Peter Tompa, paid lobbyist for the antiquities trade attempts to explain away misdeclared antiquities as a precaution "against theft". Derek Fincham is having none of that:
Vignette: Antiquities in transit: Smugglers or Thieves?In case you missed it: dishonest customs declarations a deliberate strategy by the illicit trade in antiquities
I'm never sure about the way you emphasise he is a "paid lobbyist" as that vaguely implies people think highly enough of his work to pay him for it. Tompa is barely paid.
ReplyDeleteIt implies that, rather than his own "observations" and reflections, he inevitably selects to write about what he thinks the dealers pay him to write and present it in the way he knows that they would wish. Otherwise, they'd not renew the contact with his firm (which they have repeatedly done). He represents the views of the Black Hat Guys, and yes, in that he makes them look like thoroughly nasty pieces of work, does it very well.
ReplyDelete