Posted on 08/07/2004 12:51:15 PM PDT by Destro
Antone got a link..
Selling crap at inflated prices is the exclusive domain of Mary Kay, Home Interiors, Amway, and the Girl Scouts. Off to Guantameno with them!
Sometimes a scam is just a scam.
Quick! Call Carl Cameron!
And don't eat the brown Ecstacy.
Remember this is Canada. If they were Arabs & soliciting donations for Hammas or Islamic Jihad, this wouldn't be an issue. In fact, they'd probably get featured in a puff piece in some Anti-American, Diversity Crazed Newsrag.
What is "fake" artwork? Do they mean forgeries?
And the Mossad, apparantly.
I don't get it. Where's the scam? Also, nothing in this article refers to any activity that might be considered as spying.
Yeah, I don't get it. Try buying something made of paint on canvas in San Francisco for $120 Canadian and it will be tiny and ugly. Why does the article give no clue as to what sort of alleged misrepresentation was at the heart of this "scam"?
The lame artwork is from (I believe) China and is sold at inflated prices.
So not the Israelis casing a joint?
Absolutely not. Just kids selling cheap Chinese art at inflated prices. Nothing sinister at all, that I can see. I actually enjoyed playing with them, haggling. It was funny. (Didn't buy anything)
This story has always puzzled me. If the issue is them being in the country illegally, that's one thing. If, however, the issue that's causing so much concern is the selling of paintings, I don't get it. Are we supposed to believe that a salesman twisting a few facts is some shocking situation that warrants international concern? They're selling paintings. They're not holding anyone up, forcing anyone to buy, or anything of the sort. There are plenty of far worse scams out there for sure.
FWIW, one of these fellows came into my business a couple years ago. Selling paintings. I bought two of them. Not because of any story he told, but because he had two oil paintings that I liked and, after negotiation, he was willing to sell them for a price I was willing to pay. What's the big deal?
MM
There is speculation that these guys are Israeli intel that use the painting scam as a cover to case joints - why case joints? because the Israelis are following al-Qaeda who case the same joints earlier. In order tp keep their cover they sell paintings if they find a taker. That is the urban legend aspect of it.
Seems very ineffective to me. The best way to "case joints" is to get a job with the janitorial service, not selling black velvet Elvis door to door.
SJ, yonif & Salem please ping your lists while I'm out of town.
If this theory is true....The Israelis don't want detailed blue prints of the joints the way the Muslims do - the Israelis want to see why the Muslims terrorists they are following are casing the joints. Or something like that.
Like I said many times before, the janitorial service is the best way to get a detailed layout. Selling crappy "art" door to door is the least effective.
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