NationStates Jolt Archive

It's the Year 2020, and the US Government, through war, and tax cuts and whatever other reasons is totally and utterly broke. Foreign creditors have dismissed US pleas for more credit.
In order to at least meet the most desperate payments, the US Government has thus decided to do a yard sale on the lawn of the White House.
Plenty of interesting stuff is for sale, including all the fancy furniture - and the prime lot:
The Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution - both in prime condition, and obviously the only originals.

Leonstein (names have been changed to preserve the privacy of those concerned) has decided to attend the auction, and paid about 20 billion dollars for the two documents.

A day later, he has a good idea: He'll do for a camping trip. To that end, he visits the Louvre in Paris, buying the Mona Lisa, the tower of London, buying the Crown Jewels etc etc

After a while, many precious relics of Human history and culture are in his posession. Time to go camping.
Unfortunately, Leonstein both forget his heating equipment, and his toilet paper. Deciding that he'll be happier if he uses his property to satisfy is needs at this point in time, the precious artifacts are destroyed forever.

What do you think of Leonstein?

Megh, it's better than using your hand.

What I want to know is how you made that much money.

For some reason, the song "Ready to Die" by Andrew W.K. is playing in my head...


This is your time to pay! This is your judgement day! ... You better get ready to die!

<snip>
Why would you go camping and bring the DoI with you, but forget toilet paper?
Leonstein sounds a bit silly. Leonstein also needs to quit refering to himself in the third person because it is making Fiddlebottoms upset.
However, if he wants to wipe his ass with $20 million dollars, go ahead. Although I doubt that the Crown Jewels will make very good toilet paper or heating equipment.

Congratulations, you just wasted 20 million dollars on toilet paper.

To be blunt. I'd probably capture you, lock you in a small dark shed, and every 6 hours get a large hard back text book and beat you shitless with it until you are legally mentally retarded, if you must know the truth.

wow you sound like that corrupt mayor in Futurama... the one who buys all the world's landmarks and bungs em down on that beach

1) It was 20 billion dollars, not 20 million. I was trying not to offend any Americans by quoting a low price for such a rare heirloom.

2) The Question remains: Am I right in doing what I did, destroying the constitution, the Mona Lisa and other artifacts of some value to humanity? Why? Why not?

1) It was 20 billion dollars, not 20 million. I was trying not to offend any Americans by quoting a low price for such a rare heirloom.

2) The Question remains: Am I right in doing what I did, destroying the constitution, the Mona Lisa and other artifacts of some value to humanity? Why? Why not?
They're Leonstein's property, Leonstein can do with then as Leonstein pleases. I'm sure a bankrupt US having a yardsale on the North Lawn will have more pressing concerns.

However, Leonstein better not expect the law to protect Leonstein from an arskicking of royal proportions. So severe that Leonstein's testicles (or clitorus as the case may be) need be removed from Leonstein's eye sockets.

However, Leonstein better not expect the law to protect Leonstein from an arskicking of royal proportions. So severe that Leonstein's testicles (or clitorus as the case may be) need be removed from Leonstein's eye sockets.
Why not?
I didn't do anything illegal - yet you removing sexual organs through the skull would be, wouldn't it?

Who valued it?

Who valued it?
It was an auction - I wanted it more than the guy next to me. Or, for that matter, he just couldn't afford to keep bidding, while Leonstein could.

Why not?
I didn't do anything illegal - yet you removing sexual organs through the skull would be, wouldn't it?
I was implying the boot to the arse would hold such force that Leonstein's testicles would be driven into Leonstein's eye sockets and would need be removed by surgicals means, so Leonstein could see clearly, with Leonstein's scrotum blocking the veiw.

Whilst Leonstein would be commiting not crime as Rotovia previouslt stated, those in the houses of law might be inclined to turn their hypothetical heads whilst the hypothetical boot is delivered to Leionstein's document desicrating arse.

Okay, so maybe the depth of my post is lost on you guys... :p (joking!)

The point is of course about property. Are there things that, even though you may buy and own them, remain property of society as a whole?
Things that hold deep cultural, scientific or other value for all of humanity (or Americanity or whatever) - things that I thus could only become the carer for, not actually the owner?

In A.D 2020, stupidity was beginning...

Historian: What happen?

Student: Someone set us up the White House yard sale.

Student: We get signal.

Student: Main screen turn on.

Historian: Its you!

Leonstein: HOW ARE YOU GENTLEMEN?

Leonstein: ALL YOUR ARTIFACTS ARE BELONG TO US.

Leonstein: YOU ARE ON THE WAY TO DESTRUCTION.

Historian: What you say?

Leonstein: YOU HAVE NO WAY TO SURVIVE MAKE YOUR TIME...

Leonstein: HA HA HA HA

Historian: Take off every arts correspondent.

Historian: You know what you are doing.

Historian: Move arts correspondent.

Historian: For great justice.

Art and world cultural heritage... more than once it has been discussed if they should be possessed by individuals at all or whether they're public property by definition.

The declaration of independence, the magna carta, the privilegium majus, the (insert national important paper here) is not for sale. It belongs to the people and can not be sold or bought.

Or better, if you don't want to piss off 'the people' enough to come after your rear, you better not sell or buy them.

Then where do you draw the line?
When is something of "cultural value", ie it has some social benefit associated with it, and when isn't it.
Many people defend their property rights religiously, yet if my Magna Charta (just assume I could buy it - if you can't, try a precious work of art) benefits others, and thus isn't fully mine, then what about my health? What about my education?
What about my money?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_of_Doctor_Gachet
The painting became famous on May 15, 1990, when Japanese businessman Ryoei Saito paid $82.5 million for it at auction in Christie's, New York; this made it the most expensive painting at the time (it has since been surpassed by Picasso's Garçon à la pipe in 2004). Ryoei Saito, who died in 1996, had caused a scandal when he threatened to have the van Gogh painting cremated with him after his death. Saito, 75 years old at the time, the honorary chairman of Daishowa Paper Manufacturing Co., later stated: "What I really wanted to [express] was my wish to preserve the paintings forever." Saito, his aides explained, was using a figure of speech: threatening to torch the oils was just an expression of intense affection for the masterpieces. Later Saito said he would consider giving the paintings to his government or a museum.