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I think a lot of people have already been living out this hypothetical for at least a decade, both rich and poor. Why else would we be here? Art is fundamental

I think a lot of people have already been living out this hypothetical for at least a decade, both rich and poor. Why else would we be here? Art is fundamentally about seeing your human experience reflected in a physical medium, and especially a medium other than your own thoughts. How many people are feeling bitter about how untaxed negative externalities (CO2, plastic, deforestation, water&energy security collapse) were traded for decades at the financial gain of the few? How many view ‘art’ as something primarily owned by the few? I know that “destroying art” is an uncomfortable notion, but guess what else is fundamentally uncomfortable at its core?

AnimalMuppet 4y ago
> Why else would we be here? Be where? Here, on this planet? Here, on HN? Here, commenting on this particular article? The third option comes closest to making your question make some kind of sense, but even then it doesn't really work. We might be here commenting on the article because we found the "protest" to be childish vandalism, and given a chance, we want to say so. I'm sure not here (for any value of "here") because "a lot of people have been living out this hypothetical".
- raydiatian 4y ago
  > What part of making the world a shittier place will actually make people try to save it? > I think a lot of people have already been living out this hypothetical for at least a decade, both rich and poor. I’m saying the proposed hypothetical experiment of “making the world a shittier and seeing who wants to save it” is no hypothetical; it’s day to day reality for billions. > Why else would we be here? “Here” meaning the here and now of world affairs: the brink of nuclear war, environmental collapse, economic collapse, wildly disproportionate wealth inequality. The day to day symptoms of a shitty place for billions. I’m saying that the world is already royally fucked, and I can empathize with the viewpoint of “why should the rich get their fine art while the rest of us choke and starve.”
  - AnimalMuppet 4y ago
    Ah, I see. The global "here". Okay, now I think I can see your perspective. I still don't agree with the protests, but... the elite do have a way of messing up things and leaving everyone else to bear the consequences, don't they?
    - raydiatian 4y ago
      Right? What really are Deepwater Horizon, Keystone XL, Cargill Amazonian Deforestation efforts, et al, if not giant, metaphorical soup cans? I do see what you’re doing here though, and you’re not wrong.

AnimalMuppet 4y ago

> Why else would we be here? Be where? Here, on this planet? Here, on HN? Here, commenting on this particular article? The third option comes closest to making your question make some kind of sense, but even then it doesn't really work. We might be here commenting on the article because we found the "protest" to be childish vandalism, and given a chance, we want to say so. I'm sure not here (for any value of "here") because "a lot of people have been living out this hypothetical".

raydiatian 4y ago
> What part of making the world a shittier place will actually make people try to save it? > I think a lot of people have already been living out this hypothetical for at least a decade, both rich and poor. I’m saying the proposed hypothetical experiment of “making the world a shittier and seeing who wants to save it” is no hypothetical; it’s day to day reality for billions. > Why else would we be here? “Here” meaning the here and now of world affairs: the brink of nuclear war, environmental collapse, economic collapse, wildly disproportionate wealth inequality. The day to day symptoms of a shitty place for billions. I’m saying that the world is already royally fucked, and I can empathize with the viewpoint of “why should the rich get their fine art while the rest of us choke and starve.”
- AnimalMuppet 4y ago
  Ah, I see. The global "here". Okay, now I think I can see your perspective. I still don't agree with the protests, but... the elite do have a way of messing up things and leaving everyone else to bear the consequences, don't they?
  - raydiatian 4y ago
    Right? What really are Deepwater Horizon, Keystone XL, Cargill Amazonian Deforestation efforts, et al, if not giant, metaphorical soup cans? I do see what you’re doing here though, and you’re not wrong.