All the proponents are interested in is redistribution; plain and simple. Not fairness, not any of that. There's absolutely nothing noble about the whole repatriation crap.. A
bit of Napoleon complex/envy also
comes in because the glories were so, so long ago. I'd be frustrated too if my last
success was in the third or 4th century.
If it were on a voluntary basis, ok. If a museum were foolish enough to give back anything that's their business. However, I'm always vehemently against any totalitarian measure. It would be about as noble (not very - and the exact same principle) as Hermann Goering plundering art
collections for
his own gain. One person's 'fairness' is another person's enforced theft.
Insofar as implementing it, it would be a total disaster. We all know Prohibition worked out really well! I'm not a drinker, but even I would have rushed out to a speakeasy to be show my disapproval.
If only we
had Cicero to be our advocate. He would have made the proponents look like Cataline - although it probably wouldn't take an advocate of Cicero's skill to do that.
Fortunately, we're all pretty much on the same wavelength that this is a terrible idea and we all oppose it.
It takes two to tango, however. A common-sense State Dept. (like that's going to happen) could easily derail this. Let us not forget it would be up to our people to agree to such a demand.
Such schemes, if implemented, would serve only to foster extreme hostility against the host countries (and the quislings that would agree to such a measure).
The irony seems to be lost on the
Greeks that now they themselves
act like the Persians, demanding earth and water from us.
One
good is that collectors of all persuasions (left, right and center) are becoming unified in their opposition to this. Everyone is unified in common sense.