Content as Loss Leader

I had a dream last night where I described content as a loss leader.

Which is pretty darn accurate.

A loss leader to sell T-shirts, happy meals and concert tickets.

And popcorn and soda, of course.

You know what a loss leader is, right? When they price something at below cost in the hopes that it'll get people in the store and they'll then buy something else, on which a profit will be made.

But at least those products were MADE and developed with profits in mind.

Which means they'll likely continue to achieve their goal.

Our artists all work with near-certain failure in mind.

In fact, we've glorified losing money in art so well that we now see not making money as a badge of honor.

That you should lose money in direct proportion to your integrity!

As if impotence resulted from great fucking.

Or nausea from great cooking.

As if our highest values and others highest values were ALL, somehow, inexplicity and permanently dissonant!

Gee—I can't imagine how we get a combative, loveless culture from that? I can't imagine why we don't have more friends with that kind of core value.

As if we all hated each other and everything we have to say. Especially if we're smart, talented and/or have guts.

Yeah, we really hate those people. We definitely don't revere them in history books or popular culture or talk about them in locker rooms.

Fucking pussies.

And forget the money, that's a pretty cold-assed, starvation method to build the culture in which we, the richest people in the history of the world, force ourselves to live.

I can't imagine why Muslim radicals don't believe in our way of life.

And if you think that our majestic artistes are somehow above feeding themselves, paying the rent, or otherwise earthly, material concerns, then you definitely ain't one.

I forget where it's from, but the best quote about artists was that they talk about everything BUT paint. Everything but brushes and guitars and amp settings—everything but art.

i.e. Getting laid and money.

(And if you think that the NEA or some nouveau riche millionaire is going to make something for your hungry ass—when's the last time you went to a new opera? Or watched Annie Sprinkle's greatest hits video? —Didn't think so, pussy. But you stopped listening to Modest Mouse a couple years back didn't you? Except that one song where they got happy by accident—what's it called, oh yeah, Float On.)

The other interesting think I thunk was about the trade deficit and social security.

Allowing the market to value content would put developed nations back on equal footing with nations like China trade-wise. What we have to offer right now is creativity and freedom—applied imagination.

And as long as we restrict the growth and profits of a free culture's imagination, we'll have not only slavery, genocide, war and environmental tragedy but also a trade deficit.

BECAUSE IT PAYS!

And we're no longer willing to do it just for money.

Ain't that a bitch. We invented it, promoted it, exported it and advertised it and we don't even get to live off the royalties.

Cause we don't want to work in the mines anymore (and I've never done it but I'm not sure writing code is any different—or getting old any less fast).

A premium culture is also much less likely to be pirated as well—as its audience wants the real thing.

On the flip side: once a truly free culture pays what it's actually worth, a fucked up and repressive culture like China couldn't even get out of bed in the morning, profit-wise. Let the fake drug-making punks over there (you know they sell poor folks in smaller countries fake malaria pills, right? And you know it's the poorest and most vulnerable in those countries who's kids usually end up taking them, right?) —let them know what money there is to be made once they decide to clear up their hearts. Why not let them know? Let everyone in China know just what price they're paying by allowing their corrupt leaders to play daddy.

Let every two-bit corny military suit-wearing dictator and banana boat initially elected socialist takeover wannabe know exactly what they give up to wear their Che t-shirt. (There are still Maoist rebels in India, by the way. They killed 24 cops just the other day. And, by the way, who gets the royalties for all that Che swag?)

(Sounds like a bunch of religions doesn't it—where only the leaders know what's in the best interests of the laity?)

The point is that authoritarianism, in any form—in every form—costs money and retards growth. And as long as we prevent the proper valuation and growth of what freedom allows—that is imagination and creativity—then we will continue to fuel it.

Make the west twice as rich and the work one fourteenth as easy and it'll make the cold war seem slow compared to how quick folks in fundamental religions and interested in big daddy politics snap to it about the relative joys of freedom.

Put some pressure on 'em.

Make em feel it.

Are you still afraid of the market mechanism? After everything it's done for your family? Do you still think it might be best—or even quickest—if freedom was implemented with American authority?

You can't spread freedom with conrtrol.

And if we're smart, that's what we're learning right now.

Freedom is ONLY, ONLY, ONLY spread through inspiration.

And ain't no better way to let inspiration run wild than to make easy money; enjoy a robust, mature, relaxing culture; and enjoy access to the most beautiful women in the world.

Nothing quite cuts through the bureaucracy like that now does it?

Fight folks to accept what they—what everyone—can see is a stunted culture and largely ineffectual and uncompetitive spirituality—and they'll fight forever.

Have we ever won a guerrilla war?

Shit we learned that in college.

So why do we think we can win a guerrilla cultural war?

Oh ye crusaders?

Why not just stay your ass home, get four hundred times as rich and let 'em come a knocking?

Is that a sin?

Not to change someone?

Not to prostheletise?

Not to advertise and push and expand?

Is that a sin?

Maintaining restrictive prices on content allows corruption, torture and manipulation in all it's various guises to stick around financially.

Think that one over.

Even here in Chicago, it could be argued, the patronage and all the family bullshit puts us at a distinct competitive disadvantage culture-wise. As some corrupt-assed cops can still break you down and get away with it, you can be the greatest artist in the world but if you're still afraid of arbitrary discrimination it's going to show up in your work.

Any and all fear shows up at work. All PCness, all ten commandments, all new age intentions and right-mindedness.

And ain't nothing free but freedom.

Ain't nothing unconditional but a complete lack of conditions.

And it's time to make true love—unconditional love—pay.

Instead of repeatedly punishing and punishing what we consider "bad", why not just reward what we consider good so well that being bad is as boring and poverty inducing as it really is?

Properly valuing freedom is a much more efficient means to bring about financial, cultural, personal and even environmental growth than properly punishing "wrong".

And we'll never do that until we get way into WHAT WE WANT! Which for white people—oh, I forgot, you're sensitive—which for those of us in the productive classes of developed western nations, means GIVING UP CONTROL!

The one thing we are loathe to do.

We'll work overtime, start non-profits, make money or give it away. Even go to therapy and blame ourselves.

Anything but give up control.

Anything but stop being in charge of both the problems and solutions.

Anything but do what we want.

What if doing what we wanted was the only way to save the world?

Would you consider it then?

For social security: if ten percent of our population became forty times more productive, I can't imagine that the boomer's medical bills would be that big of a deal.

Everyone's looking at how to shrink spending into what we can afford.

Why not just grow earnings?

Hello?

Oh, and confidential to Shiek _________: I know you may have some moral questions about my oh-so western methods. You're afraid. That's okay. Because I also know you're in touch with what you want. You want money. So let's get down!

You ain't never been afraid of making money before. Here's your chance to be involved in a Prada/Time Warner/Martha Stewart Omniliving at the ground floor. We'll need financing for years, enjoy the highest margins available, and the access alone should double your net worth. If it doesn't then you're not doing your job.

You have desires to set you free from fear and bondage. All our desires are intended to do just that. The only way fear and bondage remain is when we crush our own desires.