The title may be a little shocking, so before I go on with my thoughts here, let’s take a look at the Webster Dictionary definition of fascism:
“a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition”
FORCIBLE SUPPRESSION OF OPPOSITION
As most people know, I was not a fan of the Writers Strike. I thought the whole thing was very avoidable, but also that much of the blame laid with the Producers as well.
During the strike I had several opportunities to talk and email with (I’m currently in Los Angeles) a few WGA members who were less than thrilled with the way the strike was going and how the WGA leadership was handling the situation. I always wondered why, if they were even a little unhappy, they didn’t speak up and try to effect some change. Well know I know why they kept their mouths shut. If they didn’t, the fascist WGA leadership would seek to destroy them.
Here’s the situation:
“The vast majority of the WGA’s 12,000-plus members patiently stayed away from their word processors during the recent three-month writers strike, notwithstanding dwindling finances or a threat to their careers. But a few members decided to go “financial-core,” an irreversible decision that made them only limited, non-voting members of the guild and allowed them to return to work. (This, if you recall, is the move George Clooney made, before the strike, in response to the WGA’s decision to deny him credit for the Leatherheads screenplay.) ”
So there were a few writers who exercised their totally legitimate, legal and union constitutionally valid option of going “financial core” during the strike so that they could keep their jobs. Fair enough right? Going financial core has a price… you can’t vote in union affairs any more, you can never run for Union office, you can’t participate in the WGA awards or be a part of official meetings or events. But if you’re willing to pay that price, then it is a valid option that is consistent with the law and guidelines.
But on Friday, the WGA fascist leadership decided it was time to drop the hammer (and sickle) on those who dared disobey them during the strike. Paying the aforementioned price is not harsh enough… Ze Feurs (said in my best German accent) want more blood. And so they want those who dared to disobey to be publicly humiliated, shunned and basically blacklisted by all other members of the WGA.
Here is the open letter send out by the WGA. See if you can identify the blatant hypocrisy:
If this wasn’t so unspeakably evil I would have laughed out loud. As the strike was going on, the WGA leadership negotiated a couple of side deals with smaller production companies so that a fraction of the WGA membership could go back to work…. go back to work as the rest of the WGA membership had to stay on the strike lines not making any money! This was a move that even my most supportive colleagues of the WGA had to do a double take at, and was the main point of contention of the small number of writers I spoke with who were bitter that some writers went back to work, while they had to stay on the lines.
For the WGA leadership to come out now and condemn the actions of those few people who exercised a legal and legitimate right of “financial core” while they themselves did the exact same thing by sending a select few back to work while others had to stay on the line is beyond hypocrisy.
The strike is over. Let it go. Calling on the obedient (not that there was anything wrong with WGA members following the Union leadership) to shun those who did not obey and then treating them like sex offenders by publishing their names so everyone else can know who to throw stones at is childish, counter productive, and just proves that you are indeed, by the very definition of the word… fascist:
FORCIBLE SUPPRESSION OF OPPOSITION
It’s bad enough that so many had to suffer during the strike… now some writers have to suffer even more… only this time at the hands of their own colleagues and fellow writers. For SHAME!
So if you ever catch yourself wondering why… if the South Park guys were right about just how many writers were unhappy with how the WGA leadership was handling the strike… more writers didn’t speak up… now you know. And knowing is half the battle. HEIL VERRONE! HEIL WINSHIP!
That’s just my view on things. (Source: Cinematical)
