Ancient artefacts must be rescued from ideological destruction
We must act now to remove them before it is too late
Recent events have brought to light the tenuous situation in a remote island nation. The region has for some time suffered from major political instability, with a series of leadership coups nearly unseating their ruling party, which has for decades kept vast swathes of the population in poverty. Now recent acts of vandalism and iconoclasm against the remnants of their once great civilisation have renewed calls of the removal of these sacred objects.
The nation, an uneasy alliance of people spread across a collection of desolate islands and the rugged mainland, is still ruled by an antiquated monarchy, despite the increasingly vast gap between their wealth and the rest of the population. Once a centre of production and industry, the land is fractured and divided between competing interests, with many fearing the perennial conflict between North and South bubbling over into a Civil War. To make matters worse, their relationship with neighbouring civilisations has been devastated by their increasingly hostile position to immigrants and their dramatic withdrawal from the politics of the continent. Many still cling to their glorious past and gather round monuments of long forgotten heroes and noble deeds, passing on stories of their ancestors in wars that have faded to myth.
The eyes of the world have turned to this one-time land of seafarers, when a UNESCO world heritage site was vandalised by its natives in furtherance of their own ideological agendas. The site’s meaning is a mystery, and only the mystifying name of ‘Stone Henge’ survives of the great civilisation that built it. This marvel of architecture continues to astound locals, who swear that no modern dwellers could match the size and skill of such a work. Furthermore, rumours have begun to spread from this land that some nearby dignitaries have plans to dig up the land around it, possibly damaging it, showing blatant disregard for their superior predecessors’ culture.
It is for this very reason that the world community has called for an intervention to rescue this priceless remnant of human history, so that it will not be lost to the world. A number of potential options have been proposed, all of which rightly suggest removing this work and other precious artefacts from this land and relocating them to a place where they can properly be looked after and seen by the citizens of the world. The following countries have been mooted as safe harbours for these relics:
Greece - Many have been quick to note that the great nation of Greece would be a more than apt place for these artefacts to be housed. They have shown through the construction and maintenance of the Acropolis Museum that they have the utmost respect for ancient works, and their people are best fitted to appreciate the skill of these pieces. They would certainly be at home in the warmer climate too.
New Zealand - Despite the distance, many have suggested that the island nation with a similar climate would be an optimal home. The country has recently shown it has a mature and respectful approach to indigenous culture and can house them in the magnificent Te Papa museum. The country is also synonymous with the fantastical worlds that these relics seem to be a part of.
India - One of the strongest cases is to house the relics where the most amount of people will be able to see them, rather than just a few select intrepid travellers. With a population well over 1 billion, India is the obvious choice to maximise the amount of people who will be able to see them every day.
The United States of America - They have a tenuous claim to being culturally linked to this land, but will talk it up when they feel the need. Regardless, it is hard to deny they have the economy and volume of traffic to make these accessible to the world. Some issues remain pending the outcome of upcoming political elections; the world will watch carefully to see if democracy can begin to work in this fledgling nation.
Nigeria - Another incredibly diverse and heavily populated country that would serve as a wonderful home to these artefacts. Nigerians have a historical connection to the land as well, from the times when their ancestors travelled the globe. It would be a welcome boost to the economy of one of the fastest growing areas of the world.
With all these options available, surely it cannot be long before the international community bands together to find a quick solution, before any irreparable harm is done to the ‘Stone Henge’ and its ilk. Entreaties have already begun with local residents who can give permission for them to be removed, bypassing the need for dealing with any issues of legality or sovereignty. Once the items are safely removed, it can be left to the historians to debate the legality of the move.
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Really and truly, this is a brilliant critique of Western anti-intellectualism. Kudos.
I'm not going to lie, you had me going with this modest proposal