Art versus Defense, the shocking truth.

Dear Friend, Dear HeartBody,

When is the world going to realize that Art is extremely important, profitable and necessary for the development of any society.

That Art is everywhere where human creation is involved, in what you see, touch and use.

When I speak about Art I mean Art in the broadest sense, from cultural education to cultural heritage, from all Art disciplines to museums, from theatres to literature, from design to architecture etc.

If we look at the world and you check the Arts budget per country in the world. What you see nowadays is when a country has economical problems, Art budgets are the first to been cut and most times the severest.

Art has been cut in the last decades for over 30 % worldwide, with some exceptions. I really don't understand this thinking pattern, well maybe I do, and the truth is not something politicians, leaders or religious people like.

What positive and influential impact did cutting Art budgets have on any economy, what economy did flourish from cutting Arts?

The worst is the USA, they have in terms of percentage the lowest Art Budget and they want to cut the budget almost entirely for organizations like the NEA ($ 146 million), CPB ($ 444 million), the NEH ($ 146 million) and maybe even more.

It is hard to find the exact numbers for federal funding of Arts in the USA, even finding the numbers in China was much easier, that already made me wonder, who is more closed?

The Art Funding in The USA is done per year, It’s an annual congressional decision who gets what, as opposed to the 4 year programs Europe uses which is of course more consistent and gives artists a better foundation to develop.

But roughly we can say that the USA spend about $ 1,9 Billion dollars on Art Annually (in the widest sense) to a numerous of different foundations without any merit or artistic counseling, it’s mainly a who knows who policy. Even worse the Budget might soon dive to $ 1 Billion or lower.

Instead country’s prefer to spend money on defense???

The budget for defense in the USA is a staggering $ 575 Billion per year and they want to raise that budget with 9 % ($ 52 Billion ). A 9 % raise is an equivalent of 1,9 % to the entire Art budget. How is that going to make any difference?

The GDP spending in the United States for defense is 3.3 % (2016) whereas in the rest of world it's around 2 % (2016) including China. Can you imagine for one moment what would happen if the USA would cut their defense budget to the NATO 2 % standard. That would mean the USA would have around $ 234 Billion to spend on other departments. If they would spend just 0,42 % of that for Arts it would mean $1 Billion. But probably I'm to stupid to understand the value of defense…

Let me very clear I'm not judging defense budgets, or am I against a country spending money on defense. It's not my position to judge, I'm merely trying to understand the difference in proportion in budgets compared to Art and its value to society.

When private banks and other private financial institutions got themselves in trouble -by taking high risks- and had to be saved by their governments, by tax paid by civilians. Then how come civilians agree that Art should be cut, that it’s a waste of money, but saving these private financial sectors is agreeable.

Civilians accept that the private financial sector keeps paying exorbitant amounts of money to those CEO’s, that create(d) chaos, often by illegal or iffy actions. That it’s ok they should be saved from tax money, instead of spending this on Art.

Do you know the USA spend over $ 245 Billion to save those private financial institutions. That’s half the defense Budget…

Compare this to the Art budget that are proposed to be cut. Art that creates, needs to be cut, but private enterprises that destroy - on their own accord - should be saved, This is out of proportion, I would almost say scandalous. We can even say that destruction gets awarded and creation gets destroyed. This is a complete wrong thinking pattern.

To get a good understanding about this I will share the difference in GDP (nominal) spending percentages on defense and Art from the top 6 GDP countries in the world.

I chose for the calculations for the USA the $ 1 Billion, because it is a future intended budget as I used the European Cultural budgets for the coming years. Only for China I used the 2015 numbers.

France proposed for the coming years $ 3,2 Billion for the Arts, Germany $ 1,75 Billion , England $ 750 Million, Japan $ 1.45 Billion annually and China spend in 2015 around $ 760 Million.

1 United States:

- GDP $ 18 Trillion - defense 3,3 % - Federal Funding Art 0,0055 %

- That’s about 600 times more on defense than on Art

2 China:

GDP $ 11 Trillion – defense 1,9% - Culture 0,007%

- That’s about 270 times more on defense than on Art

3 Japan:

GDP $ 4.7 Trillion – defense 1 % - Culture 0,019 %

- That’s about 52 times more on defense than on Art

4 Germany:

GDP $ 3,5 Trillion - defense 1,2 % - Federal Funding Art 0,05 %

- That’s about 24 times more on defense than Art

5 United Kingdom:

- GDP $ 2,6 Trillion - defense 2,2 % - Federal Funding Art 0,029 %

- That’s about 75 times more on defense than Art

6 France:

- GDP $ 2,5 Trillion – defense 1,8 % - Federal Funding Art 0,128 %

- That’s about 14 times more on defense than Art

These numbers shocked me when I calculated them.

The United States spends 600 times more on defense then on Art.

These numbers clearly indicate that the countries from the top 6 GDP counties of the world, France understands the value of Art the best, second Germany, third United Kingdom, fourth Japan, fifth China and at last the United States.

How come European countries understand better the value of Art then the USA, China & Japan. Whereas I have to mention in all fairness that Japan & China have and are raising their cultural budgets annually lately. Where as the USA is lowering them annually.

Is it with all due respect because the USA has no cultural history.

Isn’t it interesting that the countries with the longest and most interesting history in the world are spending the most or are upgrading their budgets, and the Country with the shortest history is lowering their budget drastically.

My country, The Netherlands has a GDP (17) of $ 769 Billion and spends $ 373 Million on Culture. That’s 0,048 % on Art while it spends 1,2 % on defense, 25 times more on defense than on Art.

And I know how much the Art scene in The Netherlands has been cut in the last 25 years, more then 30 %, and it is still lowering the budgets.

How come the world spends more money on destruction than on creation?

People keep thinking Art is a waste of money, why do we have to spend our Tax dollars on subsidizing Art? The people that are saying or thinking this have no clue about the importance of Art, what Art does and can do.

If Art is such a waste how come down the ages artists have been prosecuted, jailed, murdered, silenced etc. if it has no value and is a waste, why are governments, politicians and priests so afraid of artists then? This by itself already proves how important Art is. But governments, politicians, dictators and priest they all fear free expression of artists. Why? Because artists and their Art make you think, and that is exactly what these governments, leaders, politicians and priest don't want you to do. Don't think but follow. The USA doesn't even have a Ministry of Culture, why? Out of fear? Exactly, they understand the importance and the threat Art can bring. They want to cut the Art budgets completely.

Any leader in the past understood the importance of Art, how it brings people together or how it could spread their message using Art for propaganda for example. Even Hitler understood this.

Wasn’t it Louis IVX who created Versailles? Not in vain but he understood it would bring the nobles of France to him, he created the center of the world. Where Fashion, Dance, Architecture, Literature, Landscaping, Paintings and so much more was developed and inspired the world.

Wasn’t China the worlds strongest influencer for millennia inspiring so many counties in the world? The beacon of Philosophy, China, Silk, Architecture, Food, Tea, Landscaping, Poetry, Art, Dance, etc.

What does Art do then.

Let me give you an example.

In each country there has been an old industrial area that turned into an Art area. What happened in those area’s? the house prices went through the roof, the living quality improved, designer bars and restaurants were opened, the neighborhood came alive. It turned a grim isolated area into a popular hangout area. A place where people feel relaxed, where they can create and be inspired.

Art brings inspiration and creativity, not only for artists but also for Businesses. Compare this to an area created for military, would you see the same impact?

But still all those 'blind people’ see is something (Art) they don't understand and wonder why the government is spending their money on – based on their opinion- Nonsense, rubbish. They don't see the bigger picture, what it has done for them, the job opportunities it gives, the money that is generated by Arts, and I don't speak about the performance or exposition it self. I speak about the whole economics around it. The technical aspects, the lights, the sounds, the projectors etc. they all need to be build and bought, sometimes the Artist has a crazy idea that needs software or hardware development. The engineers that need to build this, create this and often are used later for business developments (Daan Roosegaarde).

The costumes, the designers, the fabric makers, the sewers etc. the set designs, who is designing them, who builds them, what is needed for this? the materials etc.

The jobs, not just the artists themselves, but the production people, the technicians, the administration etc. so many jobs. The venues where the artist perform or exhibit. They need to be build, decorated, the construction people, again the materials for the construction. The restaurants and bars that find themselves often close to Art area’s, theatres, galleries etc. people who go to watch Art, often eat and drink before and after the show. The food that is bought, the decorations of those bars and restaurants, the employees. Do you start to see the bigger picture? Do you see the importance of Art for the economy, how much it is contributing and helping so many people besides the artist. So how can people say Art is Rubbish it’s a waste of money. The people that say this don't see the economic value. I know that for each production that is made by 1 artist, there are at least 100 jobs created or maintained around this production or exhibition. And this is all realized by a fraction of the GDP budget of a country, which has such a big spinoff.

Different researches have concluded that the total profit of Art compared to the GDP budget in its broadest sense can be 4 to 10 times. So if a country spends 0,1 % of its GDP on Art, it will have a revenue of 0,4 % till 1 % for the GDP.

Art is by far not a wasteful program, it’s a very profitable program for any country.

Now compare this to the revenue for defense.

Art is one of the most Important aspects for the Creative commercial industry, that can contribute to around 10 % of any counties GDP.

Those who are saying subsidizing Art is a wasteful program are cutting themselves deep in their own fingers, and not just a small cut but a very deep cut, that will be very hard to heal.

And I'm not even talking yet about the Emotional or Mental influence of Art, how Art influences us, how it makes us feel, think or look at life and society. How it helps us to open up, discuss controversial topics etc.

Art develops our creativity, it inspires us and so much more, how art is influencing architects, designers in every field.

Every product you see or use, from phones to cars, from fashion to architecture, from films to furniture, there’s an artist behind it somewhere in the line. An Art designer, an Artist, an illustrator etc.

There is simply no end to the importance of Art, but no lets keep cutting the budgets for this ‘wasteful programs’ and lets spend this money on defense, saving private banks and financial institutions. Lets be real, Creating War & Weapons are absolutely without any doubt the most unwasteful creative programs there are, right? (sarcastic, just in case)

Art Creates, defense destroys

But look at the world today how it is creating the opposite of what is needed. Defense at the top and Art at the bottom.

The world has around 15000 warheads.

Russia and the USA posses around 90% of them and have together around 3500 warheads standing by to be launched within minutes.

That’s enough to almost annihilate all life on earth at least 10 times. 10 times, is that really necessary? I mean, for sure a back up could be needed, destroying most life on earth JUST twice should be enough. Why 10 times?

Imagine if the world leaders would settle for destroying the world JUST twice, how much money would be saved.

Picasso by himself created around 50.000 art works, did any of them had the possibility of annihilating the World? instead how many people did he inspire? And that’s just 1 Artist. How much money is/did his Art works generate? From auctions, museums, copy’s, posters, cards, books, films etc. How many poeple did his Art inspire?

Conclusion:

I would love to see a country spend an equal percentage of its GDP on Art as on defense, at least the balance between Destruction and Creation would be equal.

I'm sure that country would flourish beyond imagination, their civilians would be much happier and open. Remember everything goes from the top down. So if the top is focusing on destruction 600 times more than on creation, you can imagine the state of its civilians…

How is it that China is becoming rapidly the worlds top economic nation in the world? Maybe it's because their expenditure between destruction and creation is getting smaller annually. While the USA that is extending their expenditure between defense and Art, almost annihilating their Art budget is rapidly losing its nr. 1 position.

Makes you think doesn't it?

This is just my humble opinion.

Create, don't destroy, Love, laugh, cry, live, live with Body and Heart, live fully, feel fully, touch fully, love fully, Be. Be one, be full, be One-body, Be a HeartBody.

Hug,

དཀོན་མཆོག་བསྟན་འཛིན།

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