Government and art

I agree that it is very dangerous for the government to give money to art for precisely the reason that the case of  spending a huge amount of taxpayer money on a two-night propaganda play. illustrates. The temptation for politicians to turn art to their own ends is too great for them to resist. Nevertheless, in every country where society values art, the government supports art. Of necessity, this involves either government bureaucrats or politicians making judgments about what is good art and what is not. To avoid debacles such as spending an immense amount of money in Taiwan on a two-day event, at least the government involvement with art must be on a local level.

(Images: NY Governors Island 2010 summer  http://govisland.com/html/visit/calendar.shtml)