DJA wrote:
Martin Franco wrote:
On Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 08:08:41PM -0700, DJA wrote:
And I personally get tired of hearing the implied argument that
Artists produce art only for money.
When did I say that?
I feel it's implied whenever artists are grouped with businesses in
economic discussions. Artists don't compete in the same way as the
typical business. They strive for the best performance, not the most
money or largest share of the market.
You are talking about a 100% pure artist and a 100% pure businessman.
Few artists are 100% and few businessmen are 100%. And they are in the
minority. The majority of artists have artistic talents, but see them
as a means to fame, fortune, or both. Some artists start off close to
100% artist and then become intoxicated with success. So even pure
artists and businessmen don't necessarily remain 100% pure. There is a
wide range of purity in both groups, and the purity is constantly
changing, ebbing and flowing, in each individual. Artists who get
sidetracked by their success are often referred to as sellouts. And
this doesn't even touch on businessmen with an artistic flair or who
become artistic in the way they practice business. Any profession can
be done with varying degrees of artistic flair. "Let's assume the most
depraived, highly trained, motivated miscreants we can --
kiddie-porn-narco-terrorists. No, DEMOCRATS!"
(Extra points to the first person to name the source of the preceding
quote.)
That's certainly not a definition of profit that's recognized in
any conventional circles. By that definition, the barber down the
street is a crook because he has money left over after expenses.
No, because the barber keeps all the value he produced. If that barber
has a boss, then some of that value goes to the boss whether he did
anything to earn it or not.
I was implying that the barber owns his own shop. He may indeed have
employees, which makes him the boss. Maybe I should have chosen a
different business for an example. But I stand by my argument.
One is in business to make money, not break even, and certainly not to
lose money. If one wants to break even (merely work for wages) then
one should work for someone else.
That strongly implies that all employees live completely paycheck to
paycheck, unable to save anything. Although most seem fall into this
trap, not all do. Some manage to save a significant portion, despite
making less than those who can't. Almost everyone is able to spend less
than they do. Most waste a lot. And that is their prerogative. But
profit is not determined by how much they save. Spending your profit
does not negate the profit made. To borrow your statement, one is an
employee to earn enough money for more than just barely paying for sheer
necessities.
that's definition that's anti-business in general. Your basic
definition is based on the false assumption that the owner of a
business necessarily contributes nothing to that business.
His income is not proportional to the work he does to get it.
Another gross generalization, as well as a value judgment. As with
things, people are worth what someone else is willing to pay them.
Also a gross generalization, but only true if that is what the "people"
are willing to settle for. Some of the greatest individuals in history
were the ones who were unwilling to settle for anyone's value of them.
David was told by his brothers to be quiet, but he could not stand still
for Goliath's insults to David's God and God's army. He exceeded the
value others assigned to him. Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery
for the price of a crippled slave. Joseph never aspired to exceed the
stations assigned to him, yet became the second most powerful man on
Earth of his time, and even saved those who had sold him into slavery.
Joseph ended up being worth FAR more than what someone else was willing
to pay for him (and not only in the end, but all along). These are
merely 2 Biblical guys. I'm sure that other examples abound.
(61)
--
Ralph
--------------------
Et es uh dam pour mined indede wich kan't thenk uv et leest tue waes tuh
spel eny wurd.
--Andrue Jaksen (spelleeng mie oen)
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