CHARLES ANGELICH wrote in a message to ROY J. TELLASON:

CA>> Fortunately the sale of his website encouraged others to
CA>> start up similar websites and now there are many places
CA>> where unknowns can offer there 'art' to the public. 

RJT> Strikes me as a good way for people to find out if there's
RJT> any interest in what they have to offer. One of the good
RJT> things about the web, I guess. 

CA> Yes, it is. :-) 

CA>> If the US government wasn't so preocuppied with oil from
CA>> outside  our own boundaries they might have a few pesos to
CA>> spend to encourage the arts in the ways the gov does in
CA>> Japan. 

RJT> I don't care what they do in Japan (their government is
RJT> *way* too paternalistic for my tastes), "the arts" isn't a
RJT> legitimate function of government, as far as I'm
RJT> concerned. If there's something that people have to offer,
RJT> and if there's enough of a real demand for it, then those
RJT> people should be able to make that connection and become
RJT> successful without the use of tax dollars to do so. 

CA> One day of war in IRAQ would more than cover the costs.

Maybe,  maybe not,  I still don't see it as a matter of principle.  And I
don't think it would.  (Thinking larger museums and such.)

CA>> We (Americans) will be remembered along with Atila the
CA>> Hun, Ghengis Kahn, and other despoilers of other people's
CA>> countries. 

RJT> I've no argument about the fact that we have armed forces
RJT> in way too many places outside the US... 

CA>> I'm surprised we haven't burned the Library of Congress to
CA>> the ground as their predecessors did the library in
CA>> Alexandria. 

RJT> Heh. 

CA> Watch, it's coming. 

Good thing hard drives and other tech is so cheap these days...

Which ain't enough,  but it's a start.

---