{"id":1283,"date":"2017-01-20T01:06:09","date_gmt":"2017-01-20T09:06:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/?p=1283"},"modified":"2017-01-23T07:51:06","modified_gmt":"2017-01-23T15:51:06","slug":"killing-nea-neh-and-pbs-is-just-collateral-damage-in-the-commodification-of-american-values","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/2017\/01\/killing-nea-neh-and-pbs-is-just-collateral-damage-in-the-commodification-of-american-values.html","title":{"rendered":"Killing NEA, NEH And PBS Is Just Collateral Damage In The Commodification Of American Values"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

So it begins. A report in The Hill<\/a>, then picked up in the Washington Post<\/a>, says that the Trump administration intends to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities and sell off PBS. It’s part of a plan to cut some $10.5 trillion over the next decade.<\/p>\n

Zeroing out the culture budgets isn’t about money; together, the NEA, NEH and PBS account for barely 0.02 percent of the federal budget.\u00a0Neither is it about art the Trumpsters think is offensive or artists they don’t like (the “over-rated” Meryl Streep notwithstanding).<\/p>\n

The Hill\u00a0points out that if Trump wants to cut a trillion dollars a year, as his plan says, pretty much all of the government’s discretionary spending needs to go. And that means cuts everywhere (except defense of course):<\/p>\n

The departments of Commerce and Energy would see major reductions in funding, with programs under their jurisdiction either being eliminated or transferred to other agencies. The departments of Transportation, Justice and State would see significant cuts and program eliminations.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Department of Energy, for example, would see the Office of Electricity axed, and Trump would “eliminate the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and scrap the Office of Fossil Energy, which focuses on technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.”<\/p>\n

What, you ask, is the “Department of Electricity? The department’s job, according to its website, is to:<\/p>\n

provide national leadership to ensure that the Nation\u2019s energy delivery system is secure, resilient and reliable. OE works to develop new technologies to improve the infrastructure that brings electricity into our homes, offices, and factories, and the federal and state electricity policies and programs that shape electricity system planning and market operations. OE also works to bolster the resiliency of the electric grid and assists with restoration when major energy supply interruptions occur.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In other words, it’s the department that looks out for our electrical grid to make sure it is dependable and efficient. It was surreal this morning to see incoming Energy Secretary Rick Perry weakly arguing against the cuts at his Senate confirmation hearing. This from the guy who had advocated killing the entire department when he was running for president. Oops.<\/p>\n

No, this isn’t about the arts. It’s bigger and more insidious. It’s a vision of a country that doesn’t believe in collective public greatness. It’s the commodification of American values reduced to the profit motive. Everything for sale. Everything having to pay for itself. Everything measured by its profitability, its ratings, its popularity. Everything is a deal, a hierarchy sorted into winners and losers.<\/p>\n

Winners are rewarded with opportunity, access and tax cuts. Losers are marginalized, priced out of basic services and having to fend for themselves. This is how undeveloped unambitious oligarchies behave.<\/p>\n

Make America Great Again? Of Course!<\/strong>
\nCountries aspiring to be great understand that collective investment leads to great accomplishment. We used to know that, confident enough to win world wars\u00a0and go to the moon. But we seem to have forgotten how. In pursuit of privileging individual profit over collective accomplishment, we’ve let investment in our infrastructure crumble, allowed our students to struggle with crushing debt, and priced out the middle class from being the middle class.<\/p>\n

The arts are a microcosm of this. We’ve commodified the arts in attempting to convince the powers that be that the arts have value. So art has to be not just art but a cure for whatever social or economic problems need\u00a0addressing. What is great art anyway? In the commodified America we’re suspicious of any claim to greatness if it isn’t vouched for at the box office or can check off a list of social goods.<\/p>\n

We miss the point if we think this is about arts funding. It really is about a vision of greatness.\u00a0No country has ever staked a claim to being great because it balanced its budgets or glorified\u00a0a culture of winners and losers. That’s just bookkeeping. Sad.<\/p>\n

You can’t be great unless you invest in being great. The challenge for the arts now is to remind us all of that.<\/p>\n

Image: Geralt\/Pixabay<\/a><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So it begins. A report in The Hill, then picked up in the Washington Post, says that the Trump administration intends to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities and sell off PBS. It’s part of a plan to cut some $10.5 trillion over the next decade. Zeroing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1284,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[35,33,26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1283","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-business","8":"category-arts-and-politics","9":"category-cultural-issues","10":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/dollar-exchange-rate-544949_1280.jpg?fit=800%2C346&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4ePZm-kH","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1178,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/2016\/09\/arts-congressional-report-card-why-the-arts-have-no-political-clout.html","url_meta":{"origin":1283,"position":0},"title":"Arts Congressional Report Card: Why The Arts Have No Political Clout","author":"Douglas McLennan","date":"September 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Americans for the Arts Action Fund PAC has released its 2016 Congressional Arts Report Card rating members of Congress on their support for the arts. Many lobby groups do such rankings as a way of \"holding politicians accountable\" for how they vote on issues the lobbyists care about. The rankings\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "arts and politics"","block_context":{"text":"arts and politics","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/category\/arts-and-politics"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/00cdff2bc5f6c0901a_dgm6bh30v.jpg?fit=674%2C870&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/00cdff2bc5f6c0901a_dgm6bh30v.jpg?fit=674%2C870&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/00cdff2bc5f6c0901a_dgm6bh30v.jpg?fit=674%2C870&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1196,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/2016\/09\/art-is-good-not-much-of-an-argument-for-art-is-it.html","url_meta":{"origin":1283,"position":1},"title":"“Art Is Good?” Not Much Of An Argument For Art Is It?","author":"Douglas McLennan","date":"September 29, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I suggested in\u00a0a post this week\u00a0that, based on the lack of any arts business before the 114th US Congress, that it appears that lobbying for the arts seems to be failing. Yes, the NEA\/NEH budgets have stayed more or less stable for the past few years, but the almost complete\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "arts and politics"","block_context":{"text":"arts and politics","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/category\/arts-and-politics"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/whatart.jpg?fit=1200%2C629&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/whatart.jpg?fit=1200%2C629&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/whatart.jpg?fit=1200%2C629&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/whatart.jpg?fit=1200%2C629&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/whatart.jpg?fit=1200%2C629&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":54,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/2009\/03\/is_the_nea_bad_for_the_arts.html","url_meta":{"origin":1283,"position":2},"title":"Is the NEA bad for the arts?","author":"Douglas McLennan","date":"March 18, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"A ridiculous question, sure. The National Endowment for the Arts is the channel through which the federal government invests money in the arts. And though it's not much money, compared to what other countries invest, it's something. Besides giving money, the NEA also has the value of drawing attention or\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 3 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 3 comments","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/2009\/03\/is_the_nea_bad_for_the_arts.html#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"images.jpg","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/images.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":401,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/2012\/01\/the-party-of-cant-and-wont-so-lets-change-the-conversation-2.html","url_meta":{"origin":1283,"position":3},"title":"The Party of Can't And Won't (So Let's Change The Conversation)","author":"Douglas McLennan","date":"January 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Mitt Romney said last week he'll kick funding for the arts and public broadcasting to the curb if he gets to be president. \"We're not going to kill Big Bird, but Big Bird is going to have advertisements,\" Romney said, while speaking at Homer's Deli in Clinton, Iowa. Like virtually\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "arts funding"","block_context":{"text":"arts funding","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/category\/arts-funding"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/canceled.jpg?fit=1200%2C913&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/canceled.jpg?fit=1200%2C913&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/canceled.jpg?fit=1200%2C913&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/canceled.jpg?fit=1200%2C913&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/canceled.jpg?fit=1200%2C913&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":57,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/2009\/03\/help_for_the_arts_but_10000_ar.html","url_meta":{"origin":1283,"position":4},"title":"Help For The Arts (But 10,000 Arts Groups Could Go Out Of Business)","author":"Douglas McLennan","date":"March 20, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Americans for the Arts has warned arts organizations to plan scenarios for 40% cuts in their budgets as the economy gets worse. And the group says that 10,000 arts organizations could go out of business in this recession. Some have been saying for some time that the arts were overbuilt\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"header_logo.gif","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/header_logo.gif?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1293,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/2017\/01\/five-highlights-from-this-weeks-aj-the-big-ideas-you-need-to-know-says-mit.html","url_meta":{"origin":1283,"position":5},"title":"Five Highlights From This Week’s AJ: The Big Ideas You Need To Know, Says MIT","author":"Douglas McLennan","date":"January 22, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"This Week: Trump, the arts, the culture budget and protest... Harvard ART school gets suspended...MIT's list of 10 things you need to know... Writers and money - the straight dope. Trump Inauguration And Artists: Obviously the biggest story this week was the American inauguration and the demonstrations the day after.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Weekly AJ Top Stories"","block_context":{"text":"Weekly AJ Top Stories","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/category\/weekly-aj-top-stories"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Portrait-Theaster-Gates-Max-McClure-3-1050x663.jpg?fit=800%2C341&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Portrait-Theaster-Gates-Max-McClure-3-1050x663.jpg?fit=800%2C341&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Portrait-Theaster-Gates-Max-McClure-3-1050x663.jpg?fit=800%2C341&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Portrait-Theaster-Gates-Max-McClure-3-1050x663.jpg?fit=800%2C341&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1283"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1283\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1287,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1283\/revisions\/1287"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/diacritical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}