Artists as Entrepreneurs?

I just saw a clip of NDP leader Jack Layton's campaign stop in Quebec today, where he promised increased funding for the arts. He said that Conservative cuts to arts funding are preventing artists from making a living. But it was interesting to me that he said he considers artists entrepreneurs.

My concept of entrepreneur must be different than Layton's. A quick search for definitions of entrepreneur backs me up. Here's a representative definition:

Entrepreneur: [an] individual who starts an enterprise with its associated risks and responsibilities.

If no one finds an entrepreneur's product or business venture useful or worthy of investment, it fails. If someone values it enough, it will be profitable.

It is the entrepreneur who runs the risk that his product or business venture will not be profitable. It is not the business of the government to bail out private products and ventures that are not profitable on their own.

I agree that artists should be like entrepreneurs - let the free market support or reject them. I think the demand for good art will always be there. I'll privately support such art as I like. But if artists can't survive without government funding - my taxes - propping them up, maybe that says something about the demand for their art.

Mr. Layton, if artists really are entrepreneurs, then the Conservatives are the ones who have this one right.

Your Tax Dollars at Work

More evidence of the CBC's far-left bias showing through: Columnist's labeling Palin backers 'White Trash' spurs review at Canadian TV:

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is reviewing complaints from both Americans and Canadians about a Web site columnist who recently described Sarah Palin’s supporters as “white trash,” compared the vice presidential candidate to a “porn actress” and called her daughter’s boyfriend a “redneck” and “ratboy.”

The incendiary column by Toronto-based writer Heather Mallick appeared on the CBC News site on Sept. 5, after the close of the Republican National Convention. On the same day, Britain’s Guardian newspaper published another column by Mallick in which she trashed Palin’s home state of Alaska as a “frontier state full of drunks and crazy people.”

Several years ago, Coach's Corner was put on a 6-second delay because of a perceived slur against French Canadians and Europeans by Don Cherry. His offense was declaring that the majority of hockey players wearing visors on their helmets are French Canadian or European. A Winnipeg lawyer did the math and found this statement to be factual, but it was still much too offensive for the CBC.

So you can imagine how the CBC dealt with Heather Mallick after she posted the article on a CBC website almost two weeks ago. Wrong. The CBC is still proudly displaying the article on its website. Watch the CBC twist itself into logical pretzels defending Mallick.

Meanwhile, will Stephen Harper continue to sign her paycheque? Will taxpayers' money continue to be spent on hopelessly mediocre programming and one-sided journalism?

Natural CO2 Emissions Bad, Toxic Mercury Emissions Great

Let's get this straight: CO₂, a naturally occurring gas on which all kinds of plant life depend, is dangerous to the planet at marginally higher levels. But CFL bulbs, which contain extremely high levels of toxic mercury - proven to be very dangerous, particularly to young children - are the environmentally responsible choice. It doesn't take a global warming "scientist" to figure out that there's something wrong with this picture: 1 broken bulb pushes contamination to 300 times EPA limits.

The results were stunning: Breaking a single compact fluorescent bulb on the floor can spike mercury vapor levels in a room – particularly at a child's height – to over 300 times the EPA's standard accepted safety level.

Furthermore, for days after a CFL has been broken, vacuuming or simply crawling across a carpeted floor where the bulb was broken can cause mercury vapor levels to shoot back upwards of 100 times the accepted level of safety.

On the Bookshelf: The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics

I've updated the On the Bookshelf linked list (on the right menu). The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics includes Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Problem of Pain, Miracles, A Grief Observed, and The Abolition of Man. I am midway through Mere Christianity, and it is already worth the price. Anyone who considers Christianity to be irrational or unreasonable will be forced to reconsider. Lewis treats the deep questions of life in a logical and systematic way, with helpful and colourful analogies.

Civilizational Collapse

I'm slowly making my way through the series The Christians (it's On the Bookshelf on the right side of the blog). It's a fascinating read, full of details and illustrations. The end of Volume I was particularly interesting in its chronicle of the fall of Jerusalem.

As Volume II takes up the threat against the Roman empire from the barbarians, it describes the state of Roman civilization:

Centuries earlier, the citizen-militia had been replaced by a professional army, increasingly recruited outside the Italian heartland. Then the very success of the empire, bringing with it a flood of cheap imports like Egyptian grain, had eviscerated the dutiful citizen farmers and artisans. Some rose into the bureaucratic ranks, the patricians and the equites (knights) growing obscenely wealthy in the imperial service. But many Roman citizens simply lived off the free grain ration and lolled at the public baths or the games.

"The people that once bestowed commands, consulships, legions, and all else," lamented the dyspeptic poet Juvenal, "now disturb themselves no more, and long eagerly for just two things - bread and circuses!" And their supposed betters, the gentry, were if anything worse. As the wealth and personal retinue of noble Romans burgeoned, so did their sloth, luxury, and licentiousness. Too many young aristocrats preferred fine wines and witty mistresses to forced marches and camp life. Too many young wives preferred to have lovers rather than children - birth control, abortion, and the exposure (abandonment in open fields) of infants were commonplace. The latest celebrity actor and the all star gladiator were far more entertaining than strategy and politics. Ease and indolence do not make for big families, and by the mid-second century the workforce had shrunk, and the government had to conscript labor to transport essential supplies into the city.

This list could very well describe much of the Western world, particularly Europe.

• The citizen-militia... replaced by a professional army... It is striking that more and more people in Western society are unwilling to fight - verbally or militarily - for the civilization on which they depend for peace and freedom.
• flood of cheap imports... eviscerated dutiful citizen farmers and artisans... Many Western manufacturers have been forced either to fold or to import due to the cheap labour and goods from overseas (e.g. from China).
• Some rose into the bureaucratic ranks... The bureaucratic class has ballooned in the West, often in inverse proportion to the quality of service provided.
• Many... simply lived off the free grain ration... Many citizens of Western countries - including many immigrants - feed at the public trough of welfare and social services, unwilling to be bothered with productive and constructive contribution to the public on which they depend. Mark Steyn calls them welfare junkies.
• As wealth and personal retinue... burgeoned, so did... sloth, luxury, and licentiousness... Ditto for the West.
• Lovers rather than children... birth control, abortion, the exposure were commonplace...The sexual revolution has made sex a god and end in itself. The products of sex - children - are seen as little more than side-effects of an otherwise good drug. Birth control is expected. Abortion is accepted. Exposure is uncommon literally, but many children are quite unwanted and are left to virtually fend for themselves in terms of love and companionship, though they are showered with things they ultimately care less about, such as money and toys.
• The latest celebrity actor and the all-star gladiator were far more entertaining than strategy and politics. Put "athlete" in place of "gladiator" and you may as well be describing Western society.
• Lack of big families, shrinking of the workforce... A family with four children is considered large and inconvenient, not to mention quite environmentally irresponsible. The workforce is shrinking. Here in Canada, we will soon run into the problem of greater benefits and pensions for more and more retirees with fewer and fewer workers to support them. It is a question of demographics, a topic Steyn has treated at length in America Alone.

In Rome, we saw an empire and civilization at the verge of defeat. But it was not the Barbarians who overthrew the empire. As the saying goes, civilizations die not from murder, but from suicide. The Roman empire was in decline before the Barbarians arrived. The West is in a frightfully similar situation.

After these paragraphs, The Christians continues to describe the growth of the unquenchable religion called Christianity. In fact, the despair and hopelessness of Roman society seems to have made it a mission field ripe for harvest. Perhaps that is the silver lining for the West, too. When African Christians are calling the West to repentance, you know the tides have turned - the West is now the mission field. Maybe that will be its saving grace. Perhaps for a few righteous in the West, God will spare our civilization (Genesis 18:16-33).

Et tu, LGF?

The first blog I read with any regularity was Little Green Footballs (LGF). Its creator, Charles Johnson, was moved by the events of 9/11 and began blogging on world and political issues. He has been very watchful of the slow creep of Islam into the Western world, as well as the unwillingness of many politicians to deal with it honestly. He also has been very critical of the bias of mainstream media, which, as Joseph Farah points out, is hardly mainstream. Particularly when these two issues met, for example, in the Lebanon-Israel crisis, LGF was a very worthwhile read.

So it was very disappointing to me to see Johnson's recent attacks on creation and defenders of a young earth. In fact, it seems that this has become somewhat of a regular theme on the blog. Thankfully, someone is putting up a fight.

Creation Ministries International, another great read which I recently added to my list of RSS feeds, refutes claims from two of the LGF posts, and has much more great content.

LGF: 15 Answers to Creationist Nonsense
CMI: Little Green Footballs dredges '15 Answers to Creationist Nonsense'

LGF: Hitchens: The Blind Salamander
CMI: Christopher Hitchens - blind to salamander reality

Tony Snow

I remember Tony Snow only as the voice of the U.S. government under Bush. He apparently had quite the prolific career before that. He passed away last week at the age of 51 after a second battle against colon cancer, leaving his wife and three children behind. Many flattering obituaries have been given. By all accounts he was a happy, humble, family-oriented, God-fearing man. Here's what President Bush said at the funeral today:

Archbishop Wuerl, Father O'Connell, Mr. Vice President, members of the Cabinet and my administration, members of Congress, distinguished guests; most importantly, the Snow family, Jill, Robbie, Kendall, Kristi and Jim, and other family members; former colleagues of Tony. Laura and I are privileged to join you today to pay our final respects to a cherished friend.

Tony Snow was a man of uncommon decency and compassion. He was a devoted husband, a proud and loving father, an adoring son, a beloved colleague, and a wonderful role model and friend.

In a life that was far too brief, he amassed a rare record of accomplishment. He applied his gifted mind to many fields: as a columnist, newspaper editor, TV anchor, radio host, and musician. He had the sometimes challenging distinction of working for two Presidents named Bush. As a speechwriter in my Dad's administration, Tony tried to translate the President's policies into English. (Laughter.) As a spokesman in my administration, Tony tried to translate my English into English. (Laughter.)

Tony always gave me good and candid advice. He was a man of profound substance who loved ideas, held strong beliefs, and reveled in defending them. He took very seriously his duty to inform the public about what its government was doing during historic times for our nation.

In the White House briefing room, Tony worked to build a relationship of candor and trust with the press corps. On his first day at the podium, he told the gathered reporters this: "One of the reasons I took this job is not only because I believe in the President, but because, believe it or not, I want to work with you." Tony was the first working journalist to serve as the White House Press Secretary for nearly 30 years. He knew the job of a reporter was rigorous. He admired the profession -- and always treated it with respect. And the presence of so many members of the Fourth Estate here today attests to the admiration and respect that he earned.

Of course, Tony's adjustment from commentator to spokesman was not seamless. Ann Compton of ABC recently recalled that when you asked Tony a question, he would sometimes get going, and she would have to stop him and say: "Tony, wait, I asked what the President thought." (Laughter.)

Tony brought a fierce and challenging intellect to his duties. And he displayed an engaging wit. When a reporter asked a rather labored question about Congress, Tony did not answer it. The persistent reporter pressed him: "Are you going to just evade that question?" With a smile, Tony quipped: "No, I'm going to laugh at it." (Laughter.)

I believe the reason Tony was so good at his job is that he looked at the world in a joyful way. He was a proud patriot who believed in America's goodness, and an optimist who knew America's possibilities. He believed strongly in the wisdom of the American people. And throughout his career, he took a special pride in being a vigorous and unapologetic defender of our men and women in uniform. He supported their missions, saw honor in their achievements, and found every possible opportunity to highlight their character and courage.

Tony Snow, the professional, is a hard act to follow. Tony Snow, the man, is simply irreplaceable. Everyone who worked with him quickly grew to love him. We will always remember his wry sense of humor and abundant goodness. We'll also remember he was just a lot of fun. After all, he played six different musical instruments and was a proud member of a band called Beats Working. He may be one of the few people in history to have jammed on the South Lawn of the White House and with Jethro Tull. (Laughter.)

We remember Tony's thoughtfulness. No matter how busy he was, this was a man who put others first. He would go out of his way to ask about people's families. He would check in with friends whenever he heard they were ill. He'd reach out to others, sometimes strangers, who were struggling with cancer. Even when he was going through difficult chemotherapy sessions, he sent inspirational e-mails to a friend whose son was suffering from a serious illness.

We remember Tony's resilient spirit. When he received a second diagnosis of cancer, he did not turn to despair. He saw it as another challenge to tackle. He found comfort in the prayers he received from millions of Americans. As he told the graduates here at Catholic University last year, "Never underestimate the power of other people's love and prayer. They have incredible power. It's as if I've been carried on the shoulders of an entire army. And they made me weightless."

Most of all, we remember Tony's love of his family. There was no doubt for Tony Snow that his family was first. When Jill reached a milestone birthday, Tony had a huge celebration. He later said that he and Jill danced that night as if they were teenagers. He said he was the most fortunate man in the world to have shared love like that. So, today, Jill, our hearts are with you, and we thank you for giving Tony such a special life.

For Robbie, Kendall, and Kristi, you are in our thoughts and prayers, as well. We thank you for sharing your dad with us. He talked about you all the time. He wanted nothing more than your happiness and success. You know, I used to call Tony on the weekends to get his advice. And invariably, I found him with you on the soccer field, or at a swim meet, or helping with your homework. He loved you a lot. Today I hope you know that we loved him a lot, too.

I know it's hard to make sense of today. It is impossible to fully comprehend why such a good and vital man was taken from us so soon. But these are the great mysteries of life -- and Tony knew as well as anyone that they're not ours to unveil.

The day Tony was born was also the day that many of his fellow Catholics pay tribute to Saint Justin. Justin was also a gifted thinker and writer, and a powerful witness for the Christian faith. Because of his beliefs, he suffered many times of trial, and in the year 165 A.D. he was arrested. Before he received a sentence of death, he was asked: "If you are killed, do you suppose you will go to heaven?" Justin replied: "I do not suppose it, but I know and am fully persuaded of it."

Tony Snow knew that, as well. That brought him great peace. When talking about the struggle he waged so admirably, he said that no matter how bad times may sometimes seem, "God doesn't promise tomorrow, he does promise eternity."

And so today we send this man of faith and character and joy on his final journey. Tony Snow has left the City of Washington for the City of God. May he find eternal rest in the arms of his Savior. And may the Author of all creation watch over his family and all those who loved him, admired him, and will always cherish his memory.