...That's my thought quite often these days. Especially when I consider that we have 4 years of his presidency to live through. What will my world look like in 2020?
The power of the independent voter continues to grow, but will it be enough to make a difference in 2020? I can't imagine coming back to the Democratic Party; I left them some years ago because I thought they had abandoned liberalism by a constant shifting to the center. To be effective, they have to be the 'Opposition' party. The Republicans have been proving that for the last 8 years.
Consider Bernie Sanders. I had mixed feelings about him and still do. I'm an independent liberal that leans very much towards socialism. And if we had a real socialist party I would have been all with their candidate. I also think Bernie would have dropped his Democrat label long ago and have been a strong contender for the socialist party candidate. In a dream world, there would be a third party and it would be a socialist party. I think the socialists would be strong, and as the Democrats slowly make their way into obsolescence, the socialists would gather up even more strength. That's when I cast my dream vote for Bernie.
In 2020, Bernie will be too old to be President. So will Trump. Being president is a young man's game. Look at what it did too Obama. Since Trump declined to give us a valid health report, we really don't know if the behavior we are seeing in him is dementia or mania. I'm betting on both.
Speaking of 2020; I'm really irritated by Trump's campaign for a second term. He is blatantly ripping off the public by traveling in Air Force One to these rallies of his. As usual, the Trumpeters see nothing wrong with that but are very eager to see a cutoff of any budget money going to the arts. I know that the money he is wasting is just a tiny dot compared to other budget items, such as the bloated defence budget. But so is the money for the arts. Just a dot. I think he is cutting them off to make a statement to his base. He is telling them that he is no highbrow intellectual. He is one of them! And they don't listen to any classical music or podcasts about some science stuff.
For some reason I was just reminded of an incident at a local county supervisors meeting. It took place in 2008 when we lived in the county on the other side of river and I was a member of the Friends of the Library. The supervisors were being asked for more money for the local library budget. They needed to buy more books. A supervisor stated that he was pretty sure that everyone had enough books at home and they could always read those if they needed to read. The extra budget money was denied.
He has no choice about flying on Air Force One because of the football etc. I bet he'd prefer his own plane but Presidents don't get that option. And he has to do these rallies. The whole establishment is against him because of what he set up to do-- media, Neocons, Democrats and even the education system that has gone heavily left. All he's got to put pressure on Republicans (establishment types) is the people who voted for him
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings on the National Endowment of the Arts given what the money goes toward. If it funds local musicians, plays, but when it goes to art, who decides? The art on my wall, and I regularly buy art, it wouldn't qualify for a lot of what the NEA has supported.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the arts; what you have are opinions. Who decides on the plays and the music? When it comes to art, I am not a fan of lots of artists. Yet I often find an artist in almost every 'school' whose work delights me. I would be upset if all of the money went to hyper realism...but since it's such a small amount of money to begin with (compared to the F-35) I am happy to see it spent. Someone likes it.
ReplyDeletei heard a person discussing the money and how it was used in his city. He said it was performance art and the money that went into it was a LOT. It had maybe 100 people attend the 'performance'. It's not a lot of money at I think under $200 million a year but it's what it promotes that makes it debatable as to whether it truly is helping the 'community arts.'
ReplyDeleteWhat I was thinking with plays, concerts etc. is they serve a benefit to the community in encouraging creativity and bringing people together. I am not sure though how much money the local theaters get from NEA, maybe none. They do charge admission and tickets sell out.
My concern on the 'fine' art end is some of the traveling shows I've seen at our major art museum. I was at one where I kept shaking my head. I finally said something to the guard along the lines of Emperor's New Clothes as frankly the works had been created out of garbage and still looked like garage. He gave me a look of shock. lol. i get it I am not the sophisticated connoisseur of great art. Another traveling show that came through there was supposed minimalism... one dot in a huge white canvas. That would get NEA support but my friend, who does fantastic impressionism and abstracts (I have bought more than a few of her works) wouldn't get a dime. Nor would a woman western artist (whose work we have also bought) who lives the western lifestyle and paints it with yes you can tell what it is but great energy.
The NEA is very political and even had a directive to create art in '09 that would promote Obama's agenda. It was created by Congress in 1965 to encourage the arts but looking at what they fund, it supports one aspect of the arts- that which cannot support itself. What people genuinely like, they pay for by buying or donating to. I could see the value of grants that helped small groups, like you say you belong to. I just think the ones who control where the grants go do have an agenda and it's not supporting the arts as such. If it goes under the control of the Trump administration, you might not like what it does either (thinking swastikas lol just kidding) *s*
Last year, about this time, I had a 3 person show at our Art Center. My work is Abstract Impressionism and I had about 20 pieces in the show. One ot the other artists was a photographer. Personally, I don't think photography should be in an art show...it should be in a photography show. That's only an opinion. The 3rd artist had about 5 or 6 huge pieces that I can't even describe today. They were just strange...to me. It turned out that I sold 2 paintings at $100 a piece and the other 2 sold none. It was my night to be lucky. That's all there was to it. Who can account for taste? I know I can't. Last year I went to the new San Francisco Museum of Modern Art...it was breathtaking for me! To walk into a Richard Serra installation had been a dream of mine. Then I saw a piece by Mark Rothko and I was stunned by its beauty. Who can account for taste?
ReplyDeleteNow let's take the money that went into designing the landing gear on the F-35. I bet that would fund the NEA for years. And how about the money we get to spend watching the Trump kids as they they jet around the world, making money for dad. Can we have a portion of that for the NEA? I can think of 100 things in the Agriculture bill that could and should be lost and then found for the NEA. And then there is the 'WALL'...should be some money in there for the NEA.
To me it's obvious that he is just cherry picking the things that he knows will irritate those he considers to be his enemy. Or he pays off what could be a political debt. Like his reversal on the transexual bathroom issue. He is paying off the Evangelicals (may they roast in hell) He doesn't do any deep thinking; he leaves that to the people he hired.
I know we won't change each other's minds here and that is fine. It's the way it should be.
and other republicans have tried to end the NEA. It changes who makes the choices as to what gets the grants. I go to small art snows off and on and enjoy them, would doubtless like the one you had work in, but doubt any got NEA money. I do like the traveling shows that let me see major artists and didn't object to the Mapplethorpe, though it was crude, it had a purpose and the work was saying something in shocking ways. I'd go see a Pollack show if it came through. For a few years, we were art museum members even though we rarely got there but the shows they chose to offer got to me. My home is full of art; so it's not that I don't see its value. I just know that no major western style painter will ever get a grant-- but they don't need to as they sell their work
ReplyDeleteYou may have heard of George Turnbull, a western artist of note. He passed away but his wife still does poetry, etc. I met George once and we see his work now and then at our Art Center. (he lived in Orland, the next town to west and where I lived until the drive to see doctors became too much) He seemed to live comfortably and the couple donated a pavilion in the park next to our library.
DeleteI should mention that my sister works in a small western art gallery in Cave Creek AZ. The gallery is going out of business, which is a shame as the owner is very nice. I only visited the gallery once but noted to myself that there was nothing more than western art present and I wondered how that business would survive. My sister worked there just to keep busy during the day, so she will be fine after they close.
DeleteI had not heard of him but went to look at his art. I should do a blog sometime on our western art. It mixes well with Navajo rugs and Hopi pottery. I've never had enough of it to have a home only in western subjects. I like my work to fit with what else is on the walls. Sounds like they got a good life. Painting is something I miss with the time being spent on writing instead.
ReplyDeleteI've been in Cave Creek but not that gallery. I think galleries need to show a mix of art and I love it when a gallery owner is good enough to mix up the styles and keep it alive. I think western art sells well with some big names in it (not the artist on our wall as she hasn't gotten the right networks going). From what I've heard art by 'ordinary' artists, as in not Van Goghs, is down. Economics maybe and some who only want to buy art as an investment.
ReplyDeleteI agree about the galleries with a mix of styles. And art is certainly an investment these days. A good investment from what I have read in the art journals. China is now very big in the art world and will easily out distance the Arab states that are building big name art galleries. China is where it will be! And a lot of Chinese art is worth the big bucks.
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