The culture of violence growing worldwide and in countries like China it is being legally enforced by the Government on its own citizens and other countries which it has occupiecd like Tibet destroying a culture.
This is a moral issue and deserves our attention.
Why?
For over 50 years Tibetans have been the only group who have been fighting for their rights non-violently against Chinese invasion and occupation. Tibetans have not used guerrilla warfare which occupied people use. If they aren't supported by the non-Chinese people worldwide and by Chinese people inside China, then we have to ask ourselves if as individuals we are supporters of violence though we claim to be against violence?
Non-violence is the only human trait that can be used to debate or discuss a problem. Violence is not the answer to problems. The Chinese govt. has been using violence on its own people like in Tiannamen square and on the occupied people of Tibet. If the right to non-violent protest is denied and those people who protest are shot dead, the question each of us have to ask ourselves is - Are we moral ?
If we are moral, how can we support the Chinese govt. which has ruled not only China but also Tibet and IMAR regions by sheer brute force ?
To demystify the issue - the Chinese Govt. is a bunch of dictators who have formed a party and forced their rule down Chinese people's throats and on Tibetans and Mongolians for over 50 years. The Communist Chinese govt. is no different from Hitler's Nazis or the Afghanistan's Taliban regime.
If they are not different, then how can our countries trade or engage with such a regime which oppresses its own people and occupies other countries?
Sign the petition to send a message to the Chinese Govt. to make yourselves heard
If the Chinese Govt. is indeed not doing anything wrong, then why has it not allowed any media except their official govt. mouthpiece into Tibet or TAR?
If the Chinese Govt. is truly not responsible for slaughter of more than 100 people, then why has it asked all foreigners to leave?
If the Chinese govt. is innocent and is being wrongfully targetted by the Dalai Lama, then why give non-violent protestors a curfew?
Why is Chinese govt. so scared of peaceful protestors ?
This is because the Commmunist Chinese Govt. knows the stakes - Its "happy" mask will fall if it doesn't control the protestors as it is scared the protests might spread to all parts of China, resulting in loss of power.
Most governments are curbing Tibetans protesting against China in their countries because of some business or political lobbying.
Strategic affairs and business interests apart, the issue boils to just one moral value - Do you think violence is the answer to a problem?
Why are all those who unaniomously condemened the US invasion of Iraq or Iraq's invasion of Kuwait not saying anything about Chinese occupation of Tibet or its violent curbing of peaceful protestors?
If one wishes to see an Al-Qaeda government - you don't have to look too far - just look at the Chinese government. The Chinese President is Osama Bin Laden without the turban and the beard.
The Chinese Government is the equivalent of the Taliban government under Afghanistan or occupied Europe under Hitler, except the Communist Chinese govt. are atheists while the Taliban and Nazis were theists.
Sign these urgent petitions to stop Chinese killing of Tibetans
Copyright © 2008 by Deepa Kandaswamy
March 17, 2008
January 21, 2008
The Hollywood Writer's Strike and Awards
The writers are the backbone of the movie industry in Hollywood but the brain is the producer.
Without the brain, nothing can function. What if the studios all decide to close shop for 6 months or make novel adaptations using writers from abroad? Hollywood would collapse as the writers cannot pay the other members of the movie industry.
That is why the strike by the WGA is not only silly but senseless.
It is even worse that the actors are boycotting the ceremonies in the name of supporting writers. The Golden Globes not happening caused a lot of problems for the others -- the technicians, art directors, and even journalists. The Oscars of 2008 will be a landmark as it would be the 80th in the history of Hollywood.
If it doesn't happen, the writers of WGA would be successful in shooting their careers dead while the actors can always act in a British, European or Asian movie.
Let us think about this for a moment.
What is the actors' problem? If they wish to show solidarity or empathise with the writers why don't they just take the same pay packets as the writers, work for free and give their money to the writers or go on strike with them? This is the height of absurdity and pretense.
Unfortunately, WGA are not the sole custodians of scripts in the world as they seem to think so. However, Hollywood studios have a lot of money with them to spend which they can do on a non-WGA script.It is true that without stories, movies don't get made but without the money of the producer nothing can ever get made. So blackmailing employers is not really a good idea.
Does this mean the producer should be allowed to dictate all terms and the writers have to simply accept it? Nope.
If you don't like the terms, you can try to re-negoniate it or go to another studio. If that doesn't work you are free to approach someoneelse in Europe, Australia, Japan or India to produce it. Or maybe the Hollywood actors will put their money where their mouth is and produce the films themselves and help out the writers by giving them the copyrights for each Internet download, re-run, etc. After all, several actors have production houses too.
The writer's strike is also affecting cinematographers, stunt people, art directors, etc. and is not just writers vs producers.
Probably, the cinematographers can go on strike next, refusing to visualise the script by writers or show these actors in good angles as they are also not given their cut in each download or re-run. Then the stunt people can follow as they risk their lives and are not paid a cut each time the stunt is shown or watched in any part of the world.
Maybe like writers, everyone from cinematographers, stunt artists all the way to the clap boy should be able to copyright their style, move, angle, etc. so they own it and they too can negotiate their rights and payments with the studios.
This way the writers of WGA will have effectively shown how to kill the American Movie Industry.
Strikes are a public nuisance. The strikers are essentially a group of blackmailers not working ( usually a few blackmailers with the rest following as they have no choice or say in the matter ) and not caring how many others are affected by their actions. Also, all those who go on strike don't necessarily do it by exercising personal "choice" but more due to "force" or "pressure" from the guilds.
Writers should be the ones to know there is no such thing as a collective stomach or a collective brain.
So is there a way out ?
Yes. Dissolve the guilds and negotiate your own contracts and terms as far as the rights go. If you feel you are being exploited, have a Hollywood Chamber for Complaint Redressals, re-negotiate or sue the studio as a last resort for rights violations.
Writers, take a close look at the WGA and see who are the ones who are dictating the strike as it is not possible that all members of WGA woke up one day and agreed to go on strike. Isolate these people and question their motives. If you personally agree with their explanation, then go ahead and continue. If you are one of those sick of the strike, get out and negotiate your own contract with the studio. Guilds are meant to help support your rights and not create conditions where your right to survive is at stake.
If you find the studios won't work with a non-WGA person, then get out of the USA for better pastures in the rest of the world. This is the global age.
The only thing that is making me grin is the fact that the Indian Movie Industry which is the prime competitor to Hollywood in terms of following and number of movies produced annually is gaining ground thanks to writer's strike. However, these idiots are yet to use the Hollywood Writer's strike to make a killing in the world entertainment market.
If the Hollywood writers and actors keep this up, they'll be outsourced and finally we'll have a truly competitive entertainment market.
© 2008 by Deepa Kandaswamy, All rights reserved.
Without the brain, nothing can function. What if the studios all decide to close shop for 6 months or make novel adaptations using writers from abroad? Hollywood would collapse as the writers cannot pay the other members of the movie industry.
That is why the strike by the WGA is not only silly but senseless.
It is even worse that the actors are boycotting the ceremonies in the name of supporting writers. The Golden Globes not happening caused a lot of problems for the others -- the technicians, art directors, and even journalists. The Oscars of 2008 will be a landmark as it would be the 80th in the history of Hollywood.
If it doesn't happen, the writers of WGA would be successful in shooting their careers dead while the actors can always act in a British, European or Asian movie.
Let us think about this for a moment.
What is the actors' problem? If they wish to show solidarity or empathise with the writers why don't they just take the same pay packets as the writers, work for free and give their money to the writers or go on strike with them? This is the height of absurdity and pretense.
Unfortunately, WGA are not the sole custodians of scripts in the world as they seem to think so. However, Hollywood studios have a lot of money with them to spend which they can do on a non-WGA script.It is true that without stories, movies don't get made but without the money of the producer nothing can ever get made. So blackmailing employers is not really a good idea.
Does this mean the producer should be allowed to dictate all terms and the writers have to simply accept it? Nope.
If you don't like the terms, you can try to re-negoniate it or go to another studio. If that doesn't work you are free to approach someoneelse in Europe, Australia, Japan or India to produce it. Or maybe the Hollywood actors will put their money where their mouth is and produce the films themselves and help out the writers by giving them the copyrights for each Internet download, re-run, etc. After all, several actors have production houses too.
The writer's strike is also affecting cinematographers, stunt people, art directors, etc. and is not just writers vs producers.
Probably, the cinematographers can go on strike next, refusing to visualise the script by writers or show these actors in good angles as they are also not given their cut in each download or re-run. Then the stunt people can follow as they risk their lives and are not paid a cut each time the stunt is shown or watched in any part of the world.
Maybe like writers, everyone from cinematographers, stunt artists all the way to the clap boy should be able to copyright their style, move, angle, etc. so they own it and they too can negotiate their rights and payments with the studios.
This way the writers of WGA will have effectively shown how to kill the American Movie Industry.
Strikes are a public nuisance. The strikers are essentially a group of blackmailers not working ( usually a few blackmailers with the rest following as they have no choice or say in the matter ) and not caring how many others are affected by their actions. Also, all those who go on strike don't necessarily do it by exercising personal "choice" but more due to "force" or "pressure" from the guilds.
Writers should be the ones to know there is no such thing as a collective stomach or a collective brain.
So is there a way out ?
Yes. Dissolve the guilds and negotiate your own contracts and terms as far as the rights go. If you feel you are being exploited, have a Hollywood Chamber for Complaint Redressals, re-negotiate or sue the studio as a last resort for rights violations.
Writers, take a close look at the WGA and see who are the ones who are dictating the strike as it is not possible that all members of WGA woke up one day and agreed to go on strike. Isolate these people and question their motives. If you personally agree with their explanation, then go ahead and continue. If you are one of those sick of the strike, get out and negotiate your own contract with the studio. Guilds are meant to help support your rights and not create conditions where your right to survive is at stake.
If you find the studios won't work with a non-WGA person, then get out of the USA for better pastures in the rest of the world. This is the global age.
The only thing that is making me grin is the fact that the Indian Movie Industry which is the prime competitor to Hollywood in terms of following and number of movies produced annually is gaining ground thanks to writer's strike. However, these idiots are yet to use the Hollywood Writer's strike to make a killing in the world entertainment market.
If the Hollywood writers and actors keep this up, they'll be outsourced and finally we'll have a truly competitive entertainment market.
© 2008 by Deepa Kandaswamy, All rights reserved.
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