Sovereignty or Hobbits? Can we have both?
Many issues are raised by the current imbroglio over The Hobbit movies. The causes are several and not helped by the claim and counter claim of the participants; plus the background noise of bloggers and media.
This blogger has taken a partisan view and does not resile from that; but in recent days a more important issue has arisen to what extent does a nation allow a multi-national to dictate public policy?
Yet many countries US, US states, Uk, Europe, Singapore, Australia offer very considerable inducements for companies to estabslish operations in their jursidiction. Indeed a number of southern states in the USA benefited from their pro-business laws in attracting foreign investment in the past.
Is the situation re The Hobbit so very different?
Are we not facing the reality of being a small, essentially agricultural nation at the bottom of the world with little else but scenery and creativity to aid us. Therefore, when the market for one aspect of said creativity is threatened what should we do? Can we afford in the current economic state to take the moral high ground? Are we justified in even thinking that there is a moral high ground? Indeed, what is that high ground, as Adam suspects there are wildly divergent views on that also.
Jobs – Sovereignty? Can we have them both?
What do you think?
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I think Adam, that you are taking a far, far more reasonable approach to this issue than most of your fellow bloggers.
Good for you.
First thought.. If other countries are prepared to pay/bribe/subsidise a film company to bring the Hobbit to it, then the iron law of competition means we have to meet the challenge as best we can.. in this case we appear to have been good enough to withstand the challenge.
Second thought.. WB have exposed an old chestnut.. our crap employment laws regarding the employee/contractor definition. We push as many people as possible into an employee relationship regardless of whether either party wants it or not. Currently we can have people doing just casual work a few hours a week but have to be treated as permanent employees.. thats nonsense and a drag on productivity.
Third.. since when did blind ideology create a vibrant industry with a net gain to the creators, practitioners and nation? All such ideology can do is regulate it and eventually destroy it.. refer to first thought above.
Fourth.. since the US civil war the population has increased ten fold, but GDP has increased 7000 times as much. That didn’t just come from digging gold and milking cows, but from people creating ideas out of thin air and making stuff people could use.. its a good idea to look after creators and makers of stuff.
JC