The Disdain Towards Culture Should Bother You

Cuz it's a Huge Fascism Symptom

There’s been an even-larger-than-usual disdain towards art, creativity, and culture in the United States. I say larger that usual because, let’s be honest, it’s kinda always there. The US is arguably the only industrialized nation that sees art as a luxury instead of part of what it means to be human. We spend about 1/10th the amount that other industrialized countries do on arts funding and even that figure is misleading because most of that 1/10th goes to the military.

We value creativity about as much as a gas station does. People of the United States have made incredible cultural contributions to the world and have done so in spite of its societal outlook, not because of it.

Anyway, on that…

A LGBTQ bar in Pittsburgh was raided during a drag show. Patrons were directed out of the venue and had to stand in the rain for 30 minutes while “every crevice” of the club was inspected.

The cause given was an occupancy violation, the establishment had a license for 70 and 130 were there. Here’s the deal: They got their license during Covid rules when capacities were limited and they’ve been waiting for an update. Also, why would an entire establishment need to be raided over an occupancy violation? And, if it was such a violation, why were most patrons let back in?

Almost sounds like the outdated limit was an excuse…

Same week Trump had a melt-down on Bruce Springsteen for talking about politics, something the guy’s done for about 50 years.

Not to mention the bizarre and disturbing situation with the Austin band, Lord Buffalo. The drummer of the band was detained by border patrol while the band was en route to a European tour. He allegedly had an arrest warrant but as of the writing of this the only source on that is “border patrol said so”, and even if this ends up being true, the manner in which all of this was handled: Not knowing where he is being held, the difficulty getting legal help, is chilling and thumbs its nose at due process.

There’s countless other examples especially if we’re going to throw in the increase in hostility and violence at comedy clubs throughout the country, here’s just one recent example. (Will Smith did not do us any favors there).

LGBTQ events, immigrants, they will be the first to be targeted, because that’s easiest. Then it’ll expand to anything remotely subversive. Lefty book stores, DIY spaces, punks, theaters that allow anti-capitalist productions, be careful out there.

I’m not exactly sure when this cultural shift started, that again, is just a heightened version of something we’ve always had, but for me the turning point was the SAG/AFTRA and WGA strikes. There was a loud and I’d like to believe small portion of left Twitter (back when that was still somewhat of a thing) that straight up didn’t consider creatives part of the working class. They were even proud and open about their dismissal. I suppose such a thing has always existed on the left, there’s even been parody songs about it, but, big picture, I’ve never seen anything quite like this in my lifetime.

I’ve never seen such open societal disdain towards education, literature, science, medicine, music, artists, comedy (unless of course you’re the ‘right’ kind of comic), film, creatives, and different groups of people. But, art has outpaced and outlived fascism before. It will again.

Don’t stop creating. That’s what they want.