Civilization as We Know It

There were three extremely disturbing stories in the news this morning, and none had anything to do with Libya, or Obama, or deficits (at least fiscal ones) or our disfunctional Congress. What they had a lot more to do with was the End of Civilization as we know it. To wit: the Philadelphia Orchestra is bankrupt. That is huge, and utterly inexcusable to be allowed to happen in any society that still imagines itself to be advanced. On a lesser scale, but equally significant, here in Seattle two similar cultural decisions have been reached: to close down the Intiman Theater, arguably the finest repertory company on the West Coast; and on a smaller, but perhaps even more significant scale, Nordstroms is firing all its piano players. No, not because they are too costly, or not gifted enough, or destract shoppers from their mission. No, it's because today's shoppers, it turns out, pefer canned pop music to live piano. So I think it wouldn't be too much of a reach to say that today's shoppers at Nordstroms are the same majority that seem to prefer Fox News to PBS, and Rush Limbaugh to rational discourse, and if they read at all, its probably either "How to Get Rich Quick" books or the comics.

And it's not like we can no longer afford the luxury of culture. We have now become a nation of hoarders: of money, of guns, of property (see how all those foreclosures are being gobbled up by 'investors') and most of all righteousness. None of which supports, or even gives a crap about the key elements that make a nation, and a society, into a civilization. Otherwise people would gladly pay taxes to support these essential institutions, and maybe write a check or two themselves, instead of buying, say, another Ford F-150 and the latest assault rifle to guard their own personal domain against all and sundry: especially if they don't look like you or go to your church.

If all it took (which is what today's American Republicans and Tea Partiers are now demanding) for a nation to be functional is to have a large army and police force, then Ghengis Khan was the most civilized man in the history of the world. Which brings me to China, a country I know something about, because China has already been through all this. Less than thirty years ago China's leaders, in their wisdom, decided their country had no need or use for such unimportant things as, say, education, health care, art, science, or music. Just as we seem to be concluding here and now. All of those cultural 'nonessentials' were disposed of, at huge cost in terms of lives and the kind of institutions and infrastructure that makes (or breaks) a great nation.

Now, it seems, albeit at a slower pace, we can't wait to follow China's example. Ironically China is starting from scratch to rebuild a new, viable nation and society even as we can't wait to destroy our own. So far they've got the economics part down, and everyone is busy being a good consumer or producer. What they don't have, by and large, are those very things we are now discarding: orchestras, museums, galleries, libraries, theater, public welfare or even charities. Big houses? Sure. Stretch limos? No problem. Giant department stores with canned pop music selling expensive goods nobody actually needs? Absolutely. More and more it seems, they are becoming us, and we are becoming them.