Time For Great Artists To Step Up On Their Own Two Feet

Harper is cutting $45 million in arts funding. Call me crazy and callous but I'm ok with it. I'm not sure I buy "we need the funding or else we whither culturally" angle. I agree that arts and culture are the conscience of a society. The bloodlines of who were are. I will always respect artists for their contributions to society and in some cases funding and grants are perfectly reasonable. But...

Arts shouldn't be given free cash. Let's not overdo it either.

Too many mediocre "artists" are getting their hands on public funds that are better off, I don't know, being used to feed kids, help repair public health and education and the military.

The whining is odd to me. They can say all they want about conservatives but this is a fiscally prudent move. Maybe artists are upset they have to go out and get real jobs now. Nothing in life comes for free - not even Paul McCartney - and all these cultural organizations like SOCAN and the CBC are a drain on public money. Go private and see what you're really worth.

Here in Quebec there are so many cultural organizations that it's impossible to keep track of them. Yet, there they are, being fed by the public. I'm pretty sure most of these have little impact on the cultural landscape. And don't get me going on the L'Office.

Why should the rest of us subsidize others? We all have to work hard for what we get without government help so why should the arts get the free pass? In any event, when you choke off cash to deadbeats the best, if Canada truly has artistic talent, tend to rise.

Let's see how this goes. Maybe we'll see world class stuff come out of it.

For those of you who are hooked on the free ride there's always La Ronde. Or find a private patron like artists used to do in the Renaissance. Artists were independent contractors once upon a time. Not dependents of the state.

I'm surprised bloggers haven't begun to seek grants under the guise of furthering Canadian culture.