Re: Congressional vote on the NEH
Dave Postles (pot@leicester.ac.uk)
Fri, 6 Jan 1995 15:19:50 +0000
David Zincavage's trenchant statement of republican ethics was a
stimulating rejoinder to the academic consensus opposed to the abolition
of the NEH presently building up, and one well worth taking into account
now as it is certain to be deployed against those opposing the abolition
of the agency. It seems to me, however, to have an enormous logical flaw.
If the republic is not to seek the intellectual advancement of its
population on the grounds that those who are too ignorant or stupid to
appreciate or take advantage of what is offered should never be taxed to
provide such advancement, then a whole raft of other programs need to be
abolished forthwith -- state-funded education of all kinds, corporate tax
breaks and elections for example.
Daniel Szechi
Auburn University
szechda@mail.auburn.edu