Yeah, subsidies have been proven to create strong industries, particularly when a government agency is making decisions based on political connections (tongue-cheek-comment). I mean, look around you at how well it does in other industries here in Argentina. Who's to say that without the subsidies and control of what gets shown (that latter even more important than the subsidies) that there still wouldn't be "creative industries", even stronger, in Argentina?
Argentine Cinema Subsidies
- Thread starter ElQueso
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Subsidies have been proved to create strong industries in strategically valuable sectors. This isn't a particularly controversial statement.
If you defund cinema and remove support, you'll affect the viability of the sector. As you rightly pointed out - Argentina local cinema isn't going to compete with Hollywood. But where it does compete internationally, is in it's creative industries. These industries rely on having a talent pool, which having a healthy cinema industry generates. These industries also rely on having production services which a healthy cinema industry supports.
You remove a subsidy, you damage an industry which another industry relies upon. Without understanding how creative industries work, you can't understand the value of a subsidy.
If you defund cinema and remove support, you'll affect the viability of the sector. As you rightly pointed out - Argentina local cinema isn't going to compete with Hollywood. But where it does compete internationally, is in it's creative industries. These industries rely on having a talent pool, which having a healthy cinema industry generates. These industries also rely on having production services which a healthy cinema industry supports.
You remove a subsidy, you damage an industry which another industry relies upon. Without understanding how creative industries work, you can't understand the value of a subsidy.
sesamosinsal
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Not sure which part of your comment is tongue-in-cheek, but I think they're pretty fair when it comes to the distribution of such subsidies. Even Juan José Campanella is in favor of them, and he's not exactly a pro-kirchnerista director.
EdRooney
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This debate is the height of BAExpats silliness.
Let's say this were a programme funded by taxes (it's not). It would represent 0.03% of the annual federal budget.
But it's not even using that 0.03% of your precious taxes. This minuscule amount comes from a self-funding programme. Does it fund projects that are duds? Maybe; that's what capitalism is about: taking risks, some pan out, some don't.
Are there ideological biases in some of the decision making? I would say most likely yes, but the article El Queso quotes is utterly unconvincing in proving this one way or the other. Even the vapid propaganda flick "Nestor the Documentary" they use as a visual scare tactic didn't receive a centavo from INCAA.
Seriously folks, the Argentine government hands out whopping subsidies to its big corporate BFFs Monsanto and Chevron that would be INCAA's operating budget for 70 years, so why the focus on this microscopic funding of the arts?
Let's say this were a programme funded by taxes (it's not). It would represent 0.03% of the annual federal budget.
But it's not even using that 0.03% of your precious taxes. This minuscule amount comes from a self-funding programme. Does it fund projects that are duds? Maybe; that's what capitalism is about: taking risks, some pan out, some don't.
Are there ideological biases in some of the decision making? I would say most likely yes, but the article El Queso quotes is utterly unconvincing in proving this one way or the other. Even the vapid propaganda flick "Nestor the Documentary" they use as a visual scare tactic didn't receive a centavo from INCAA.
Seriously folks, the Argentine government hands out whopping subsidies to its big corporate BFFs Monsanto and Chevron that would be INCAA's operating budget for 70 years, so why the focus on this microscopic funding of the arts?
Ries
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It seems there are two questions here-
the original link was to someone whose specific objection was that the Argentine government was subsidizing the wrong films- ie, the ones she didnt like.
my points were addressing that.
the second point, the philisophical, ideological, and political correctness of
A- tariffs, duties and taxes on foreign imports
and
B- subsidizing local products
is a much bigger argument, which I was not addressing in my explanation of arts funding, and how its pretty similar here as it is in the USA, France, the UK, or anywhere else it exists.
If you want to argue that the Argentine economy should be more transparent to imports, thats a whole nother magilla.
And, yeah, I would probably be in favor of movement in that direction.
Remember, EVERY country subsidizes certain industries, and levies various taxes, duties, and restrictions on imports- in the USA, sugar is heavily subsidized, and until just now, Cuban Cigars were banned entirely.
And there are lots more examples of governments doing exactly this all over the world.
Some of it may may make sense, some not, but its in no way unique to Argentina.
In degree, its pretty significant here- but in concept, its practiced all over.
the original link was to someone whose specific objection was that the Argentine government was subsidizing the wrong films- ie, the ones she didnt like.
my points were addressing that.
the second point, the philisophical, ideological, and political correctness of
A- tariffs, duties and taxes on foreign imports
and
B- subsidizing local products
is a much bigger argument, which I was not addressing in my explanation of arts funding, and how its pretty similar here as it is in the USA, France, the UK, or anywhere else it exists.
If you want to argue that the Argentine economy should be more transparent to imports, thats a whole nother magilla.
And, yeah, I would probably be in favor of movement in that direction.
Remember, EVERY country subsidizes certain industries, and levies various taxes, duties, and restrictions on imports- in the USA, sugar is heavily subsidized, and until just now, Cuban Cigars were banned entirely.
And there are lots more examples of governments doing exactly this all over the world.
Some of it may may make sense, some not, but its in no way unique to Argentina.
In degree, its pretty significant here- but in concept, its practiced all over.
