Cradle Will Rock - Essay Example

Teacher Cradle Will Rock Despite mounting government budget deficits, it is still possible to embark on large-scale government-sponsored national arts program in today’s United States if the government really wanted to. America today is entirely different from the 1930s when Cradle Will Rock was created. These differences from 1930s and today would make the development of a large-scale government-sponsored national arts program possible. The obvious differences include government economic capacity to spend, absence of government paranoia against communism and people’s greater awareness for the arts that it would surely gain public support.

Developing large-scale government-sponsored national arts program is already possible today because government can afford it now compared to the 1930s where government was virtually bankrupt. During that time, American economy was in depression where there were long lines of unemployment so government just cannot afford it let alone sustain it. Today, US economy is the largest economy in the world and despite its mounting deficits, it still has a lot of money to spare for a government-sponsored national arts program.

If government can afford to fight and finance a war which is not its own, it can surely afford a national arts program. The political and ideological environment today is very much different during the 1930s. Today, communism is no longer a threat as it was during the 1930s. In addition, the type of communism which sent paranoia to government before was the Soviet type communism which is no longer existent today. Also, government is now more tolerant towards dissenting political ideologies and labor unions and other similar organizations no longer has communist or left leaning affiliations.

The general public is also well informed today politically to be easily swayed by ideologies that go against government. Above all, government is already tolerant and secure to be threatened by an artwork Cradle Will Rock that has left leaning content. It will be taken as it is, an artwork, a musical that could educate people. Finally, people now are way sophisticated compared to the 1930s where very little number of people have time and money for the arts and musicals because life then was difficult.

People had barely anything to eat while people now are getting fat because of overeating. The point is, people now have greater appreciation and support for the arts making a government sponsored art program sustainable because government is likely to spend on a program that public support considering that they are elected officials. If government will cancel funding and initiate political moves such what was done the crew of Cradle Will Rock where they were also investigated, they will surely get a backlash in the ballots and will be out in the government after the next election.

Government sponsored arts program is very much possible and sustainable today. Government has money and communism is no longer a threat. What would sustain it is public support which is very much possible considering the public’s sensibilities towards the art. The greater issue now is getting through the politics of Congress because it would still need Congressional allocation.