Chris Cutler speaks out about pirated music on the internet. Not what you might expect from the leftist/commie. A very thoughtful and fair minded read from an amazing human.
– Marc Marshall
http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/6715/
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I recently saw the piece to which you refer, Marc. Typically clear and well-argued, in the Cutler fashion.
The thing about Leftist/Communist expectations is, they were once predicated on an elaborate system that provided a very comfortable lifestyle, home, living wage, etc. for those whose achievements, in sports, literature, music, dance, philosophy, science, chess, politics, economics, business, whathaveyou, reflected well on the state. And almost infinite coaching and world class training facilities as well.
Those anointed were of course expected to turn over most or all of their "winnings" to said state benefactor and to act as ambassadors for Soviet, East German or Cuban communism. In general, for those fortunate enough to be so gifted, it was a pretty sweet deal, though not obscenely so, ala Steven Spielberg, Steven King, Michael Jordan, et many al. in the post-1975 USA.
With no such state-sanctioned comfort even a remote possibility any longer, now that Global Capitalism is "triumphant" (har har), post-1989, all those with unusual creativity, talent, whatnot, must look to get fairly compensated by other means, if they’re to bother creating at all, much less sharing the resultant works with an ungrateful, internet-spoiled populace. Same in Russia as in America, on down the line to The Third World.
So to me Chris Cutler says precisely what I would expect, particularly from someone who has been generally able to support himself as a musician and writer during the past 40 or so years, within a Capitalist system, while still lobbying for greater reforms and trying to raise the general consciousness!
Not sure what I’d do if I were less compromising, Marc, and insisted on pursuing my artistic and intellectual projects exclusively. Never would have been easy, but today I’d be almost guaranteed grinding poverty, if not outright starvation!
– Tom Kipp
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