My New Pamphlet: "The Crisis in the Arts"

I’ve written a pamphlet for David Horowitz’s Freedom Center entitled, “The Crisis in the Arts: Why the Left Owns the Culture and How Conservatives can Begin to Take it Back.” As you might expect from this source, it’s not the usual thing and I think those who care about this subject might find it worthwhile. Speaking of the pamphlet, David Horowitz said, “It is, quite frankly, one of the most insightful and tough minded pieces we’ve ever published—something that will make you angry but give you hope.”

Here’s a sample of what I have to say:

“I don’t go to the movies anymore!” I often hear conservatives say. “They’re all garbage. What do I need them for when I can stay home and watch the classics on my big screen TV? John Wayne and Bette Davis — now there were movie stars for you! And modern novels? Why should I read all that foul language when I can go to my bookshelves and take down Dickens or Jane Austen any time I want? That’s good enough for me!”

No one expects conservatives or anyone else to patronize works of art they don’t enjoy or that offend their sensibilities, but you can’t win a fight by ceding the field. Conservative cultural ostriches are essentially abandoning those contemporary artists who might, at least in part, agree with them. With no audience to support them, creators with conservative, patriotic, religious or libertarian views are left to the mercy of dishonest and calculated attacks by the powerful leftist reviewers in the so-called “mainstream” venues. Their works are judged by the very people who have labored for the last sixty years to insure a virtual left wing monopoly over Hollywood, the publishing industry and other distributors of artistic content.

The simple fact is: You can’t tell the arts to get off your lawn. They aren’t going anywhere. They will continue to create the attitudes of the future — the conscience of the American race — while you hide your eyes in a self-righteous huff.

The pamphlet costs three bucks (one buck if you order in bulk) — but the money is a donation to the Center, which “combats the efforts of the radical left and its Islamist allies to destroy American values and disarm this country as it attempts to defend itself in a time of terror.” So it’s money well spent, in any case. You can buy the pamphlet here.