The museum sacking that wasn't

Townhall.com ^ | May 27, 2003 | Rich Lowry

[Cincinatus]

Yet another left-wing canard hurled at our war effort, exposed for the codswallop it is. I only note in passing that this lie was swallowed -- hook, line, and sinker -- by several FReepers, who shall remain unnamed by me but know who they are.

[Conspiracy Guy]

I didn't buy it from the beginning. How big a loss is a Pez Dispenser Collection and some Elvis on Black Velvet paitings to the world anyway?

[xJones]

Yet another left-wing canard hurled at our war effort, exposed for the codswallop it is. I only note in passing that this lie was swallowed -- hook, line, and sinker -- by several FReepers, who shall remain unnamed by me but know who they are.

Oh well, cheer up. You can name the codswallop-ingesting Freakers on another site.

[duckman]

Another example of Jayson Blair type reporting?????

[Molly Pitcher]

I remember seeing Christianne Ammanpour rant & rave about the looting. But coming from CNN, the Disseminator of lies, Hider of facts, what can else can we expect?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Tragedy of the Commons.

[Cincinatus]

You can name the codswallop-ingesting Freakers on another site.

See them for yourself: U.S.: We didn't anticipate looting

[MizSterious]

Best name for it I've seen yet--the Great Museum Heist that Wasn't! Yes, a number of Freepers bought it, and you just really have to ask why. In one breath many of these people will swear up and down that the media can't be trusted, and in the next, they swallow every word the media says or writes, "hook line and sinker" as you say, Cincinatus.

[abner]

What a wonderful and refreshing point of view this guy has! I would love to get some of this stuff that is stored in museums.

[RadioAstronomer]

"Items that are in private hands are much more secure than what's in the basement of the museum," says Deutsch.

I know many Archeologists who would disagree vehemently.

licensed antiquities dealer

Go figure.

From post #1: I only note in passing that this lie was swallowed -- hook, line, and sinker -- by several FReepers, who shall remain unnamed by me but know who they are.

I see you are trying your best to make other freepers look and/or feel bad. I wonder why you would do this?

[RadioAstronomer]

What a wonderful and refreshing point of view this guy has! I would love to get some of this stuff that is stored in museums.

You noticed that too!

[RadioAstronomer]

Yes, a number of Freepers bought it, and you just really have to ask why.

I personally know someone who was working on his PhD in this very area. He was appalled at the looting.

[Seti 1]

Looking quickly through your link I only found one FReeper who didn't accept the story--AnAmericanMother. Everyone else was saying "who cares about some dusty old trash", except one or two who thought it was a loss to the world.

I saw no reason to doubt the facts of the reports--they were being reported by everyone. I don't see much reason for doubting them now on the basis of this one opinion piece.

[MizSterious]

Do you mean at the looting that wasn't? Even when the facts are known, why do people continue to repeat the lies?

[MizSterious]

Why would you believe the reports, when media sources like WSJ and other news sources have flat out said it was incredibly overblown? See Missing (Baghdad) museum artefacts found safe in vaults, and The Non-Pillage of Baghdad: It turns out the "looted museum" story was way overblown. for just two such articles. A search on "museum" or "looting" would likely turn up more.

[abner]

Looting is horrific. Something just as bad is that most things in museums languish in storage forever where no one can enjoy them.

[ASA Vet]

I remember seeing

Did you just admit to watching Commie News Network?

[Seti 1]

these people will swear up and down that the media can't be trusted,

Why is it you find unimpeachable a newspaper piece based on the opinions of an antiquities dealer and a gallery owner?

[Seti 1]

None of this is to deny the terrible damage that did occur, the priceless bits of Iraq's heritage that have been stolen or destroyed -- or the many thousands more works that might be confirmed missing when curators finally go through the storehouses.

The quote is from your WSJ link. Did you read it?

[MizSterious]

Check my links above. I believe him because there is lots of evidence to back him up. (Unlike the NYT and CNN reports.) I've read a number of articles that contradicted those early reports of 170,000 artifacts being stolen. But it appears that some people see only what they want to see: if they happen to believe the US and the military are the "bad guys," should not have been there anyway, are incapable of planning, etc.--they'll ignore all reports to the contrary, even those backed up with facts.