It comes down to Begging, and will you forget that that's all that's ever done

I 've never made much money exhibiting, in the 14 years i've been exhibiting I estimate that i've received about $1000 from selling actual work. However I've gotten $18.000 dollars of tax payers Creative New Zealand Money, and add $12,000 for every year spent on the Dole, thanks to her Majesty WINZ and the Arts Community (safe estimates have cautioned figures in the $120.000 Grand kind of character) We're talking a sizeable investment, in me by the people of New Zealand as a Public Artist. As an American I can really appreciate that. As i know, America also has an investment in me, to go and kick arse when ever they are needed cause I am an American and we are the most powerful on the planet, we are nuts, lost our way ghosts in a machine, help me. The people representing all of us have chosen to give me around $140.000 of our collective wealth to keep practicing. I've made in 11 years what a State Paid Academic, makes in 1/10 of the time. Thanks NZ, while your state paid intellectuals took the money and kept quiet, wealth inequality has undermined our Democratic Values. Our State sponsored Artists asleep at their posts, Et al, Michael Parakowhai, and other University Professors, paid off to keep quiet about their State democracy responsibilities, as Public Critics and consciences of society. (Edu. Act 1989) To accept a role as critic and conscience of society, to not be publicly known as a state paid for intellectual is to commit fraud. And who of our State paid for artists are known to the public as Professors? The silence is deaf. I'm making some noise, have been for 11 years now.  That the public don't know these Artists as Public Intellectuals, University professors, the idea of Universities as Higher Learning for the cause of greater democracy hes been replaced with subservience to a technocratic state. Do we want that. If not make an effort to lift you arm. An independent critical mind capable of rational dissection to the threats of democracy's constant vigilance. Ahh I see how  we've been getting it wrong. Constant vigilance implies distrust, but in Thomas Jeffersons original context, and the way I do believe the words should be taken, "Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty". The trend of course is to suggest that the many have already opted out of liberty, possibly because it too, suggest dog eat dog, liberty always coming at some one else's expence, might as well make it not you by pretending to not taking liberty, while taking liberty. You don't hear of something spontaneously giving up repression. Liberty does not appear, it is taken.

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