David vs. Goliath

Help David Take on Goliath

http://culturalpropertyobserver.blogspot.com/2012/03/help-david-take-on-goliath.html

by Peter Tompa

Obviously, I agree with this World Coin News editorial: http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=24861

I would also note if any of the political appointees in the Obama State Department or US Customs actually studied the issues, they might also question how their agency's actions comport with President Obama's promises to curb over regulation, particularly when it harms small businesses. Are grossly overbroad import restrictions doing anything other than killing off small businesses and discriminating against American collectors compared to their European and Chinese counterparts?

Dave Harper believes ACCG is David, the underdog, in this battle against the bureaucratic Goliath. The latest political news is that President Obama apparently thinks he is an underdog too. Perhaps, that will encourage his political appointees to take a serious and independent look at what the bureaucracy has wrought. At a minimum, Harper's editorial should put world coin collectors on notice-- it's ancient coins today, early modern coins tomorrow.

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COMMENTARY

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Harper's editorial should put antiquities collectors everywhere (including coin collectors) on notice -- in reality, it's ancient coins today, early modern coins tomorrow, and all other types of antiquities thereafter. The ACCG's valiant efforts are the only effective resistance from any organization to the onward march of this bureaucratic Goliath.

There is a tendency for antiquities collectors who do not live in the USA to believe that this struggle does not concern them. In my opinion, such a view could not be more mistaken. Efforts by bureaucrats to suppress private antiquities collecting are a global threat, and what happens in the USA will have profound effects for collectors everywhere.

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