If we could focus it better, art today has a truly historic opportunity to influence the social power equation. 

Currently our collective cognitive system is in the grip of large and powerful entities who generate compelling symbols not to increase anybody's understanding or enrich the quality of anybody's life, but merely to increase their own wealth, power, and control.

In attempting to counter these forces, logical persuasion, appeals to reason, and the evidence of direct personal experience can only go so far.  It is only human nature to want at least some compelling symbols and images. 

If we could get even a portion of our imagery from people who genuinely want to tell us how they see the world and what they find to be significant about it, we might not be so desperately attentive to the more shallow and manipulative symbols and images emanating from the major power centers.

Thus, because of its context, today's art can be deeply relevant and profoundly liberating, even subversive, without ever having to prescribe any particular political or social course of action. 

In fact, to the extent that art gets into the business of advocating specific political answers, it can significantly dilute itself, by becoming viewed as just a PR tool for a political program of which the audience already has an opinion.  If our arts are to help break the grip of the prevailing commercial imagery on our collective imagination, they must speak more directly to us—and for us.