Nations should suspend government funding for the arts when significant numbers of their citizens are hungry or unemployed.

　　Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the recommendation and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, describe specific circumstances in which adopting the recommendation would or would not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape your position.

　　The speaker asserts that nations should suspend government funding for the arts when significant numbers of their citizens are hungry or unemployed and I strongly agree with the speaker. If basic levels of subsistence cannot be met, the government has absolutely no place directing money to pay for trivialities.

　　Firstly, we would be prudent to acknowledge that the arts can make great impact on society. The arts are usually most developed in countries where other more basic needs have already been met. Art, in many cases, has a very enriching effect on the minds of the people.

　　However, the benefit of art in developed culture is predicated by the affluence of that culture. It is difficult to imagine a society that was both constantly threatened with starvation and perpetually making handicrafts. However, as stated above, we need to acknowledge the importance of art in the development of society. That being said, economic conditions are ever changing. If the economic conditions in a country changed such that the very well-being of the people were threatened, it would be sensible to divert funding away from art and towards relief of the people.

　　Government funding is limited and priorities need to be set forth. This requires governments to make it clear what problems should be addressed and in which order. The problem of subsistence certainly takes precedent over arts. That being said, while arts are important, the people are even more important. Only when people have the opportunity live a comfortably with their basic needs being met can the government divert resources back to other matters.

　　To sum up, I totally agree with the speaker. The well being of citizens is the first and the most important task that the government is responsible for meeting. The development of arts or other fields should be based on it having first met basic needs.