When I see the slogan “Culture counts”, so present in the recent Polish public space, I feel like someone is trying to question Biweekly’s principle. It states that “Culture is essential, because one can live without it”.
Dear Culture, you don‘t have to
photo A. SłodownikErgo: culture doesn’t have to count. This is more or less what I’m reading about in the recent publication by Krytyka Polityczna “Economy of Culture”. It seems to be a critical response to the debate introduced by the Polish National Center of Culture. Its main slogan is the one I mention in the very beginning of this text. I will not dare to elaborate on such a complex issue. I will just mention that employing the language of economy to talk about culture provides me with quite an adverse reaction. As if we had to explain ourselves in front of a giant bank note, so that it lets us cultivate the unobvious. Yes sir, this will at the end of the day bring profit! How about we go further and start explaining the human rights with the following arguments:
- people generate goods, profit, cash flow
- people purchase goods
- most of humans are in a productive age
- the one’s that are below that threshold will inevitably reach it and become productive
- the one’s which are above it? well...
Good night, and good luck!
P.S.
That’s instead of a “New Year resolutions” or “100 Perfects Gifts” lists.
Biweekly#10. Editor: Agnieszka Słodownik. Cover by Malwina Konopacka. Issued 12 December 2010 at 22:52.
