A contemporary aesthetic that the fools in our art departments crafted in the 1960s under the guiding hand of the CIA.

I'm not saying Iran is failing for not purchasing better art (that's a different discussion for a different time).

I'm saying our culture is failing for not calling modernism what it was -- a ruse, a blind alley, a death of the heart and intellect. I'm saying we are failing for allowing this charade to go on, to the point that Iran would think this is the best we have to offer.