The American Spectator

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12.3.07 @ 12:01AM

KILLER STRIKE
Re: Shawn Macomber's Striking Poses on Washington Square:

Striking entertainment-industry writers have caused financial devastation to those affiliated in any way with the entertainment industry, from make-up artists and technical crews to the thousands of Los Angeles business people who rely on the film industry for employment, yet one hears no accusations against the writers about "trickle down" economics or "hurting the poor," the favorite disparaging remarks the Left aims against the Right's economic activities.

No one accuses the writers of greed or damaging innocent people in order to get more money -- it appears only the Right can be accused of such things. If Macomber is outraged about teachers' unions joining the New York strikers' performance, he should come to Los Angeles, where the nurses' unions have joined in solidarity with the strikers. Perhaps they miss the business the entertainment industry provides -- drug overdoses, car crash victims, domestic violence, alcohol problems, etc. At any rate, how ironic that Macomber refers to Danny Glover as being One With the People. This is the same actor who is set to have two movies produced by dictator Hugo Chavez. In time the strike will end, the writers will go home, and the martyred actors will return to the cameras, saved from having to find real jobs in society. Until then, the entertainment value of the strike surpasses anything the writers could create.
-- Caroline Miranda
North Hollywood, California

I have to say that I'm stunned that this strike continues.

At no point in the history of entertainment would it be as easy for the members of the WGA to strike out on their own, rather than just go on strike.

They actually have an opportunity to remake the industry here, but it's not by going on strike it is by starting their own production companies.

The technology is there and I'm sure the money can be found (sympathetic rich actors). So why not just leave and start their own firms?

Maybe they are secretly concerned that the value of what they produce isn't as high as they think it is. Nah, everything on TV is Pure Gold.
-- Jeff
Astoria, New York

"Without Writers Guild members, we would have bad jokes, crap movies, and an endless output of reality television," Tim Robbins.

I didn't realize the writer's strike has been going on for the past 30 years or so. My bad.
-- Karl F. Auerbach
Eden, Utah

ETERNAL CHINA
Re: George H. Wittman's Spoiling Beijing:

Mr. Wittman wrote: "China is showing all the signs of a spoiled brat -- a spoiled brat with thousands of years of cultural history, a booming economy, an arsenal of nuclear-tipped missiles, and a crucial vote on the United Nations Security Council."

To Mr. Wittman's list, you can add "and a significant part of the U.S. debt." This is brought about by the fact that neither party is willing to stop spending (too many voters would be offended by being cut from the government dole) and the Republicans insist that we shouldn't have to tax ourselves to pay for what we demand. The promise to cut taxes, thereby adding to the national debt, is really a free lunch philosophy.

Only it's not free. We are leaving the tab to our kids and our grandkids. I doubt they will write any books about how great is our generation.
-- Mike Roush
North Carolina

It is ironic that China views its current ascendancy as entirely China driven; it is not, of course. The huge trade gaps it runs with almost every geographic region on Earth is the result of other nations, particularly Western nations, liberal, enlightened trade policies, which are in turn based on liberal and enlightened governments. China has a lot to learn from the West, perhaps more than it will ever admit, and a long way to go.

Letter to the Editor

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