A Word from President Putin to American Collectors

Op-Ed Contributor VLADIMIR V. PUTIN, 'A Plea for Caution From Russia', New York Times, September 11, 2013

And I would rather disagree with a case he made on American exceptionalism, stating that the United States’ policy is “what makes America different. It’s what makes us exceptional.” It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation. There are big countries and small countries, rich and poor, those with long democratic traditions and those still finding their way to democracy. Their policies differ, too. We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal.

Unfortunately, if we look at what the majority of US collectors (especially the ones that seem most likely to be Republicans, that's most of them) write about themselves and their museums, it becomes clear that many of them think and act as if the world revolves around them. Their "rights", their needs and their opinions override those of any citizens of the countries whose dugup and knocked-off heritage they covet.