Gozer, Yes, that is very close to what I am saying. I think the writers need to think bigger because a new business model is coming. I also think they are misreading that this is closely parallel to the VCR and DVD situation, in which it is possible a strike could have gotten them their demands. This time, I do not believe the producers are crying “wolf.” The entire stream of revenues is at risk and producers are beginning to panic, legitimately, that Hollywood-level revenue flows might vanish. They desperately need to find a new business model, Hollywood writers ought to be desperately hoping they succeed, and if possible doing what they can to help. Maybe a strike now may give them a few pennies more than not striking — that is unknowable even though it is not looking good at the moment. But if the strike accelerates the loss of consumer addiction to Hollywood programming or gives producers no choice but to look elsewhere to survive, it could be a worse outcome for writers than if they had gone along for now, waited for a business model to emerge, and then have taken action. But in the longer run, which I suspect is not too far down the line, I think writers are going to find that the market will be a bigger determinant of their compensation than the “suits” who they believe screwed them in the past, and who they are now most concerned with.
