No Shame: Antiquities Collector Barry B. Bastard Will Always Dodge the Real Question

Another of those substantive comments Peter Tompa will not allow on his 'Cultural Property Observer' blog, preferring lowbrow sniping from metal detectorist John Howland. He is complaining that CBS is making a fictional series ('Blood and Treasure') centred around (it seems) stopping a lone terrorist raising money for his activities by selling looted antiquities ('CPO considers the series as yet another effort to confuse "entertainment" with "news" to promote an anti-collecting crusade. CPO has criticized CBS for promoting "fake news" about values of ISIS loot'):

There you go again making your unsubstantiated claims. In your email you say CBS says that Apamea was looted by ISIL. In fact, if we check that video (still, unfortunately for you online at 1:16) the point being made is that the global antiquities trade, which ISIL has tapped into looks like a 'crime ring' which is why the ISIL participation is difficult to police. That is the point being made, and you misrepresent it. If you value your reputation as a competent 'observer', you should correct your mistake.

Of course Mr Tompa's 'reputation' relies precisely on making such claims. Note the bit: 'we want to shame the buyers, we want to [...] make that even more underground and then find out who's doing it, and bring them to justice'. Do you see any 'shame' among US collectors involved in the open purchase of items potentially supplied by 'criminal rings', whoever is behind them? I don't.