Indeterminacy 152

We are all part and parcel of a way of life that
puts trust in the almighty dollar — so
much so that we feel ourselves slipping when we hear
that on the international market the West German
mark inspires more confidence. Food,
one assumes, provides nourishment;
but Americans eat it fully aware that
small amounts of poison have been added to
improve its appearance and delay its
putrefaction. None of us wants cancer or
skin diseases, but there are those who tell
us that’s how we get them. It’s hard
to tell, come December, whether
we’re celebrating the birth of Christ or
whether American business has simply pulled the
wool over our eyes. When I hear
that an artist whose work I admire gets
$7000 for a painting whereas another whose
work I don’t admire gets twice as much,
do I then change my mind?
Ten years ago the New York painters
were for the most part poor as church
mice. Did they then or do they
now have a place in American society?

- John Cage