Screen Writers Strike. Does it affect you?

[KruzeS]

alpha_dk said:
The argument that the Union shouldn't have the right to impose the strike on the Union Members is inherently a red herring.

In any sort of Majority-controlled institution, there *will* be people that disagree with the rule of the majority. To say that those individuals should not have to follow the will of the majority is to destroy the institution. You saying that writers should be allowed to write if they don't agree is the same as saying Unions shouldn't exist - it is a valid argument, but you can't have both Unions and people who are in the union that don't follow its directives. The two are mutually exclusive.

I'm saying two things: a union is not a governament and membership shouldn't be forced upon anyone in any conceivable way; if membership is enforced (like being a member of the bar association), then that association shouldn't be given certain powers (like the one to force a strike on its members); and if it isn't, then that union should be aware of all of its members, and what kind of sacrifices it asks of them for the greater good, otherwise it will end up loosing quite a few.

alpha_dk said:
Or, to put it another way:
I don't believe that I should be forced to wear a seatbelt. I think laws that relate to my safety and my safety alone are ill-conceived and anti-freedom.

Unfortunately, the society I live in disagrees, and thinks that seatbelt laws are a Good Thing(tm).

I am perfectly free to continue not wearing a seatbelt, just as writers are perfectly free to continue writing... in both cases, we will have to live with the consequences of getting caught breaking the rules of the institution we are a part of.

I don't know where you live, but if you lived in Europe as I do, I'd tell you the reason for you to be compelled to wear a seating belt (under penalty of a fine, it's not like it's a crime) is very simple: I don't want to have to pay for the unnecessary damage that not using a seating belt will cause on you in the event of an accident. Since I foot the bill for your health care in my system, I want you to play safe.

If writers were allowed to continue writing, suffering only the consequence of no longer being protected by their union, I'd be fine with it. When a union basically makes it impossible for outcasts to get any work or recognition, I'm not fine with them treating dissenting members like this. It's that simple, really.

alpha_dk said:
Note: I am very much anti-institution. I do not believe that people have a moral obligation to follow the laws of a society that they do not agree with. At the same time, I DO believe that it should be a rational choice with full knowledge of and accounting for any consequences of partaking in the action.

I'm not even anti-institution. But I am very much anti- these all powerful institutions, that bring nothing of value to society. That applies to both the networks and these very cartel alike guilds - I honestly see no difference.