Re: Re: Gee this will convince everyone

From: mayhem <meurtre_at_earthlink.net_at_hypermail.org>
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2003 17:38:25 -0700

>> 4) Iraq is the only country in which this occurs. It's strange: no one
>> looted the European museums after liberation there. But this same thing
>> occurred in 1991. It appears almost self-destructive.
>
> Um, to my knowledge there was a lot of looting during WWII, especially
> after the shooting stopped. Things simply vanished as soldiers took
> control of cities.

I'm talking about people looting the museums of THEIR OWN CULTURAL HERITAGE.
Very uncommon. I'm aware that almost all soldiers (including American
ones) took whatever they wanted from the civilian populations--and
certainly the command centers of the "enemy." Hitler's personal library
numbered in the tens of thousands, and all that was left over and
catalogued is something like 1,500 volumes (now in our possession). Of
course, this was a combination of looting and unconcern with figuring
out what made him tick--that is, the demands of history. I hope the
historians have jumped in and made lists of what should be preserved from
Saddam's obscene palaces. (One should probably be saved intact, like
Hearst Castle, as a monument to excess.)

>> People should of course always come first. Whenever I heard about
>> WWII, there was more attention on the fact the nearly 1/3 of all then
>> women in Berlin were raped by drunk Russian soldiers. Just horrible.

This is a problem in almost all wars: the North Vietnamese were
particularly egregious, as I understand it.

>> 5) Since a lot of these treasures went to private collectors, they
> should
>> be recoverable--either by us, or by Iraq (which will be a rich
> country once
>> it's on its feet again).

> I agree there, provided there is some kind of paper trail.

Or good "human intelligence." Thank goodness that is finally being valued
and pursued again. (It was considered unnecessary for years.)

>> Back to WWII: For a long time Germany has tried to reclaim certain
>> treasures from the USSR (that ended up in Russian museums), but was
>> always rebuffed. Now that Russia is financially hurting, it may happen.

Provided the Germans can afford 'em.

--J




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Received on 2003-04-21 17:38:35