But… Hitler loved the Arts.

Hm.

When I think of the Nationalist Socialist regime of Adolf Hitler, I do not think of a drastic cut-back on federal funding of the “Arts”.  Granted, maybe we do at some points in the sphere land on the age old question “Yes.  But is it Art?”

— I’m sure Leni Riefenstahl was pretty well funded, and if you go ahead and charge “That’s Propaganda, not Art” — well… I find it difficult to imagine that the Arts being funded by Winston Churchill during that famed World War 2 mis-quote being bandied about included much questioning military operations —

At least there’s a whole mass of beautific structures being thrown out there.  A Wagner opera here and there.  (Or, as so happens, as things got defined as decadent and destructive to the moral fibre of Germany… Italian figures such as Verdi… apparently.)

Speaking of which, Mussolini’s Fasci was quite good at paying Ezra Pound for new writings.  And, sure, this would be by definition the worst output of Ezra Pound…

Totalitarian Russia liked its artists… those that advanced the state cause, of course, uplift the proletariat.

It is amusing to consider, in the argument against Trump’s cutting of federal funding of the Arts — the very notion of “The Arts” as a bullwark to stop Trump…

The federal government is giving arts grants for things like that? Wait, tell me again why you want to cut the NEA out, Mr. President? There was a great New Yorker cartoon years ago showing an artist painting a portrait of a businessman, with the words “FUC YOU” written on the bottom. All it lacked was the K. The artist turned to the businessman with his hand out, and asked for a donation to help him finish the painting.

It is that idea from one thing that considers itself “The Arts” that the very presence of the man in the White House shows a failure of “The Arts” to permeate the culture, and what is needed is to get more…

… er… “Piss Christ” out there, to make the people think.

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