Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ames.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!godot!harvard!seismo!hao!ames!barry From: barry@ames.UUCP (Kenn Barry) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Corp. for Public B'cast (Testament) Message-ID: <697@ames.UUCP> Date: Wed, 12-Dec-84 18:45:51 EST Article-I.D.: ames.697 Posted: Wed Dec 12 18:45:51 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 14-Dec-84 05:42:13 EST References: <240@ssc-vax.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: NASA-Ames Research Center, Mtn. View, CA Lines: 36 [] From Michael Esco (ssc-vax!esco): > First, what right does a government-funded agency have to be in the > commercial film industry, investing tax dollars to compete with legitimate > private enterprises? Will the department of agriculture open a chain of > fast-food places next? Second, why is a government-funded agency spending tax > dollars on an overtly political film? Will they be producing the sequel > to `Red Dawn' to balance the scale? Thirdly, why should there be a CPB at > all---or a National Endowment for the Arts for that matter. What business > is it of government to fund `art' that the majority of people would find > of questionable value? The question of government funding of the arts is a reasonable one, and I don't know that I'd disagree with you, except to emphasize that TESTAMENT was only one minor example of this, not the start of a new trend. Turning your indictment around, here's an intriguing question for libertarians: if commercial TV is a fair example of what the free market produces, and PBS a fair sample of "socialism", are you *sure* you prefer to rely on market forces? I've seen a lot of good stuff on PBS, but almost everything on the commercial networks makes my stomach hurt. Oh, well, probably not a fair example. My *real* reason for writing this is to dispute the idea that TESTAMENT is an "overtly political film". Yes, I can infer the opinions of the filmakers on issues of arms control; I don't share them. But, in all fairness, they did not propagandize their (presumed) views in the film (which was excellent). The only explicit statement I saw in the film was that a nuclear war would be a horrible thing, and ought to be avoided. Did I miss something when I went to the bathroom? - From the Crow's Nest - Kenn Barry NASA-Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- USENET: {ihnp4,vortex,dual,hao,menlo70,hplabs}!ames!barry SOURCE: ST7891