China demands release...

[georgeandli]

Robert S., You are totally right. However two things you don't explain worry me. Who makes the determination what should go back and who says things are/aren't safe? Remember the Buddas getting blasted in the cliffs? Logically that should have been answered by a force sent in to protect them from further destruction.

[Robert S.]

Robert S., You are totally right. However two things you don't explain worry me. Who makes the determination what should go back and who says things are/aren't safe? Remember the Buddas getting blasted in the cliffs? Logically that should have been answered by a force sent in to protect them from further destruction.

I wasn't explaining anything, just giving my opinion. As far as who makes the determination, there must be some committee on security that would be part of the international museum association that could be called upon to decide what degree of security was appropriate for the rarity of each item. Recently I have seen an article somewhere that said the Mona Lisa will not go on exhibition any more because it is just not possible to provide enough security for her to travel.

 

The politics and future stability of the complaining country would also have to be taken into account. As far as the rat and the rabbit or whatever it was, I am totally on China's side in that dispute.

 

As for the Buddhas in Afghanistan, there was nothing anybody could have done about that in that country at the time.

 

And yes, Don, I know it is illegal what I am proposing, to steal back stolen art from the corrupt billionaire who commissioned the theft, but a great piece of art is more than just an object, it has almost a life of its own, perhaps more life than a lot of people. Suppose the collector was Idi Amin? Wouldn't it be okay to steal something from him?

[georgeandli]

Yes Robert S., there's the rub. Who makes the call? Art is in the eye of the viewer. A painting is portable and can easily be moved around. Hacking bronze heads off and destroying the whole concept of the piece ...neither one say I.

[Sebastian]

The red guard destroying so many of China's treasures during the cultural revolution doesn't give them a lot of credibility in the matter either. One could argue that the countries that have these artifacts preserved them from being destroyed.

[nipped the image]

Chinese poster saying: "We'll destroy old world and build new." Classical example of the Red art from the early Cultural Revolution. Worker crushes the crucifix, Buddha and classical Chinese texts with his hammer; 1966

 

Ya - that's where I have a major ethics problem. Sure, a government can change it's position 'over time' about this type of matter, but If China thinks this is such a big deal? Let them pay for the purchase, repatriate the items, in USD.