This is an interesting post, I don't see that the story you are trying to tell holds any water and a lot of your links are tenuous. but the parts about Qatar are interesting. Do you really think Jeff Koons and James Alefantis are involved in ISIS sex slavery? Really? ISIS that would kill both of them as soon as it got their hands on them? Or did you just do a clever little connecting of the dots that make it seem that way.
Let's beginning with your tenuous links.
There is nothing linking Jeff Koons and James Alefantis that I have seen. They are both involved in the art scene, but Koons is an international Superstar and Alefantis runs a small local gallery. They are at different levels. Alefantis is fan of Koons, it doesn't mean he is a friend or a connection of Koons. Is there any proof they ever met?
Koons is working with Louis Vuitton. And? I pretty sure even you recognize this is not tied in at all with the rest of your thesis. This is just hanging out there. Jeff Koons also made a giant puppy sculpture made of flowers. Does that matter? http://www.mickysart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/puppy-min.jpg
"Jeff Koons is close with Marina Abramović and the Qatari Royal Family in 2011" I don't think you've shown this with Abramovic. And even with the Qatari Royal Family, close may not be accurate. Abramovic and him are both fairly big names in contemporary art. They are showing at the same event. They may be close, but this is not evidence of it. This is them being part of the same world.
Koons certainly works with Qatar and the Royal Family/Government is his patrons, but do you see them collarboarating outside the art world? What influence do you think he has on them? As the article points out, he would not be able to show some of his work there. Probably would be imprisoned if he exhibited the one you link to above.
"A Qatari Investment firm recently purchased another famous French fashion house, Balmain." This is another one unconnected thread that is just hanging out there.
Actually Podesta received this email. It was from Hillary Clinton. However, I don't believe she wrote that part. It sounds like they were talking about this earlier and she forwarded it along. His subject is clearly a reply "Subject*: Re: Here's what I mentioned." Note that it's not "what I wrote" or "what I'm working on." This sounds like one of those emails she would get from Sidney Blumenthal, who would send stuff like this to her........Just noticed your link mentions this too.
Syrian civil war began in 2011 and ISIS is now trafficking Syrian women into sex slavery
This is a big nonsequitur and flattens out and simplifies a complex geopolitical issue. For one thing, the start of the Syrian civil war arose for completely domestic issues and inspired by the Arab Spring.
So what is your final point? ISIS sex slavery is promoted by the Clinton Foundation? Funded by the modern art market? Done on behalf of Qatar? This just makes no sense. You have made connections between people groups, but you don't have a cohesive thesis and what's more it's unclear all these actors have the same motivations and are working together across various spheres. Dot connecting tends to lead to two dimensional analysis where everything is flattened out.
Do you really think ISIS approves of this woman with her hair uncovered, who runs a billion dollar a year organization dedicated to art, is the head of the film institute, supports education for women?
Here's how women dress in ISIS territory. https://nyti.ms/2kFKegl
Your thesis makes no sense and I like how you throw in McCain at the end.
The truth is the Qatari government is anti ISIS and an ally with us against terrorism.
QATAR
Overview: The United States and Qatar maintained a strong partnership in the fight against terrorism. Qatar is a partner in the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and has provided significant support in facilitating critical U.S. military operations in the region.....U.S. agencies have an active and productive dialogue with their Qatari counterparts and work closely for the exchange and evaluation of terrorist-related information......In addition to hosting two U.S. military installations critical to Counter-ISIL Coalition efforts, Qatar offered to host a base to train-and-equip moderate Syrian opposition forces, and provided significant operational and logistical support for Coalition activities. Qatar’s Cabinet welcomed the December announcement of a new military alliance of thirty-four Islamic states led by Saudi Arabia to fight terrorism in “all its forms and manifestations, whatever their sources and justifications.”
When folks say Qatar funds terrorism, is that money public or private? George Soros is an American billionaire who spends money on political causes. So is Robert Mercer, but they are not allies, the support different, even competing political causes. Are the Qataris spending millions on modern art, the same Qataris sending money to Al Nusra?
Also generally speaking, their money doesn't go to ISIS in Syria, it goes to Al Nusra.
Which brings me to the part I found interesting, the article on the contradictions of Art in Qatar. Qatar is a tiny country on an oil field and using its money to try influence on the world stage in both the political and cultural fields. The Museum director has a billion dollar a year budget to buy/commission art. They spent $550 million dollars to bring two French paintings to Qatar. They want the world to visit them. (Their airline serves more countries than any US carrier. The World Cup is going to be there in 2022.) They also put a Qatari poet in jail for life for this poem
https://arablit.org/2013/03/09/as-we-wait-on-al-ajamis-final-appeal-a-new-translation-of-jasmine-revolution-poem/
He was filmed reading the poem in his apartment in Cairo when he was a student. When he returned to Qatar he was arrested for insulting the emir. He was pardoned after four years by the new Emir.....right before a conference on freedom of the press was about to begin. They sponsor Al Jazeerah, which in the Arab world was seen as liberating force against Arab leaders, because they would have debates that would never get covered on state news channels. And they were satellite, intended to be seen across the region. Qatar certainly wants to push a foreign policy that promotes Sunnis and pushes back against Iran. They buy a lot of weapons and have joined the war in Yemen.
So Qatar in some ways is embracing the west and the future and in some ways, it's not. They do not want to turn the clock back to the Middle Ages like ISIS. If they didn't care about how they were viewed in the West, they never would have free that poet.
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KnightsofHubris ago
This is an interesting post, I don't see that the story you are trying to tell holds any water and a lot of your links are tenuous. but the parts about Qatar are interesting. Do you really think Jeff Koons and James Alefantis are involved in ISIS sex slavery? Really? ISIS that would kill both of them as soon as it got their hands on them? Or did you just do a clever little connecting of the dots that make it seem that way.
Let's beginning with your tenuous links.
There is nothing linking Jeff Koons and James Alefantis that I have seen. They are both involved in the art scene, but Koons is an international Superstar and Alefantis runs a small local gallery. They are at different levels. Alefantis is fan of Koons, it doesn't mean he is a friend or a connection of Koons. Is there any proof they ever met?
Koons is working with Louis Vuitton. And? I pretty sure even you recognize this is not tied in at all with the rest of your thesis. This is just hanging out there. Jeff Koons also made a giant puppy sculpture made of flowers. Does that matter? http://www.mickysart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/puppy-min.jpg
"Jeff Koons is close with Marina Abramović and the Qatari Royal Family in 2011" I don't think you've shown this with Abramovic. And even with the Qatari Royal Family, close may not be accurate. Abramovic and him are both fairly big names in contemporary art. They are showing at the same event. They may be close, but this is not evidence of it. This is them being part of the same world.
Koons certainly works with Qatar and the Royal Family/Government is his patrons, but do you see them collarboarating outside the art world? What influence do you think he has on them? As the article points out, he would not be able to show some of his work there. Probably would be imprisoned if he exhibited the one you link to above.
"A Qatari Investment firm recently purchased another famous French fashion house, Balmain." This is another one unconnected thread that is just hanging out there.
So the Clinton Foundation got a million dollar check and "around the same time, the State of Qatar purchased the most expensive piece of art ever sold for more than $250,000,000." Again these seem unconnected, but the art includes "cards." Well your article points out this is not the most ever paid for a painting. Qatar Museums also bought a Gaugain painting, "Will you marry me?" for $300 million in 2015. https://elpreciodelarte.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/1435924496672.jpgPaul_Gauguin%2C_Nafea_Faa_Ipoipo%3F_1892%2C_oil_on_canvas%2C_101_x_77_cm.jpg
Does this help or hurt your thesis?
Actually Podesta received this email. It was from Hillary Clinton. However, I don't believe she wrote that part. It sounds like they were talking about this earlier and she forwarded it along. His subject is clearly a reply "Subject*: Re: Here's what I mentioned." Note that it's not "what I wrote" or "what I'm working on." This sounds like one of those emails she would get from Sidney Blumenthal, who would send stuff like this to her........Just noticed your link mentions this too.
All that aside, I don't think you need an email from Podesta or Clinton to ask questions about Qatar. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar_and_state-sponsored_terrorism https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/258249.pdf
So what is your final point? ISIS sex slavery is promoted by the Clinton Foundation? Funded by the modern art market? Done on behalf of Qatar? This just makes no sense. You have made connections between people groups, but you don't have a cohesive thesis and what's more it's unclear all these actors have the same motivations and are working together across various spheres. Dot connecting tends to lead to two dimensional analysis where everything is flattened out.
The woman who bought those paintings and runs Qatar's museums is this woman. http://www.diplomatmagazine.nl/wp-content/uploads/Al-Mayassa-bint-Hamad-bin-Khalifa-Al-Thani-610x323.jpg
Do you really think ISIS approves of this woman with her hair uncovered, who runs a billion dollar a year organization dedicated to art, is the head of the film institute, supports education for women?
Here's how women dress in ISIS territory.
https://nyti.ms/2kFKegl
Your thesis makes no sense and I like how you throw in McCain at the end.
The truth is the Qatari government is anti ISIS and an ally with us against terrorism.
The problem with Qatar traditionally has been private funding of terrorism, not government sponsorship of terrorism. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/08/world/middleeast/qatars-support-of-extremists-alienates-allies-near-and-far.html
When folks say Qatar funds terrorism, is that money public or private? George Soros is an American billionaire who spends money on political causes. So is Robert Mercer, but they are not allies, the support different, even competing political causes. Are the Qataris spending millions on modern art, the same Qataris sending money to Al Nusra?
Though in at least one case a terrorist financier was a Qatari civil servant. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salim_al-Kuwari
Also generally speaking, their money doesn't go to ISIS in Syria, it goes to Al Nusra.
Which brings me to the part I found interesting, the article on the contradictions of Art in Qatar. Qatar is a tiny country on an oil field and using its money to try influence on the world stage in both the political and cultural fields. The Museum director has a billion dollar a year budget to buy/commission art. They spent $550 million dollars to bring two French paintings to Qatar. They want the world to visit them. (Their airline serves more countries than any US carrier. The World Cup is going to be there in 2022.) They also put a Qatari poet in jail for life for this poem https://arablit.org/2013/03/09/as-we-wait-on-al-ajamis-final-appeal-a-new-translation-of-jasmine-revolution-poem/
He was filmed reading the poem in his apartment in Cairo when he was a student. When he returned to Qatar he was arrested for insulting the emir. He was pardoned after four years by the new Emir.....right before a conference on freedom of the press was about to begin. They sponsor Al Jazeerah, which in the Arab world was seen as liberating force against Arab leaders, because they would have debates that would never get covered on state news channels. And they were satellite, intended to be seen across the region. Qatar certainly wants to push a foreign policy that promotes Sunnis and pushes back against Iran. They buy a lot of weapons and have joined the war in Yemen.
So Qatar in some ways is embracing the west and the future and in some ways, it's not. They do not want to turn the clock back to the Middle Ages like ISIS. If they didn't care about how they were viewed in the West, they never would have free that poet.
http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/1431272/qatar-the-shape-of-tomorrow