Cultural storms

This post by Patricia Storms has links to articles by Margaret Atwood and John Doyle in response to Stephen Harper's arts cuts, as well as a nice bit of verse satire by John Allemang. Actually Allemang's point -- that the artists play into Harper's gambit by their whining about the cuts -- has been belied by recent polls. Paradoxically, Harper's oafish remarks have succeeded in making the rationale behind cultural funding a flash point in this campaign. Artists have been dignified and eloquent their in defense of the investment in our national image and economy this so-called funding represents, and public opposition, particularly here in Quebec, could be a factor behind his not getting his coveted majority come Monday.