5 October 2007 - Establishment 5

Poet: How do you figure that it’s economics?
Weird: The invisible hand is everywhere. Why oh why can’t I have one?
Smart: In fine arts, people trust the recognized experts. Any experts who start to be recognized can benefit by banding together and agreeing with each other. There are increasing returns to scale, so a stable monopoly tends to form. When they control the money, it’s an Establishment.
Poet: On the pinions of pigs’ opinions. So it’s all because people don’t think for themselves.
Smart: It’s because there’s no other criterion. The patronage system is gone, and popularity is nil for fine arts. What’s left?
Weird: I’ll fix it. I’ll make a spinner.
Poet: Then how can we break the Establishment? It’s just a bunch of people who want secure careers.
Smart: You can influence them over time, or you can foment revolution. But unless conditions change, a new Establishment will form.
Weird: And I’ll spin the spinner with an invisible hand.