Leo
Well-known member
basically it's like having a store of unpleasantness on every level - kidnapped spiritual and cultural artifacts, ongoing imperialist and racist symbolic and actual domination, disgusting capitalist perversion values all stacked up in the heart of every city, but at the same time so obvious what should be done ...
the guy in the book calls it necrology and necrography - converting life objects into dead voyeurism subjects or something
also the element of superiority: they (countries of origin) can't possibly protect and secure these priceless artifacts and adequately display them to the world. We (the Met, BM, etc.) must have own them because we are the only ones able do that.
now, in reality, are priceless ancient artifacts safe in Afghanistan or Syria or Iraq or wherever? as history has shown, not always.