Team One America

I read an article last night by Friedman supporting a gas tax. At the same moment that he recognized the need to support our economy and bail out the Big 3 auto-makers, he suggested that we need to act now on altering the basic geometry of our national energy strategy.

I think he’s right in many ways, but wonder how many priorities an administration can have. We do need to prop up the existing economy.  The United States has benefited from its acceptance of free market principles. Im actually uncertain how were getting around some parts of the WTO with giving aid to our auto industry. Isn’t giving aid to industry (be it agriculture, steel) illegal with the WTO?

senate_in_session(Anectdotally, I went to the Senate chamber in 1994 and witnessed the WTO vote. Shout out to Shifter and IAD.)

Would it be smart right now to raise the minimum wage? Or increase business contributions for health care? Friedman is correct that raising the gas tax would be a nifty way to encourage transition, but I’m not certain that it’s the efficient choice right now. I’m so pleased we (are about to) have a smart man in the White House who chooses for us.

Obama/Team One America did a few things lately I really respect.

Getting Clinton out of the Senate was really smart. You’re talking someone who still wants to run for president, and who REALLLLY does not agree with everthing on Obama’s domestic agenda.

She would have taken every opportunity to fight. I had the thought some time ago (about Pelosi) that this will be a real measure for her as a politician – her ability to evolve.

You lead a minority. A minority fights. You manage a majority.

And all of a sudden she has an administration she isn’t fighting with. That means she has to manage her majority. Wonder how she’ll do. Am pretty sure Obama made it easier for her by removing Clinton.

Another smart move by Team One America: inviting the schmuck Warren to speak at the inauguration. It guaratees a full, nationwide hearing on certain issues in a non-threatening way. (If you click here you’ll got warren’s site… check out number 8.)

No legislation is proposed at the inauguration. Nothing is really at stake. But the people who work the platform with the new president are gonna get a lot of profiles, and attention. Why would Obama give a major platform to someone who I’m sure he doesn’t agree much with? I think he trusts the judgment of the population. The more that U.S. citizens hear that the strongest critics of gay marriage are the people who think humans were kicking it with dinosaurs in the land of Cain and Abel a few years back, the more likely a coalition can be formed to create real change.

I’m pretty sure Clinton didn’t want don’t ask, don’t tell, but it was the best he could do. Politicans don’t get the luxury of having only one fight. Obama can’t lead where the country can’t follow. Part of the job is helping us – as a nation – follow. And I’m very encouraged with the management of issues that we’re seeing. Hope it continues once the live fire starts…

Garbage Men

Carmel Morgan ( a dc-based dance critic) and I have been working on an article for about 8 months now…. I’m not gonna post much, cause we’re working toward ‘real’ publication. But in response to some recent online conversations, here’s a small excerpt:

Bloggers and online news are simultaneously undercutting and enhancing general news coverage, in every field. The issue in arts journalism is the same as in journalism in general; do we need paid journalists at all? Are bloggers and free-lancers sufficient?

Professional critics remind the public to look beyond current trends, and encourage an appreciation of the long view. Classical audiences are aging, as are the defenders of the classics. The arts as a profession obviously feed into arts education. Without adequate connection and understanding between the last generation, the current generation, and the future generation, classical arts will decline.

Beyond consideration of ‘classical’ art, critics contribute to the development of tomorrow’s curriculum. The Humanities are a funnel: millions of creations, ideas, concepts and concerts fall into the world every year. The informed mind, eye, and pen, have helped shape that funnel since the middle ages. The elimination of critic positions in major newspapers threatens to create a chasm between the values and work of recent generations, and those of today.

As the article proceeds it gets into more of the problem, and some potential solutions. There are a lot of issues with newspaper decline, and significant overlap between the economics and the emotions….

by Rob Bettmann
I read yesterday that:

“If tv killed reading, the internet saved writing”

I thought that was interesting. Some months ago read this on John Rockwell’s Articles blog:

“Mediums are not necessarily the message; mediums are the mediums, and if the future is the internet, the present is still partly in print.”

Will hopefully post a full version of our piece in the next few months, following its publication. In the meantime, if you’re wicked curious email me and I can send a draft.

The image here is something I made just to make it, to illustrate our piece – maybe. I have a freelance business making words, images, etc. for people. If you think I can help with something, please contact me. You can see more about the business here.

Awful… Terrible…. Unwise (?), part deux

I wrote some time ago about the English National Ballet, and their mis-step combining ballet and sports. In that case soccer.

Well, the mistakes have crossed the pond. Check out this video of the Boston Ballet doing the half-time show at the Boston Garden (for the Celtics.) Thank you to CLR for highlighting this.

I heard recently that the Washington Ballet has over 300 children in its Nutcracker. The person I spoke with was saying that the stage was mayhem with so many different casts of kids. I remarked that it was a very smart move – from a business perspective. 300+ kids = 600+ parents. In terms of getting engagement and investment from a community, 300+ kids is a great call.

Some people – mostly non-artists – believe that art has nothing to do with business. These people are not students of history. It has been well-documented that with no Kirstein, we have no Balanchine (just for instance.)

I’m a huge fan of Marie Taglioni, and in article I wrote about her I wrote the following:

In the words of the American politician Newt Gingrich, “perseverance is the work that one does after one has completed the work that one wants to do.”

These things that artists/artistic directors are doing to get donations, build audience, increase appreciation – they could be mis-guided, but they are necessary.

The only true mis-step is if the artists (read director’s there) don’t understand the differences between the two, and try to appropriate the strengths of the one. Not only impossible, this tends to dilute, or dissolve the art.

I think in none of these cases are the Directors unaware of their decisions. Prioritizing really is hard, and dancers don’t pay their own salaries – director’s do. And hey, the Celtics are like 89-2 now, right?

I wrote something about the difference between sports and art here, and will write some more soon I hope.