Wednesday, March 11, 2009

MISSING ART AT THE U.N.

Ever misplace an antique in your house? I have been looking for one of my Roycroft bookends for months. But the United Nations has a bigger problem. The U.N. headquarters in New York are being redecorated soon, and the staff can't find hundreds of pieces of art that should be in the offices. It should be hard to misplace a huge Jose de Rivera sculpture, a Roman mosaic, the stone head of a Mayan priest and hundreds of other artworks. Even more surprising--the art was neither appraised nor insured.

25 comments:

EAGLE1 said...

I find this level of incompetence to be consistent with the usual and customary irresponsible and selfish self aggrandizement displayed by these Anti American "diplomats" who seem to be better at promoting wealth for themselves and their families than serving their countries. I suggest we look in one of the several homes of the members and their staffs to find much of what is "missing." Maybe we can give them a "bailout"!!!

Anonymous said...

I guess a lot of people have gotten some excellent art!!!

Anonymous said...

Obviously too much of other peoples' money and not enough accountability. Not a surprise!

Anonymous said...

Sounds as though the asylum is being run by the inmates!

Crooked inmates.....

Anonymous said...

Has Hilary Clinton been seen in the area?

Anonymous said...

This news does not surprise me. It is merely one more verse in the litany of malfeasance and corruption that our "diplomatic" neighbors at the UN have demonstrated for many years.

marms42 said...

I can not believe that this organization cared so little for works of art that they have become "missing". It worries me a lot that these same people are settling differences for countries are war. What kind of people are they hiring? Teachers, police officers, fire fighters have to have security checks, and safeguards for their equipment, what kind of security does the UN have?

Anonymous said...

WHY DOES THAT NOT SURPRISE ME. THEY THINK THEY DESERVE IT, IT'S JUST THE "SPOILS OF WAR".

Anonymous said...

I Amen Eagle1's comments!

Sweater's Pram said...

The U.N. is full of free-loading hypocrites, so a 'little' theft on their behalf is not surprising.

Anonymous said...

Why am I not surprised??? Our American government probably paid for all that art work as well. Oh well, no problem, just tax us more.

Anonymous said...

what a disgrace! but not surprising. I curate a synagogue's art and have had things stolen right out of our cases by staff-and we believe,clergy. as far as having things insured...many museums cannot afford to insure all their art because of the prohibative prices of insurance, so must choose which to insure. shocking, but true. sat

Anonymous said...

I, too, find this hard to believe ! Didn't anyone notice that the art "grew" feet and "walked" out the door?
Isn't it hard to sneak a large piece of art out of any where, under a coat or in a lunchbox? Where was security? What about cameras?
Who was watching the watchers?!!

Queen Bee said...

This seems to be another gapping hole in its organization. While grown men and women are posing as diplomats, children are starving and dying. Missing the art is just another bumble and slap in the face of the UN's founding principles of a world view, instead of the parochial, tribal warefare that happens in within its walls.

hodder2 said...

Searching the homes of members would be useless, because they cannot be prosecuted, due to their displomatic immunity. That is probably why the items were uninsured. What insurance company would insure valuable pieces of art, that were to be housed in a building full of people, who cannot be prosecuted, due to their diplomatic immunity status?

saintNICHOLAStoo said...

And I thought I was absent-minded! Seriously,
it sounds to me like someone helped themselves to some real treasures.

Anonymous said...

I hardly find it surprising that: 1. The UN bureaucrats that purposefully break our laws and then shamelessly flaunt their claim to diplomatic immunity would steal anything from the UN. (Doesn't the UN hold stores of biological weaponry that these people could obtain? Scary!) And 2. That UN incompetence and inaction would lead these items to be neither appraised nor insured.

Anonymous said...

This is yet another example of the lack of accountability we have allowed to become the norm! Are you really surprised??? I bet there's nothing on the security tapes either. Apparently it's all OK as long as you believe you are entitled and certainly more deserving than others! The lack of appraisals and insurance just proves it was a great opportunity waiting to be taken advantage of....and they did!

Anonymous said...

Why is any of this a surprise? It has probably been going on since the beginning of the U.N. Diplomats are the most "entitled" people in the world - or at least they think they are -- and the U.N. is the most financially corrupt entity in the world. Why would you expect them to be accountable for ANYthing?

Anonymous said...

Most of the comments above are right on target. There is no doubt in my mind that virtually all of the missing items were stolen by diplomats or staff. Unfortunately, this happens with some frequency at leading museums as well; the difference here is that corruption is an epidemic at the United Nations.

Anonymous said...

I agree with all that has been posted. It is appalling what has been stolen at the U.N. and that is probably only the tip of the iceberg! They believe they are priveleged individuals and entitled to whatever they want. We have let them get away with it and not held them accountable. But God will not allow this. He will be their final judge so we can rest in peace and just keep paying our HIGH taxes!

Anonymous said...

All I say is DUH!!!!
Someone got rich on our Taxpayer money again.

Anonymous said...

Not a surprise. This organization has traditionally exhibited irresponsibility in so many other areas. Wouldn't you think they would have a curator, at least? Someone needs to be held accountable.

Anonymous said...

No one should be surprised. these diplomats and their families shoplift all through NYC, up state and New Jersey bwcause they know they will only be prosecuted by one sheriff in one county in the area. Then they are only deported, but he holds them up to their flight time.
Most of this art is now in the collection of some semi-savage dictator.

Anonymous said...

It is sad that ethics have deteriorated to the point where this sort of thing would happen. The people that currently occupy these offices should be required to produce the 'lost' art, or face expulsion.