In a message dated 10/20/2005 4:10:04 PM Pacific Standard Time,
inua@CHARTER.NET writes:

>>Could it be that the boys at Volkscafe caved to quickly?? Or  should have
>>gotten another lawyer?

I agree with John that the mightly giant should be taken down by the common
man. I mean what's next, We're gonna have to pry the VW emblems off our
busses?

I understand to a point VW going after those that use the VW emblem,  because
it's a trademark and they own it and the like. The other day in  Huntington
Beach I saw a kids T-shirt at a flea market for sale with a nice  split window
bus on it and where the VW symbol would be on the front of the bus  there was
a big black circle. I guess VW got to the vendor. Seems kind of dumb  since
the symbol is free advertising.

However, I don't know how ferociously other car companies protect their
trademarks. But I'm guessing it's the same deal. I mean you can't sell "UCLA"
T-shirts or "Yankees" hats without permi$$ion and I suppose most
companies/universities/clothing stores etc. are the same about protecting their  trademark.

Having said that, the demand not to use "VOLKS" seems a bit absurd to  me.
Especially if volks is a common term--unless of course volk is a term and
"volks" is trademarked. Silly. And I agree that VW should be stopped from  claiming
folks as their domain if it's a common term. But then I mean  I'm no expert
on the German language-- I do know German history.

But here's the thing. In my experience is a lose-lose  situation. As
Americans I think we're doing it wrong. Because logic and  what's right don't really
prevail all that much anymore. And the thing about  getting another lawyer is
it starts to get really expensive and time consuming.  And we have let it get
to the point where whoever has more money wins. And VW  has more money.

I realise I'm just pointing out the problem here and not really a part of
the solution. But I don't know what the answer is--defining the problem seems a
start. But I do know what's not the problem. It's not handing over more and
more  money to attorneys in our justice system which favors who ever has the
deepest pockets.

Doing the right thing in our legal system is costly and, again, in my
experience justice doesn't prevail. I read it in the papers and see it on the TV
and I have had first hand experience. Suit winners never collect a dime,
corporations bilk their stockholders and customers, people who get 25 years
sentances are out of jail in 18 months. Corporate jobs get shipped to poor  countries
where labor is cheaper. Amercians can't get jobs and can't get health
insurance, but mostly we can't get the truth and we can't get justice.

I agree with the sentiment to fight. And Yes, let's fight. But I don't  think
it's as easy as getting another lawyer. That was a way in the old Amercia.
In the new America that idea is kind of blaming the victim. Because we're
being bamboozaled. So this idea that someone is caving in by not suing a
corporation, or giving in by not reporting a crime, or I dare say copping out by  not
voting, is really just what the Man wants us to think. That it's our fault
and victims choose to be victims.

But I would argue when you're up against a giant giving in may not be the
foolish choice. I think we need to change the adage and start to "Think locally
and act globally" in a sense. Because again, the Man's reach is global and
the  Man loves when we only act locally.

Refusing to support companies that are unjust, boycotting and the like, may
be the answer. But it's not all that easy is it. I need a car, I need fuel,  I
need clothes and I need a President, Governor, Mayor, what have you. It's
complicated in my opinion. And while it's wrong, it's because we've all been
subtly caving in for a long time.

We like to pretend we're civilised, but if we were car alarms, protective
bars on windows, homelessness, poor medical insurance, and fat  corporations
shipping jobs to where they can more easily exploit  workers and the like would
outrage us. Instead we just give in like a frog  slowly boiled. And we find
ways to convince ourselves that if "they" fought  harder, or if "they" worked
harder, or if "they" placed a higher value on  education they're problems would
be solved. But as luck would have it they  are us.

That's my two cents. And if it sounds like I'm giving up, I'm not. I'm
planting the seeds of revolution. At this point only a philisophical revolution
and really isn't much more dangerous than putting on a hat. But putting on a hat
 can be effective if we all put one on.

Best,
Jeff
83.5 Westy
LA,CA