Should Britain return treasures we acquired from former colonies?

[Whelan]

Why can't we just have British things in the British Museum? I know someone will make that last sentence into an immigration joke. But seriously, why are we exhibiting things that aren't ours?

 

It may very well have been a good thing that we took them when we did. Perhaps they wouldn't have survived had we left them where they were. But in this day and age I doubt you have to worry about that in Greece.

 

There is a decent argument that, if say, the British Museum funds and finances an Archaeological dig, then the finds, or certainly some of the finds should be on show at the British Museum!

 

You can't really have museums focussing up British history as that is not our history, for good and (mostly) bad, we are intrinsically linked to the rest of the world and therefore our Musuems have to portray that history, to do otherwise would be dishonest.

 

What is essentially plundered goods, are not ours, and should be given back forthwith.

 

Starting with the fucking Queen!

 

And the Irish can have Jedward back as well.

[RedKnight]

In some cases I'm sure some of the mentioned artifacts could be kept at the British Museum on the understanding they are there on loan and can be recalled to the country of origin at any time. The Marbles have to go back though, the Greeks are making a proper effort with the Acropolis of Athens and we're not handing over a key piece.

[Squabblefest]

They can fuck off.

We stole them fair and square.

[Guest TK-421]

They say that possession is 9/10ths of the law. I'm the other 1/10th.

[WaltonRed]

Yes.

 

Change the names of stuff related to bad stuff as well ie: Rodney street renamed Wilberforce or Dr.King Street!

[Guest ShoePiss]

I think if they want them back they should have to fight us for it, fair's fair.

[Stu Monty]

I think if they want them back they should have to fight us for it, fair's fair.

 

There's about 15 Indians for every Brit. Are you sure you want to have this scrap?

[Anny Road]

Well we should tell the indians we want our fucking call centers back.

[Steve Holt]

Well we should tell the indians we want our fucking call centers back.

 

Thing is though, the people running those businesses don't want the call centres back here at all. So that logic doesn't work.

[Anny Road]

Thing is though, the people running those businesses don't want the call centres back here at all. So that logic doesn't work.

 

I don't care. Even better would be that when my sky fucks up some boffin at the museum of London has to take the call. It would be dealt with in no time.

[Indian Red]

Yes, Can I have my diamond back please? I`ll give you two of my personal attendants in return

[Anny Road]

And where in India did you mine this diamond?

[Indian Red]

I just shat it out after having a particularly boss curry

[stevebaby]

Nice try. Actually it isn't. It's a very poor try. We all know there is a difference between inanimate objects and human beings.

Ha! Not where I work.

[stevebaby]

I think if they want them back they should have to fight us for it, fair's fair.

A tramp was wandering across a large private estate when the Lord of the manor rode up on his horse...

Lord: "Oi! Tramp! What are you doing on my land?

Tramp:"Why is it your land?

Lord:"Because my ancestors fought for it,that's why!"

Tramp:"Fair enough,get off your fucking horse and I'll fight you for it right now."

[Red Phoenix]

I think the Rosetta Stone should be returned to Egypt, also a statue of Nefertiti that's in Berlin. Remember reading about them before and it just seems like it'd be cool to give them back.

 

Have been interested in Ancient Egypt for ages though and just generally think that all that stuff should be sent back to it's homeland.

[TrimmTrabb]

If your returning stuff can we have that quarter of our country you swindled please? We'll even let you have a few of our treasures, hows the book of Kells, Bono and a crate of Guinness grab ya?

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

If your returning stuff can we have that quarter of our country you swindled please? We'll even let you have a few of our treasures, hows the book of Kells, Bono and a crate of Guinness grab ya?

 

You're lucky we don't come over and take the rest, you little bastards!

[barosrocks]

All of the treasure in the world should be buried on treasure islands to allow pirates to find it.

 

Excellent idea, but I'm afraid ITV would turn it into a Mongarific Reality TV show

[a stoner]

Excellent idea, but I'm afraid ITV would turn it into a Mongarific Reality TV show

 

Or we could pretend to bury them on an island and see how long the mongs take to work out there's nothing there.

[cochyn]

Britain practically invented the museum. Were it not for our Imperialist forebears, all this booty would have been left to rot in the rubble from which it was dug. Rather than be returned, I'd be all for the most important antiquities being shown around the world's museums on a rotational basis.

[G Richards]

Britain practically invented the museum. Were it not for our Imperialist forebears, all this booty would have been left to rot in the rubble from which it was dug. Rather than be returned, I'd be all for the most important antiquities being shown around the world's museums on a rotational basis.

 

This seems like a reasonable idea.

[Red Mist]

Britain practically invented the museum. Were it not for our Imperialist forebears, all this booty would have been left to rot in the rubble from which it was dug. Rather than be returned, I'd be all for the most important antiquities being shown around the world's museums on a rotational basis.

The trouble with this is that if we lend these artefacts for the 'original' owners to display in their museums, they won't hand them back. This is why the British Museum has refused requests like this before, Egypt wanted to 'borrow' the Rosetta stone to display in one of their museums. The British museum wisely told them to get lost.

Finders keepers as far as I'm concerned. We obtained these items at great cost, I don't see why we should simply hand them back freely.

[RedBrian84]

If everyone's returning stuff then Switzerland should give all that gold back.....

 

In answer to the thread poster I think that providing the articles in question were properly looked after and treasured the way they have been in the British Museum then yes they should have them back.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

I don't see why we should simply hand them back freely.

 

You don't see it or you're ignorant of it?