There are rumblings about a Cabinet-level arts position being added by the Obama administration. I guess this began last November when music producer and songwriter Quincy Jones mentioned the idea on a New York radio program.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/01/note-to-obama-h.html
Can I tell you how bad of an idea I think this is? Let's put aside for the moment that America's founders might be turning over in their graves at the very idea of this surfacing. I'm not really sure how this might fit into their idea of "limited government." (Sigh)
Do we really want our government involved with deciding what is considered "art" and what is not? I for one shudder at the very thought. I realize that some countries have such a position today AND I tend to stay away from half-baked conspiracy theories, but a "Department of Culture" within the U.S. government is too close to another historical footnote...
From this website on German architecture:
"The Reich Culture Chamber had the most certain purpose; it dealt licences to the press, radio, arts, film, literature and music. Thus all aspects of culture could be regulated and have the Nazi stamp on them. This can be referred to as Gleichschaltung; the way that the Nazis tried to control the media."
No thank you. Next idea please.
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I see the financial waste in adding the position...but I lack the fear that it would approach the RCC.
ReplyDeleteBesides, some of the ads drawing young men and women into the armed forces these days are not much better than the RCC's depictions of fellow humans as rats back in the 30s.
I agree with the military assessment. What about "Be Coast Guard Strong"?
ReplyDeleteIf someone could promise me that all the spending from "No Child Left Behind" could be allocated to arts education for K-12 I'd agree in a second. I'd still want a PRIVATE group to administer the program...