Dismay, Sadness and Disgust

When I had heard that American intelligence officials were unofficially downplaying the chances of a Russian intervention in Ukraine (specifically the Crimea) several days ago...a point also advanced on the front page of the Council on Foreign Affairs website as recently as this morning, I had that sinking feeling that once again the West (in particular the US and EU) is going to find themselves on the outside looking in as an opposing force (Russia in this case; in the past, China, Syria, Al Qaeda, Taliban) gains the upper hand through unilateral force that may have been forbidden under international treaty but then who's to stop them?  Can this be the tipping point that throws the world into another version of the cold war that led to so much economic ruin and worldwide paranoia?

In this situation, I find less fault with this country than I do the EU or NATO, whose own self interests once again made it possible for someone like Russia to claim justified action under the excuse of nationalism or terrorism.  The US cannot and should not have to be the one defining force opposing this kind of naked aggression everywhere, particularly in the EU's backyard or worse yet, southeastern border.

Adding to this sense of dread has been the total lack of updated news anywhere...blogs or tweets from correspondents for the New York Times and BBC are about it...nothing of substance on CNN or even NPR.  To be sure, it is a weekend and most sources are filled with either sports or escapism, but it should not have to be so difficult to find current information on such an important topic as this.

Then I came across an article on NPR that struck closer to home:

http://www.npr.org/2014/03/01/284178406/a-picket-line-at-the-oscars-visual-effects-artists-to-protest

My son works in LA and has had to contend with this issue firsthand.  The attitude of the studios is understandable but despicable:  in order to maximize profits, one goes where the most tax breaks are; and if you have to uproot people to do so or fire them, oh well....We're not talking about exorbitant compensation here:  people with first class education credentials are paid little or nothing, with no benefits or job security.  That kind of attitude is pervasive throughout many professions but is most apparent whenever the arts are involved...fortunately, at least some fields have union organization/protection (musicians, stage crews, actors), but that was accomplished during recent history when the very concept of unionizing wasn't as viewed with as much derision as it is now.  I truly doubt if the general public will ever care very much about restoring a sense of balance to a genre where multi-BILLION dollar ventures are dependent on technicians being collectively paid a fraction of what ONE star or secondary personality receives, but at least it's worth a try.