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Dear <<empyreans>>, <br>
<br>
Alan: "The arts get in the way of Trump of course - that's
fundamental; even the simplest acts of resistance have their
contrary aesthetics...
"<br>
<br>
Lucio: ..."it happens around the world"..."less than a trace in a
budget pizza chart"..."It is only a matter to change the name of the
country. The policies are exactly the same."<br>
<br>
Yes. I agree with you both. Historically, in New Zealand, rightwing
governments have better supported the arts than the left with its
liberal social agendas. Then with the 1984's cooptation of the
latter by neoliberal agendas--Milton Friedman himself was invited by
young Labour (left-leaning) to speak; Karl Popper's ex-students from
Canterbury University are said to have led Treasury policy... Then:
there was no question but that government of all flavours and
leanings would fail the arts; not so much by cutting spending, but
by a change of paradigm. <br>
<br>
Size of pizza slice not so important as creation of a market in all
social sectors, including arts and culture--and of course education,
health, transport. <br>
<br>
And the problem for government of covering one's tracks so as not to
be seen as having created the market, usually by outsourcing
governance structures. The ideal self-regulation of the market
follows. <br>
<br>
Except that the arts is more difficult, more structurally resistant
to the introduction of competition, of conventions of gaming and
value-creation--and of wealth. Thus: trash aesthetic; star-celebrity
arts 'icons'; relational practices; or sell-outs to social service
on the part, particularly, of theatre--and, as you say, Lucio,
dance. <br>
<br>
So cuts to arts spending is business is usual. No. I don't think so.
I think the paradigm is shifting again. And that this is a function
of populist nationalism (also called nativism (Houellebecq, his
novel <i>Submission</i>)). <br>
<br>
Not the monied-up Republican philanthropists--of which there is a
'healthy' tradition in the States; not the dressing-down, the
down-dressing, of the Democratic preference for 'direct' social
action: but the cutting-off of the arts as a cultural
prosthesis--parasitism--the common white man can do without, having
two white legs and two white thumbs-up.<br>
<br>
Best,<br>
Simon<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://squarewhiteworld.com/">http://squarewhiteworld.com/</a><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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