[Libralesso]

Good video's especially on the environment which is my number one concern right now. The conservative plan is a fraud, it will do nothing to help the environment. While Dion's plan is far from perfect, at least it is a tiny step forward.

I would also agree with reverand that it is not our place to decide what art is. There has been many philosophical debates on what art is, I don't think any of us on this site can boil it down and decide what it is.

[Apollo]

Libralesso Libralesso:

Good video's especially on the environment which is my number one concern right now. The conservative plan is a fraud, it will do nothing to help the environment. While Dion's plan is far from perfect, at least it is a tiny step forward.

I would also agree with reverand that it is not our place to decide what art is. There has been many philosophical debates on what art is, I don't think any of us on this site can boil it down and decide what it is.

If you're number one concern reall and truly is the environment, then you should be voting NDP or Green.

Reagarding art, we as a nation have higher priorities than funding starving artists. If they are any good, they can sell their art and make a living. Throwing feaces against a wall or creating art that looks like a bomb is not real art, it's imbecilic.

Literally art can be anything. I can pour corn flakes into a bowl and call it art.

[shelphs]

Pouring corn flakes is art?
Well, that can only be art if you artistically pour the flakes. You know, pour them in a meaningful way, and thus is a way that is expressive of something - perhaps yourself.
Art is about communication - subtly, ambiguously, controversially... and oddly enough, feelings are usually just that: subtle, ambiguous, controversial...

[Libralesso]

Apollo Apollo:

Libralesso Libralesso:

Good video's especially on the environment which is my number one concern right now. The conservative plan is a fraud, it will do nothing to help the environment. While Dion's plan is far from perfect, at least it is a tiny step forward.

I would also agree with reverand that it is not our place to decide what art is. There has been many philosophical debates on what art is, I don't think any of us on this site can boil it down and decide what it is.

If you're number one concern reall and truly is the environment, then you should be voting NDP or Green.

Reagarding art, we as a nation have higher priorities than funding starving artists. If they are any good, they can sell their art and make a living. Throwing feaces against a wall or creating art that looks like a bomb is not real art, it's imbecilic.

Literally art can be anything. I can pour corn flakes into a bowl and call it art.

I do vote Green, but I am not a fan of their conservative budget which is why I like Dion. I like his investment in infrastructure, culture, etc. Also you can not just debase art like that, there have been countless philosophical arguments on what is art. It is not that easy to claim what is art and what isn't. First start by asking yourself what is art? You will soon see how hard it is to even know what art is.

[EyeBrock]

Why should tax payers fund art? If it is so difficult to define how do we ensure an equitable approach to funding?

[Libralesso]

why should tax payers money support upside down welfare? At least art contributes to the culture of Canada. Don't tell me governments don't give hand outs to corporations, cause I have seen it in this election from every party. But if you want me to say why we should support art, is because it contributes to a Canadian identity, which we are sorely missing in this country. We need some kind of culture contribution to the world. And for people who say why should we are you aware that Hollywood gets big hand outs from the government and look how successful it is. Why can't we have our own cultural contributions. As for deciding where is should go since art is a difficult thing to define, that is a harder question to answer. There is a lot of areas money could go to, it is hard to say which area should get more money than the other.

[Apollo]

If you yourself can't define art, then how do we decide what gets funded and what doesn't?

After all, anything can be art right?

Corporate hand outs create jobs and corporations pay the lions share of taxes. Artists just take the money and rarely contribute anything back to tax payers coffers.

[mtbr]

Libralesso Libralesso:

why should tax payers money support upside down welfare? At least art contributes to the culture of Canada. Don't tell me governments don't give hand outs to corporations, cause I have seen it in this election from every party. But if you want me to say why we should support art, is because it contributes to a Canadian identity, which we are sorely missing in this country. We need some kind of culture contribution to the world. And for people who say why should we are you aware that Hollywood gets big hand outs from the government and look how successful it is. Why can't we have our own cultural contributions. As for deciding where is should go since art is a difficult thing to define, that is a harder question to answer. There is a lot of areas money could go to, it is hard to say which area should get more money than the other.

and corporations never support the arts

that's like saying the Suzuki Foundation never receives donations from Encanna.

[EyeBrock]

Libralesso Libralesso:

why should tax payers money support upside down welfare? At least art contributes to the culture of Canada. Don't tell me governments don't give hand outs to corporations, cause I have seen it in this election from every party. But if you want me to say why we should support art, is because it contributes to a Canadian identity, which we are sorely missing in this country. We need some kind of culture contribution to the world. And for people who say why should we are you aware that Hollywood gets big hand outs from the government and look how successful it is. Why can't we have our own cultural contributions. As for deciding where is should go since art is a difficult thing to define, that is a harder question to answer. There is a lot of areas money could go to, it is hard to say which area should get more money than the other.

I disagree on funding the arts with tax payers money and that's the way it is.

[Zipperfish]

Libralesso Libralesso:

Most of what I found on this site were threads talking about different issues in the party. While these are good and important they do not raise debates, just kind of defending and bashing. I come from a university setting, I love to debate (intelligently I remind you, if you want to join in bring facts and logic), so here is a place to debate, try to persuade people of your party politics, etc. I will start this year my vote it going to Dion, this is why:
1) His green shift plan not only taxes wasters but also raises money for the environmental crises we will face in the future.
2) I like his investment in culture, right now I feel Canada's culture is going to a mall and watching T.V., I don't like this. I want more music, more painters, more movies, hopefully more opera.
3) His investment in infrastructure. This is desperately needed in Canada everything is falling apart. just walk around your cities and look at the bridges, the public transit, everything that falls under infrastructure. We need to start investing now.
4) Green bonds are a good way of getting people to invest in environmental technology.
That is all I can come up with off the top of my head. I could provide some negatives about the conservative but I wont right now unless someone wants to provide negatives about liberals. Lets try to keep this lively and civilized, enjoy!

I give him two weeks until he's screeching like a purple-assed baboon and flinging feces with the rest of us.

[Libralesso]

Corporations usually fund art when it is art they like. Second off small business also create jobs why don't we fund them instead of faceless corporations. At least small business are local. I am all for giving them money. Why should we fund art, because it is one of the only things that separates us from animals. The ability to create and appreciate aesthetics is one of the greatest achievements in humanity. while i can not define what art is, we should still support it because it makes us human. eyebrook you are entitled to your opinion, I just happen to think the opposite way. And to Zipperfish I don't even know what to say back to that.

[Apollo]

Flinging feces is art you know.

[Blue_Nose]

Doesn't anyone here vote for their local representative? My vote will be going to an Independent, so considering what the federal leaders have to offer is irrelevant to me.

That's a huge flaw in our election system.

[shelphs]

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

Why should tax payers fund art? If it is so difficult to define how do we ensure an equitable approach to funding?

"An quitable approach to funding" meaning how can society ensure that those who are talented artists are funded. So, who should be funded? To answer this question, lets ask a few other questions: who are gifted writers? who are exceptional painters? who are the best composers?
If you want to learn who the great writers are, you'd speak to a writer, or a critic of literature, or an English teacher, etc.
My point is that we must ask ourselves, who are most informed about art? educators, critics, and already established peers within it what art is. obviously the general public can very much be and should be involved; however, many people, such as yourself and myself, don't know many things about art, and so, the deciding of who is funded or not should not be left up to us.

Okay. That was the first thing to respond to in that posting of yours. The second thing i want to respond to is what was not automatically transferred to this posting when i clicked on 'Quote', and that is your signature:

"Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities…But the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world.”

Winston Spencer Churchill


That is a very one-sided take - to say the Muslim religion causes social retardation. In some, it probably does, but that's not only true for those of a Muslim faith. Catholicism has arrested the rights of women and homosexuals, for instance.

[Zipperfish]

I'm not a big fan of funding the arts in principle, but, on the other hand, I've dearly loved some of the National Film Board classics over the years.