Primitive art in the Western world: Collecting and preserving art, or looting and money making? - General Tiki

M MadDogMike Grand Member (8 years) The Anvil of the Sun Joined: Mar 30, 2008 Posts: 10872	M MadDogMike Posted posted on Wed, Apr 1, 2009 2:29 PM How is stealing art any different than stealing land, gold, natural resources, slaves, etc? Ever since Cain figured out he was bigger and stronger than Abel, the strong have stolen from the weak. Every bit of land on this earth (including the one where YOUR house sits) used to belong to someone else and was taken by force or some sort of fraudulent deal ie $28 worth of beads for Manhattan Island (if that actually happened) So is stealing art right? Of course not. Is art repatriation a good thing? Probably, in some cases. But sending a few marble statues back to Greece isn't going to fix 10,000 years of "might makes right".

How is stealing art any different than stealing land, gold, natural resources, slaves, etc? Ever since Cain figured out he was bigger and stronger than Abel, the strong have stolen from the weak. Every bit of land on this earth (including the one where YOUR house sits) used to belong to someone else and was taken by force or some sort of fraudulent deal ie $28 worth of beads for Manhattan Island (if that actually happened)

So is stealing art right? Of course not. Is art repatriation a good thing? Probably, in some cases. But sending a few marble statues back to Greece isn't going to fix 10,000 years of "might makes right".

Post #444148 by MadDogMike on Wed, Apr 1, 2009 2:29 PM