Enough Already About Cuts To The Arts

Talk about gross exaggeration and misrepresentation of what the Conservatives are doing.

Let me first start by stating that I come from a family of damn artists. Graphic designers, writers, musicians, singers, whatever. A bunch of flakes have both drearily and delightfully decorated our family tree over the years.

So I know what it's like to be around artists.

I also happen to love business and grew up and worked in a professional environment.

It's a good mix that helps to rationalize what's going on. Heaven knows you won't get it from the drama queen Justin Trudeau or some "journalists" who should really know better. Well, maybe I'm being too kind. Some journalists are just plain ridiculous. The "beat Harper at all cost" movement is a little over the top even for an aloof independent like me. Yes, we exist here in Canada.

What Stephen Harper is doing is simple. It doesn't take a genius. But lessons in household budgets may help. Essentially, he's reallocating resources so that those who don't deserve it don't get it. The truth is that too many dead beats and half-assed talents were getting too much money. Prudent, no?

Staying in line with the insidiousness of free spending and offering subsidies to companies, Harper's Conservatives have actually increased funding for the arts. When it comes to spending, Harper exhibits about as much restraint as a 44 year-old virgin in a Montreal strip joint.

Moreover, the Conservatives are spending more than the Liberals did. In fact, it was the Liberals who cut funding to the arts. I don't seem to recall an outcry when this was announced.

It's just that the Conservatives are being, well, conservative. They won't be giving it to any boob who thinks they're an artist. I think we've seen enough of artists making art out of shit (literally) and blowing air out of their asses (literally). Some of the people who get the money are simply crap - excuse the rogue impoliteness. They contribute absolutely nothing to the cultural development of Canada. Nonewhatsoeveraroni.

Here's a thought: Hows 'bout artists go out and earn the money? Instead of organizing lame rallies and concerts, hows 'bout we allow Canadians to privately fund artists? Hows 'bout we think more like PBS and solicit the public directly? Or is that too "grown up" to do? Hows 'bout we take successful artists with money coming out of their wazoos and ask them to help contribute cash to a fund for artists? Hows 'bout artists find themselves some patrons like they did in the olden times? Hows 'bout that, Paul Gross, huh?

Bunch of whining, overrated babies. Culture, in whatever form or manifestation, will do just fine, I suspect.

Funding doesn't improve the the quality of our arts. In turn, it doesn't make our culture any more substantial. It just makes us more, erm, colorful.

Creating real art that Canadians (and the world) connect to has more impact. And no amount of money can help on this front.

Write better books. Sing better songs. Paint better pictures. Make better movies. Let the free market determine if you suck or not.

Drop the picket sign.

Chop, chop.