David, thank you for your well stated, and well reasoned, attempt put this whole issue
in its proper perspective.  It is a much welcome breath of fresh air after having to read the garbage that started the whole marines in iraq "discussion"! Your thread I'll enjoy following!

David Harvey wrote:

> I nominate the Musuem-L thread on "marines" and "appropriate topics" to the
> Museum of Stupidity. It is especially noted that the particpants hurled
> personal invectives, political diatribes, and missed the entire point of the issue
> that first started this all.
>
> Oh! The Musuem of Stupidity has just been looted!
>
> Looting of cultural heritage....remember that?
>
> It is appropraite to discuss the US military's responsibility to protect
> cultural heritage in any conflict - we are signatories of the UNESCO convention,
> after all.
>
> I think it is a bit over the top to blame the american and british forces for
> the looting, as if they had kicked open the doors and loaded the goodies on
> to a truck themselves. The truth is that citizens of Iraq did that - and it
> appears to have been a phenomenon linked to a long-standing practice of looting
> cultural heritage for gain. (Most ot the Pyramids are empty after all!)
>
> But the larger issue here, and one that has a long, long history (that
> invovled many prominent museums until recently) is that of the thriving trade in
> antiquities and stolen art. Correct me if I am wrong, but many of the world's
> musuems bought stolen works from the black market (no questions asked), or they
> acquired them through their colonialst or imperialist pasts (The Elgin Marbles).
>
> Much of this has abated, at least formally, by the adoption of the UNESCO
> conventions in the 1980's.
>
> But there is still a thriving market for stolen cultural heritage. And this
> is what really feeds the phenomenon. If there wasn't such a huge demand for
> these treasures in Europe, Asia, and America, and elsewhere in the world, then
> there would not be the market to create the lucre necessary to feed the looting.
>
> So much could be done by stricter intervention on international borders. On
> having groups that monitor auctions and online trading, of higher priority
> given to the protection of cultural resources and heritage by national and local
> governements. On having more severe penalities for trafficking in cultural
> heritage - not just fines, but real hard time.
>
> As the current issue of Archaeolgy magazine points out, this is the issue.
>
> http://www.archaeology.org/magazine.php?page=curiss/index
>
> Cheers!
> Dave
>
> David Harvey
> 2930 South Birch Street
> Denver, CO  80222
> 303-300-5257
> [log in to unmask]
>
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