Btw things like isis are a direct consequence of actions taken by the English colonialists when they created artificial boundaries.

On the same topic, I don't think that people of modern Turkey or Greece have more valid claim on the remains of Troy or Mycenae just because the people who have left these remains have one occupied the plot of land that now lies within their borders.

The Turks were the ones that conquered all those completely unrelated people in the first place. The British inherited their problem after World War I. But go on, I love this game of “brown people can’t have moral agency.”

But go on.

or brest-litovsk.

a bad peace treaty is not an excuse for barbarism.

Regarding the region.

The societal rot had already set in way before that. The whole ottoman empire was on a down trend, ever since the trade went around them. Which is a good indicator how low value was whatever they themselves had to produce and to offer.

To life in the shadow and ruins of the glorious past, it burns all men for what are they but lowcast creatures, fallen from up high..

What does economic performance have to do with the British museums being filled with looted cultural artifacts? You could have thrown in Greece in there (EU member), but Greece also wants it's looted artifacts back.

China's case was very different as well, the majority of the population (Han Chinese) were ruled by a foreign race (Qing) that were racist towards them in 1800s. Many Han Chinese fought alongside foreign powers and they did loot a lot.

And it doesn't matter anyway, CCP rise to power and smashed everything in the name of Cultural Revolution.

"By the 19th century, people were no longer consuming mummies to cure illness but Victorians were hosting "unwrapping parties" where Egyptian corpses would be unwrapped for entertainment at private parties."

What a weirdly condescending comment.

You guys are too stupid to take care of this obelisk so we’re just going to take it. K bye.

Even if you’re 100% right you look like an asshole, and if you don’t repatriate it when the place has a stable government then you’re just proving your rationalization was fully self-serving.

As far as I'm aware, there's never been serious discussion of the safety of things in Berlin though. Considerations of safety really only go one way.

I couldn’t blame them for wanting a famous work back for their own museum, but it was a major bummer all the same. But Spain is not iron curtain era Berlin, or a tumultuous Middle East, so it’s hardly a fair comparison. It’s difficult to find a balance, but what we know of peak British Empire, from every emancipated colony, is that they just didn’t care.

People like to complain about how arrogant the US is and I just think of that old anti drug commercial, “I learned it from watching you, Dad.” Parents who do drugs have kids who do drugs.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/150901-is...

If only it preserved human rights and lifes of it's citizens as fine. The only thing that US and coalition did wrong with Iraq was not killing off Saddam in '91 and leaving Iraq under his reign of terror for 12 more years.

Unfortunately, it looks like appeasing bloody dictators is a West's thing lately.

Insofar as radical Islamists, the English sided with and supported radical Islamists in Iran against Mossadegh and then against the secular left under the Shah. The English supported Mujahideen in Afghanistan. Watch Lawrence of Arabia, they do it and celebrate it. The English saving secular socialist pan-Arab nationalism against radical Islamists? Please.

The real destruction of artifacts was the destruction of Iraq Museum during the UK's unprovoked invasion of that country. Which they of course blamed on Iraqis. These people are transparent.