Thieves' Guild

[Delbert]

Thieves\' Guild

One of the problems that I had with the setup of Dureena's character was the Thieves' Guild. It seems too much like a fantasy games thing (and I speak as a keen gamer!). I don't see how it fits into the B5 universe. Why would all of these different races band together because they are thieves? How does this work alongside the other organised crime on B5?

Any thoughts?

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[GKarsEye]

Re: Thieves\' Guild

Money can be a more powerful unifying force than race. The mafia, notoriously racist, had no qualms about working with Irish cops or black drug dealers when it suited them.

The Technomages are another group that are united (sort of) despite their different racial backgrounds.

India had guild-type groups for prostitutes, beggars, and thieves.

So, I don't see a problem with the whole Thieves Guild thing.

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"You do not make history. You can only hope to survive it."

 

[bakana]

Re: Thieves\' Guild

If you look closely at the history of Organized Crime in America, the Mafia actually Inherited it from the Irish.

The Irish crime families made Lots of money, sent their kids to College to become doctors, lawyers, etc. and went "Respectable" (ie, the lawyers went into Politics instead).

This left a void. The more recently arrived Italian immigrants moved into that void.

Now, the younger members of the Italian crime families are also going Respectable and getting into Politics and Law.

Again leaving a void.

Black criminals, Russian criminals and others are moving into the empty spots.

Crime is an ecology, too.

Fighting Wars and killing each other off tends to cut into Profits, so the crime families Organize.
They split up territories, make rules for themselves, and create a Hierarchy.
This looks supiciously like a Government.
Or a Guild.
By the time of Babylon 5, it could very easily have become one in Fact. And have joined together with similar organizations from other worlds and races.
For the same reasons Babylon 5 was created.
To keep the Peace.

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Yes, I like cats too.
Shall we exchange Recipes?

[This message has been edited by bakana (edited October 04, 2001).]

 

[Delbert]

Re: Thieves\' Guild

Thank you both for those thoughts. And I guess that you're right in the idea of this being a wider hierarchy than the criminal dealings of N'Grath and his successors that we saw on B5. I guess that I was partly facing that awful "Well why haven't we heard this mentioned before?" moment, without thinking that it was because the organised crime that we had seen seemed to deal more with smuggling and extortion, while the theft tended to be by amateurs.

Thanks!

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[bakana]

Re: Thieves\' Guild

Delbert, you might also consider that the best way for a Thieves Guild to stay in business is to be Discreet. IOW, don't draw attention to the guild's existence.

So, guild mebers who get arrested would all appear to be "lone gunmen" petty thieves. Anyone idiot enough to say "You can't arrest me, I'm in the guild!" would suffer a fatal accident.

Best way to keep from being arrested is to not exist.

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Yes, I like cats too.
Shall we exchange Recipes?

 

[Delbert]

Re: Thieves\' Guild

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by bakana:
So, guild mebers who get arrested would all appear to be "lone gunmen" petty thieves. Anyone idiot enough to say "You can't arrest me, I'm in the guild!" would suffer a fatal accident.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

D'oh! Now I feel really dumb! Maybe it was just the terminology that threw me off on the wrong foot: "Thieves' Guild" is so ... D&D.

Ta!

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