Ethics and progress

As we move through life, we face ethical questions every day. Many of these are theoretical, hypothetical and suppositional. When we answer, we often qualify that we wouldn't know unless we were in that situation. And even if we don't include that in our answer- in fact, even if we believe we really know how we would behave- we never really know until it is time to make a decision. In these decisions we find out volumes about ourselves. Unfortunately, these are just the kinds of situations that it is human nature to avoid. That's probably why so many people go through life with such a shallow understanding of themselves.

Anyway, I say this because I've come to an ethical group of questions recently and I was honestly surprised at my answers:

Q:Is it OK for me to use the screenwriter's strike to boost my own career?

A: Why yes, yes it is.


Q:Is it OK for me to hope the screenwriter's strike goes on for a good long while so I can get something written, out and read by a reader?

A: Why yes, yes it is.


Q:Is it OK for me, if given the opportunity, to play both sides of the street to keep the strike going as long as possible a la Bart Simpson?

A: Why? Do you know someone I can manipulate?



But in all seriousness- I'm not in the writer's guild and I don't want more money from DVD sales so I'm not sure what loyalty I should be showing, so i'm not going to show any.