Subj : Once upon a time. To : BOB KLAHN From : Richard Webb Date : Thu Mar 31 2011 02:21:47 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) .