The idea that artists will continue to make art even if they never get paid is bullshit. Rather, there will just be a preponderance of bad free art. Without patronage, there is no art. This is just common sense, do you really think an artist is going to keep making music if he or she can't afford to live? If you still don't believe me, just look at history--great advancements in art didn't come until there were patrons rich enough to support artists.

I do agree that buying mainstream records does not help the actual artist very much. If possible, buy from independent labels that give a fair share to the artists, or directly from artists themselves (there are an increasing number of artists that offer this.) But whatever you do, don't try to make yourself feel better by imagining that pirating music isn't a crime and doesn't hurt anyone. I don't care if you do pirate stuff, just don't be a self-righteous hypocrite about it.

And >>10, I don't know where you get off calling yourself a "lower-class." If you have access to the internet, you can afford to buy music. Don't complain about being "lower-class" until you can only afford the basic necessities of life.