation to keep this running. Star Citizen is a full ongoing life-award of money being poured down on the roberts clan, thats why all the key positions were claimed by family members or close friends from day 1!!!
Originally I was under the suspicion that Star Citizen
turned into a scam at some point but had an honest beginning. For some time now I suspected that maybe there never was an honest beginning but it started out with the intend to scam instead. In hindsight more and more signs and information points to that very possibility. Which isnt any kind of comfort to the people still clinging on.
Id love to see thousands of people across 50 states and 3 countries file individual lawsuits though. Win 1 or 2 and the rest will be settled immediately
A nice fantasy
You know about the people consuming illegal substances anywhere on the planet? Or the people who subject themyselves to systemic exploitation (gambling)? These groups of people number into the millions in each country easily. They have the numbers to do what you suggest yet we never really hear about them. At best its an individual who, after some hard earned fight (and there have been movies about such examples) manages to wringe some consolation money from the abuser but usually these opponents part ways and continue doing what they did before....only with slightly re-arranged funds.
SC backers (the ones still on the hope train to destination dreamcrafting.txt)
are these groups of people. The chance for them to become organized or even willing to take a potentially fatal shot at CIG are slim to none. If at all such a move will come from one of the "haters" or disgruntled ex-backers who decides to "punish" CIG for perceived atrocities. A lot of organuzed scam operations coming out of russia or india are designed very similarly. Professional appearance with high effiort entertaining multiple "nodes" across the globe operated by hundreds if not thousands of people and they usually go for small amounts of money so even IF they go bust theres a high probability for the scammed to "suck up their losses" and not file a complaint/go to the police. Additionally these operate across intenrational borders so its even more difficult to see justice served. CIG walks a thin line in regards to "small amounts" which is true for the basic package and also heralded by the shills and enablers but can easily go into insane amounts that turn people possible walking away into enemies. I cant see any of the whales being in for multiple 10s of thousands to just "suck it up" and walk away without making waves. We ll probably see more of those in the future.
What I seee CIG doing these days is
actively protecting their operation which includes all kinds of things. Manipulation, propaganda, paid third parties (streamers and shills), threats (questionable but possible), compartionalization (to prevent an employee from catching on and ratting them out
- as Ben Perry stated himself, one hand within CIG doesnt really know what the other is doing) and more.
Looks to me like all established criminal organizations CIG started to feel entitled to your money at some point, dropping the shame and pretense to do gods work and went in fully for the money. Which means they are not going to run away when threatenrd to be exposed or when more and more people catch on figuering out what they are doing. If you cannot silence dissenters you opt to ignore them but either way you keep going as long as possible to get the very last possible penny out of this - pure greed.which we know has been many peoples downfall. Doing this assumes that CIG is legally covered or has plans in reserve to deal with a full outbreak. You dont stand and fight if you think you ll lose. Scammers are cowards in nature. They will run when exposed. Only the ones who have the means to protect their savings and consider it worth their while/think they have a good chance to resist stay and fight. CIG isnt running....so I m guessing this is planned from long hand and they do have an exit plan
I m hoping for justice in this case as well but I realize or at least entertain the high chance of CIG to go unpunished.
A failure either way. Thats something we know for sure by now. Star Citizen turning into a success equals a miracle at this point. Suggesting "hidden dev builds" or "massive stocks of content saved for release" are akin to magic. Its a desperate fantasy to prevent awareness or awakening.
Innocent until proven guilty works legally in regards to incarceration but the
reputation system works the other way around.
Bring up a hint of suspicion of guilt or wrongdoing and if ignored it ll fester into a cancer eating away your health and appearance. Most companies are scummy to a certain degree and even have to be to beat competition and stay alive but theres always the difference between necessity and overdoing it. So most companies who built up their operations over time and which plan to continue going care about their reputation.
A LOT actually spending fortunes on publicity and consumer analysis. I ve never seen CIG doing any of this. In the beginning Chris Roberts barked a lot when treatened but ultimately whatever he brought up in defense (most of it counting on SCs early status) has toppled or has been proven wrong in hindsight. Yes there are shill articles and streamers but the brunt of SCs defense comes from the abused themselves. Clueless people (
that is, having no more insight or information than the doubters) having an explanation or reason for everything, okaying everything in order to defend their chosen addiction, always rejecting and denying even simple facts in short....
fighting CIGs fight for them. Unpaid, without being marionetted or directed.
People who decide to "pick up the banner and defend CIGs honour" or similar nonsense are the worst in this. Victims all the same but they are actively enabling a possible scam.
When suspicions of wrongdoing are brought up I personally deny it as well intially if its something I care about BUT (and thats the difference here...) I very much would like to see the accusations being denied or proven wrong. CIG has done that in the beginning, the problem is that all of their excuses or deflections have either never come to fruition or have been proven wrong in hindsight. History is important here. CIG...after some time realizing that they are only digging themselves iin deeper if they continue their defense switched over to the silent treatment ignoring outside attacks. And their enablers have made the switch with them. Harping on how CIG is "above" such trivial hate and envy when the reality is rather that it has become impossible to keep up the facade. So its okay to not receive proof for innocense. In Star Citizens case its even okay to "not receive anything at all" because you see...you are not entitled to anything for your money, it being a pledge and all. Often enough the claim itself (Star Citizen is a failure) isnt even disputed anymore but the details about it are (90 days....right?). Doesnt change the claim but it helps distraction and playing for time.
Theres been plenty of supicion raised about Star Citizen. And CIG the company itself is doing next to nothing to deny these suspicions anymore. Not with results at least. They act like the perpetrators hiding in plain sight holding their breath waiting for the moment the "gig is up" and they are equally shocked and even getting bold over how
well this is working. Mostly because the clearer it becomes that something is wrong or not working properly the more deluded their enablers become in turn to allow them to keep going. CIG doesnt have a shred of responsebility towards the people carrying them, they ve shown that often enough. And "the pack" is an unforgiving deadly entity fighting itself if necessary.
When I make a post or point out the obvious I m not doing it to convince some of the enablers to "wake up" or make them admit they are wrong. The one constant in this show is the deluded who will find ways to disregard logic and facts and call YOU names over it. My effort and my time is based on these people but its not
for them. Its rather for people looking in onto this muppet show. A warning to the world if you will that this project isnt worth the risk. And the enablers actually help me on this by providing the example of whats wrong. There are some who are smart about their approach but the broader group of enablers doesnt have the finesse or the skill. They rather act like the mob shouting, waving torches and pitchforks and trying to force dissenters into silence.
Equally when one of the enablers is making a post here its not to prove SCs innocense or to convince any of us doubters that we are wrong. Its also rather for all the people outside lookinng in. The intention doesnt need to be "getting more fish" but its certainly done to discredit doubt and transport a picture of success and stability, if not consciously then subconsciously.
robertsspaceindustries.com
www.nytimes.com
dereksmart.com
