[Fmpro] Yes We Can) The Arts

[Christopher Alpiar]

In every country in the world, most of the people are good. Do you think 
during the cold war the Soviet people were bad? Do you think the people 
in Iraq are bad? Its never the people that are the issue but the 
freedoms and limitations imposed on the people by their government.

It is unfortunate that corporations and the money they use in this 
society are the ones who will win every time without government 
intervention. Just think if it wasn't for the anti-trust act how much 
more ridiculous of a world we would be in. So in many cases we must look 
to be inside the purview of government or be wiped off the map. Also 
unfortunately our government of late cares very little for the arts or 
for intellectual property and the internet or for the ramifications that 
this neglect has on an entire economy.

What we seem to forget is that there are MANY ways that our government 
can help our lives as composers. And all it needs is the right 
administration to give heed to the problems we face and make a priority 
of them.

KEY POINTS:

    * Our business and creative lives are in an upheaval because the
      natural evolution of technology led us to 1. easy unlimited
      illegal downloading that isn't checked by any group fully 2.
      software and hardware development that make certain aspects of our
      mystical art de-mystified and easy to do for even a noobie.
    * As composers we have no union and hence no representation so
      corporate entities have had an easy time squeezing us and we have
      had no way to explain to our government that there is something
      wrong going on here
    * No group that is supposed to be representing our interests (ASCAP,
      BMI, NMPA, etc) is really doing their job partly as they are
      caught in the same vice we are and partly because they have
      acquired their own interests in self-sustainability via appeasing
      the corporate music biz
    * The government unfortunately makes decisions based on cases
      presented to them by lobbyists. Sometimes they are blatantly
      crooked, sometimes not, but either way most "cases" for supporting
      or voting against a bill are based on the education of the
      senator/representative by a lobbyist or group of lobbyists. It
      would be cool if it wasn't so but there are so many issues I can't
      blame a congressman for needing input on direction on issues they
      are not familiar with
    * We have no representation (did I already say that??) and so we
      have no voice to be able to lobby to our congressmen and senators
      about what the issues are and how their decisions affect the world
      that we live in (that they are not in touch with)
    * Most politicians are scum bags, but there are a few that are
      idealists and humanists and when presented with material will
      respond positively.
    * When legislation is presented that benefits everyone, it almost
      always passes
    * If we had a union or representational group, we could have talks
      with technology interest groups and find a way to draft solutions
      and legislation to curb illegal downloading. This would be
      beneficial to *everyone* in the music industry, on both sides of
      the fight
    * If we had a union or representation group, we could get in touch
      with our congressmen and governmental authorities and explain to
      them the unfairness of .20 to 1 payouts, of mechanicals on
      downloads, of all the issues that we are faced with
    * If we had a president and administration that is "arts friendly"
      and is willing to listen to this mysterious lobby group that we
      don't have, we could really backtrack and find ourselves climbing
      out of the quagmire that is sucking our livelihood into the earth


Rick Blanc wrote:
> I agree with many of your points.  There is and never will be a perfect system.  The American Constitution has been amended some 27 times including the Bill of Rights, and society has evolved extra-constitutionally.
>
> De Tocqueville said America is great because its people are good, and when they cease to be good America will no longer be great.  The government was never intended to actually produce greatness in people, but rather to not interfere with their God given creative impulses.  Too often I think we want government to solve problems that are best left outside the purview of government.  Any student of history knows the deplorable records governments have in substituting the judgments of politicians for the impetus of free people.
>
> Can we do better?  I would certainly hope so.
>
> Rick
>