Putting your money where your mouth is.
by Eric Blair  (copyright 7/17/1998)

Conservative voice, Rush Limbaugh, today continued his diatribe against Hollywood liberalism.  Referring to the film "As
Good As It Gets," which stars Castro admirer, Jack Nicholsen, the famed radio talk show host portrayed the story as typical
Hollywood liberal dogma. The movie, he pointed out, shows how an evil, bigoted, white male is changed into a caring sharing
human being by a single mom and a rainbow collection of registered minorities.  The straight liberal line.
     Limbaugh's description is dead on target.  The film is canned PC..
     This is not the first time he has been dead right about this sort of thing.  Today's commentary is a continuation of a long
critique of  the politics of LaLa Land.  He has often pointed out Clinton's visits to the Left Coast to have fund raisers with
Hollywood heavyweights.  They all seem to enjoy each other's company a lot.
    Right, again.
     And, during the recent Congressional debate about smoking, Limbaugh pointed out that the idea of restricting cigarette
advertising was ridiculous, considering that music and movies are probably the primary influences in many youngster's lives.
He believes that Joe Camel has less influence with teens than cigarette smoking in popular films.
     Right, again.
      My fellow conservatives have long complained that the arts are controlled by the Left.  The Nobel, the Emmy and the
Oscar, they realize, are all awarded only to liberal products.   The Pulitzer, alone, occasionally celebrates columnists like
George Will, although the works of fiction it praises are generally written by devotees of the Left.  The Pulitzer, when
necessary for the good of the nation, can even be a profitable profile in campaign  courage.
     Limbaugh has talked about most, if not all, of this during his career.  The problem is that, like most conservatives, he
apparently doesn't know what to do about it.
    Here's what should be done about it.
    Take your own advice, guys.  Rather than sitting around and complaining about the unfairness of it all, take action.   If
Hollywood films are negatively affecting our youth because Hollywood movie makers are liberals, then make conservative
investments in film.  Use part of your well earned millions to produce works written by conservative writers and directed by
conservatives.
     Recognize the power of money.  Get your rich friends together and create awards that celebrate conservative artistic
efforts. Give people a million bucks when their film wins the Ronald (Reagan).  Do the same when their book wins the
George (Orwell).  Fight fire with fire.  Through foundations, create opportunities for poor conservative artists, writers and
film makers.  Where you have access to a public audience, promote the best of these conservative works so that the public
will give them a looksee.
     If you're wondering about the financial risk - wondering if  the audience will be there - ask yourself the following question:
Do 20 million people tune into one conservative radio talk show every week?  Are there people around who object to some
films made by Disney, these days?
      Then, ask yourself yet another question.
    Are your fundamental values of respect for hard work and self reliance true?  Does  liberalism damage the very people it
claims to want to help?  Does capitalism create better lives or doesn't it?  Do quotas demean minorities or not?  Is traditional
liberal de-investment in national defense dangerous or isn't it?  Does the traditional family matter or not?  Is the recent foreign
purchase of the U.S. government via illegal campaign donations a good thing or a bad thing?
    Folks, there's one hell of a film script in every one of the above items, but they won't be written because liberal Hollywood
wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole.  Conservative money is required to do the job.  The guys with the guns are the ones
who have to do the fighting.  And, the guys with the guns, in the case of films, are the guys with money.
    If your country is in a mess in large degree because of liberal American literature and the Hollywood Left, put up or shut
up about it.  The founding fathers pledged their fortunes to a cause.  (Plus their sacred honor and their very lives.)  If wealthy
conservatives can't at least put their money where their mouth is, they should shut up about the arts.  If Rush Limbaugh can
offer nothing but verbal criticism against Hollywood liberalism, then he should shut up, too.
    In the arts, like just about everywhere else, money does the serious talking.

                                    -- 30 --