HI Bob,

On Wed 2039-Mar-30 20:10, BOB KLAHN (1:123/140) wrote to RICHARD WEBB:

 RW> THey're much easier, dumb down the populace, sell 'em
 RW> anything.

BK>  That's always been the rule. It's just easier when they own the 
BK> media.

YEah I know, civics, all that good stuff, don't bother with
that.
Reading an article, yeah I know, NY times, not some folks'
favorite rag, but talking about how much more we spend than
many other countries on education, and how much less we get
for it.  AS they said, put the money in cultural programs,
teachers, the real basics, less on hauling kids by bus, and
athletics, and ... you know the drill.

RW>> Doesn't do either for me, angers me.  We don't teach kids
RW>> civics anymore, we just keep dumbing it down and dumbing it
RW>> own, but the big fascists who really have a lot to gain like a
RW>> dumbed down populace.

BK>  Yep. And they sell it by prattling about how much money they are 
BK> saving, and how much more the people would have to pay. Yet we 
BK> don't seem to be paying any less.

Depends on how you save money whether you're actually
robbing from your own future or not though.

BK>  The parasites on Wall Street are the right targets for the
BK>  anger. They don't profit from a better life, they profit whether 
BK> we win or lose.

That's my problem with them exactly.  I understand the house has to win the
majority of the time to stand in business,
but when the house wins no matter what, and you've not got a choice but to
play ...

BK>  Fifty seven? More like a hundred and fifty seven, and still 
BK> nothing on.

YEah I know, but that Springsteen song came to mind, so I
used Bruce's number .

 RW> What was once the greatest country on earth is no longer a
 RW> bastion of freedom and a beacon of hope.  Screw hope and
 RW> freedom, there's not enough money in it.

BK>  Same for peace and plenty. You can't be king if there isn't 
BK> someone you can rule over.

YEah I know, but if you can still everything you need or
want who in his right mind would want to be king?  THen you
get the responsibility for all of it too.

 RW> But, to make sure that hope and freedom go by the boards we
 RW> have to discount and marginalize true culture as well.
 RW> Music and art, screw them too.  WE've caused there to be a
 RW> fight between the ignorant "we want it all for free" folks
 RW> and the creators who should expect to get paid for their
 RW> work.

BK>  Well, the Wall Street types want it all for free too, just in  much
BK> bigger measure.

OF course they do, and they've set up the creative arts
types and the true creators of the intellectual property
that is now being fought over to lose no matter how it goes. When as a young
man reading sci fi I thought of something
like the internet I expected to see it become a true
cultural renaissance, but these days I'm not so sure.  But,
the creative artists who use it to get their art out there
don't have the budget or the expert knowledge to create
listenable or viewable product oftentimes.  Acquiring the
facilities and the expertise using them costs money, and in
today's markets that isn't available.

RW>> Sometimes I thank god I'm already on the down side of the
RW>> slippery slope, at least I won't get to see the worst of
RW>> what the fascists and their dumbed down masses will create.
RW>> I am truly sorry I left offspring behind to be part of it however.

 RW> I'll stand by that last remark.

BK>  I just hope I get to stick around long enough to join the
BK>  battle.

tO be honest with you Bob, I'm tired of the battle.  I spent too much of my
younger years when not playing music or
working a sound board engaged in it.  I did enough volunteer advocacy back in
the '80's to mid-nineties that I'm burned
out on it.  Trouble is, I know it's needed more now than
ever before, and I just can't bring myself to join that
world again.  I burned my candle at both ends pretty good
back then .



Regards,
           Richard
--- timEd 1.10.y2k+
 * Origin:  (1:116/901)