What instrument do you play?

One of the arguments (getting a lot of airtime lately) that we've come to rely on is an argument that the arts produce instrumental economic benefit. We tend to use this as concrete, metric driven evidence of the value of the arts to society.

Left out of the picture are the opportunity cost arguments: could the money (or foregone tax revenue) spent on the arts generate as much or more ROI if spent on something else? The answer is possibly "yes."

In light of that, it's critical that we begin to sharpen our rhetorical ability to discuss instrumental benefits unique to the arts, and [gasp] perhaps even intrinsic benefits of the arts.