The Economy, The Election, and The Arts

Global markets are in freefall, with the best example being Iceland, not long ago lauded for having the highest score on the Human Development Index, now facing possible national bankruptcy. The dream world we have been living in for some time, probably the better part of at least 20 years, is finally coming to a close, and it is time to pay the piper.

Environmentalists might be thrilled. Our increasing global emissions and carbon footprint have been the result of unchecked growth, Matrix-virus style, and this is a level of growth that most nations will probably be no longer able to afford. The US will have to swear off of Chevy Suburbans and Lincoln Navigators (at the very least). China and India, relying on selling their goods and outsourced positions to a rich west, will have to take a few steps back, and maybe we won’t be on track for 9 billion by 2050 anymore. And in the long run, from a strictly objective, non-emotional point of view, that is probably for the best. The only concern is that if this global crisis gets any worse, it might slip into another Great Depression. World War II ended the last global depression, but Albert Einstein’s statement about not knowing how World War III will be fought, but knowing how World War IV would be is still quite apt in this day and age.

Next week we go to the polls. I still remain unimpressed with every platform, but urge everyone to get out and vote. It is our civic duty, and I think that if you don’t vote, you have absolutely no right to complain when things don’t go “your way”. Please spend some time over the next few days actually looking at each party’s website and platform, and actually see how each of the decisions will affect you. Keep in mind that tax breaks affect different brackets differently, and actually take advantage of any calculators that the parties will provide to see how they affect you personally. Many promises are always broken after people get put in office, but we need to go on the information that is given to us. A solid evening of research is very little to pay to make an informed choice about how we want the next several years to go in this country.

On to the topic of Art. One of our current election cycle’s so called “issues”, all of which I find too trivial and trite to take notice of. Stephen Harper seemed to step in it when he announced that funding for artisan grants was going to be cut by $45 million. Critics have said that these cuts will force emerging artists to compromise their creativity and take lesser jobs that may not foster cultural advancement. While that is merely a paraphrase of the argument, it is one I have seen coming from everyone from Margaret Atwood to Gilles Duceppe, the Bloc leader. Facebook groups and grass roots protests have popped up everywhere, and ultimately, Harper has promised to reverse his decision.

I support arts and culture fully. Anyone who has seen my film and music collection first hand would have a hard time arguing that point. I have larger collections than many artists I know, and I tend to put my money where my mouth is. I even support Canadian content fairly often. I own all five seasons of Andromeda on DVD, and buy Canadian music when it catches my ear. I’ve gone to live concerts in Canada, and my attendance at Hip and Great Big Sea events easily outnumbers the time I’ve seen American acts in person. I’m also not going to argue that grant money no doubt does generate Canadian content, and am not arguing that by itself, that is a bad thing.

A lot of people, including many of my close friends, will no doubt by surprised by my reaction not to the initial announcement, but to the protests themselves. It has been some time since I’ve seen this type of whining and a sense of self-entitlement, and it is appalling, and should by rights be beneath the “cultured” people who were at risk of being disenfranchised, as they claim to know what’s best for our culture and society. The sense of entitlement and “tiers” of society that they believe in can easily be seen.

I would have loved to sit in front of a computer and test video games for a living. Would have been one fun job. Video games arguably foster an INTERNATIONAL community, as many games these days are played online with people from around the globe. They also help train hand-eye co-ordination and help with problem solving and math skills. They have a valuable place in our entertainment industry. As someone in the computer field, I could have insisted in that job, and that job alone. Where is my grant, and a grant for computer nerds countrywide? Since there were no tax dollars being dispensed to subsidize testing Canadian video games, I and many other CS graduates had to “cheapen” ourselves and get jobs fixing workstations and servers in offices all across the country. God forbid. Real jobs that are slightly less creative than the ideal. My career is great, but it COULD have been more entertaining.

I’m sure many independent auto enthusiasts would appreciate grants to put money in their machines for competition. Racetracks have been part of culture and entertainment since the invention of the horseless carriage, where is their funding? I don’t see “Solidarity for government grants to rice-burners” groups popping up all over the place. Auto racing has a really high entry barrier, many professional drivers are millionaires already, and many people who have aspirations of becoming a race car driver when they are six end up working in a garage, fixing cars to pay the bills. Oh, the shame.

Would either of the above activities qualify for government grants? No. They never have. If you want to be successful in either of those fields, you have to be really, really, really good. I will reiterate, I support the arts, the best way I know how, with a portion of my paycheque. I also know that there’s a lot of crap out there. If you want proof that Canadian content has no business in film, watch the epic sci-fi “Cybercity” (may be hard to find, but a perfect example). Need proof for the music industry? Flip on the radio and give Nickelback a listen, trust me, you won’t be disappointed. My take on art and culture-if it is sufficiently awesome, it will pull in a steady income (unfortunately, many believe that Nickelback is sufficiently awesome for some reason, insert Bryan Adams if you’re a Nickelback fan). The funding that was almost slashed should have been far less important than new roads, bridges, or a safe water and food supply, and we obviously need to improve in all of those areas. If the artists can’t produce anything that’s pulling in a paycheque, they should look into related fields-advertisement design or perhaps radio or teaching.

A letter to the editor in October 8th’s Globe and Mail suggested that taxes are coercive, and that support for the arts should be an optional line on Income Tax forms. That is probably going a bit too far. I believe that art should be supported in the best way possible, paying for and appreciating content that warrants it. I have no qualms buying Canadian music and television/movies that I find enjoyable, and have no qualm paying to go to a museum or art gallery. The restoration of the grants is not a bad thing, as I am personally willing to pay for this. But to hear artists complain and moan about the potential loss of funding that we the taxpayers have been graciously extending to them for a long time? Maybe they should have done something more productive, like hold free awareness benefit concerts instead. There was one protest gala here in Ottawa, and I saw tickets for sale for it...maybe they could have given back to show what our taxpayer money is going towards? It would have made me approve far more than the continued assertion that the artists are far more important than us commoners that go to work every day, to pay the bills for the grants.