Our liberal rulers are stealing such vast sums of money from us, our children, and their children yet unborn that you have to wonder how they can spend it all. Apparently, it isn’t easy. For example, they’ve been reduced to……

However, as it is, you are a tool and this is pointless. It is not surprising to me that you cite the lazy, incorrect usage of that term and still do not get my point. it is also not a shocker that you didn’t link to the actual history of the Marine Band, which doesn’t seem to say anything about unit cohesion or promotion. It wasn’t like this was a separate unit in the Marines that has somehow developed over the years. It was specifically commissioned by Congress, in their own words “to to provide music for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps.”

Now scurry away and spread your sick fantasies somewhere lese.

Justifying spending millions and even billions of tax dollars on “Aunt Bee’s” art fetish because of the Marine Band is stupid.

It is common knowledge that in the 1700′s, 1800′s, and even 1900′s nearly EVERY western military had a band, and they were used to help recruiting efforts as well as provide unit cohesion when marching. Google military use of music yourself, lazy collectivist.

As for “exceptions that prove the rule:”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exception_that_proves_the_rule

The phrase is derived from the medieval Latin legal principle exceptio probat regulam in casibus non exceptis (“the exception confirms the rule in cases not excepted”), a concept first proposed by Cicero in his defense of Lucius Cornelius Balbus…

In the second of Fowler’s meanings, it has been claimed the word “proves” means “tests”, and that “the exception proves the rule” therefore means something like “an unusual case can be used to test whether or not a rule is valid”. If the rule stands up to the unusual case then that reinforces its truth; if not then the rule is disproved. <em>However, this interpretation is not universally accepted: adherents of the original literal meaning maintain that an “exception” here is not an extreme, unusual case, but merely any case that is not covered by the rule, and that “proves” means “demonstrates the existence of”, not “tests the validity of”.

How far up is Mr. Lemmiwinks?

You fail to understand the concept of “exceptions that prove the rule.”

Maybe you don’t get what this means. Not surprising. many people don’t. You have posited a rule that provides for no exceptions. So when exceptions are pointed out, you cannot say that proves your rule.

And why gon’t you provide some links to all your assertions about how the founding fathers “emotionally tumoiled” over whether or not to fund the Band or whether or not to build a pretty house, or for that matter some links as to the original purpose of the band.

And again, you continue to prove your prickishness. God. Talk about unprovoked. I ask very legitimate questions about your very extreme stance and you turn into a total ass. If you don’t have the courage or knowledge to plumb your asinine assertions, perhaps you should not speak them in public.

The founding fathers had emotional turmoil over even approving things like building the White House, you idiot. It wasn’t until later that the country devolved into paying for grandiose buildings and paying for Aunt Bee’s art fetish.

You fail to understand the concept of “exceptions that prove the rule.” Nothing you’ve mentioned negates the moral weight of the argument that the government should not be in the business of funding the arts. You ignore the NEA matter, you ignore the subject of this post, and bounce around hysterically about the Marine Band and blah blah.

It IS slavery to take money from someone in order to pay for trivialities. Money is merely a medium to transmit the fruits of your labor. If you have a problem with that, then why don’t you come over to my house and clean my toilets? What? You won’t? Why not?

What if we all get together and ram through Congress the “Chapotier Painting Bill” which states that Chap should come over to my house once a week for an hour and paint my walls. Why would you have a problem with that? It’s only one hour. Come on, you greedy fat pig, paint my walls. You evil greedy pig. Optionally, you can pay me $$ to hire someone else if you can’t be there. What? Have an objection? You greedy pig.

Paying taxes for legitimate government functions is fine; military, roads, etc. Paying taxes so Aunt Bee can have a pretty picture hanging up in City Hall – because she feels it should be there – is another altogether.

Again, I suggest the hamster approach for your anal proclivities. Drink some red wine with it while you’re at it, Richard Gere says it goes great with Mr. Lemmiwinks.

YOU are the one coming here and screaming “SLAVERY!!!” over some freaking art. Now THAT is an actual affront to common sense and insulting to those that have actually, and still do, suffer under real slavery. Not this “ohhh boo hoo. I live in a civil society and have to sometimes pay for things I don’t like, just like every other freaking taxpayer on this earth. Looke everyone at how ENSLAVED I am.” If you don’t like paying taxes, here’s a solution: Don’t work. Or move away. Now quit being so histrionic.

The Marine Band? What has that got to do with the price of corn in hell?

The Marine Band, which is government sponsorship of the arts, genius, has been around since the days of our founding fathers. You know…the one that actually wrote the Consititution that you seem to think makes explicit the idea that we are not allowed to publicly fund arts. So clearly, those guys were not too freaking opposed to the idea. As between your interpretation of the Constitution and how the founding fathers actually implemented it….hmmmm…let me see…Yeah I think I’ll go with the latter. Was that simple enough for you to get this time?

The only idiotic thing here is your basic premise.

Just don’t drop taxpayers money on it.

I’d like to see a statue of James Madison there with a full thought bubble for them.

Budget cuts for the 2009 Olympia budget:

Of course the current budget for the city cuts about 22 jobs and seriously curtails certain services, yet they’re in the market for whimsical artwork? (It’s not even in keeping with the character of the area or the history of the city)

So it was okay then, but not now?

No it wasn’t okay then. But that doesn’t mean that one should burn them down. And it doesn’t invalidate the basic concept that the government should not be funding the “arts.” Idiot.

And what about the Marine band? Doesn’t that show that the founding fathers were perhaps a little less hardcore about the idea of funding art than you?

The Marine Band? What has that got to do with the price of corn in hell?

Why don’t you make a list of all the enormously stupid exceptions that prove the rule so I can take care of them all at once? Submit them in triplicate at the head office. And make sure you get them cleared by your minister of propaganda while you’re at it.

Instead of refuting the basic concept you are being anal. My recommended cure for your ailment is a live hamster, a glass tube, and some Preperation H. Apparently it’s all the rage in liberal land.

And you’re missing MY point. The NEA should be dumped. Federal, State and Local city governments should have nothing to do with “funding the arts.” Aunt Bee should be stripped of her government subsidized art-buying addiction.

No, I’m not. It is easy to make big broad statements about the government’s role in art when you are talking about subsidizing art that you don’t like or that borders on the absurd or offensive. The NEA is an easy target. But the government subsidizes and/or pays for art in many other subtle ways and I was just curious if you really believed in the full extent of your statement.

These things you mention have already been paid for, for the most part, with the exception of the ongoing expenses of the Smithsonian.

As for whether the government should be building NEW greco-roman-temples-to-Zeus-to-shock-and-awe-the-natives, my answer is no.

So it was okay then, but not now?

And what about the Marine band? Doesn’t that show that the founding fathers were perhaps a little less hardcore about the idea of funding art than you?

That did not answer my question at all. Should the Smithsonian be forced to sell its entire collection? Should the Capitol Building or the White House be stripped of every painting, fresco and sculpture? How far does that extend? Is architecture art? Is every single Corinthian column on the Capitol an affront to your freedom?

Your point is stupid.

And you’re missing MY point. The NEA should be dumped. Federal, State and Local city governments should have nothing to do with “funding the arts.” Aunt Bee should be stripped of her government subsidized art-buying addiction.

These things you mention have already been paid for, for the most part, with the exception of the ongoing expenses of the Smithsonian. To address your stupid point:

From what I understand their OPEX is partially funded by the gov’t. And yes that IS an affront.

The Smithsonian should be forced to pay its own way without government subsidy, which it could do if given a push. Time for it to leave the collective nest. They get thousands of visitors a day, they don’t need the collective making their lives easier.

Smithson was an ancestor of mine, and was quite wealthy, and most of that museum is privately funded with items privately donated. Most of the government $$ they could do without if forced to do so.

As for whether the government should be building NEW greco-roman-temples-to-Zeus-to-shock-and-awe-the-natives, my answer is no. When and if they build new buildings they should be following form = function = “solid but functional buildings in nature.”

One can argue whether architecture is art comparable to film or writing or painting all day long. I have many relatives that are architects so I tend to think it is…

Meanwhile Elsworth Toohey can go find someone else to pay for his monuments to the collective. Let the damned government workers ply their mindless jobs in cheap metal quonset huts, like the Gomer Pyles they are.