As WikiLeak Diversion Continues, Greece Faces Meltdown

The proposed Wikileak vigilante effort to reclaim lost antiquities for Greece and Italy must be considered a diversion compared to the meltdown facing Greece's cultural establishment. See http://www.pri.org/stories/politics-society/government/greek-antiquities-at-risk-as-budgets-shrink-economy-falters-8929.html

The sad thing is that archaeologists seem as out of touch as ever. They are apparently hoping that a poster campaign will stave off massive budget cuts.

What is actually needed is a dose of reality and recognition that conservation can no longer be associated with control by the bankrupt Greek state. Turkey has finally recognized that not all artifacts should be in museums; it's okay to sell duplicates. Greece should do the same.

It's also interesting to note that Jack Davis, director of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, argues that collectors in the Middle East and China are the real drivers of any looting.