In emergency planning, people are asked if there was a fire coming your way, you have time before needing to leave what would you do? The first answer is look after the people, then your personal identification and finally stuff? what stuff would you take and that leads to artwork or pictures. It is the same thing in the war.

In World War II, the Nazis besides taking over countries, systemically looted the art and valuables of the country they took over. Part of it was Hitler had a dream to build a giant museum in Linz, Austria dedicated to German and Germanic art. In the process before the war, the Nazi sent art experts to countries around Europe to identify what art was in the public museums and the art that would be taken. The other aspect of taking art is financial. Depending on the artist, depending on the quality, art can appreciate in value. The Germans would take all the known masters and the art favored by senior members of the Nazi party. At the same time, any art, valuables or property owned by Jews was taken and shipped to Germany. In Germany, the trains carrying Goring’s art had higher priority than supplies or weapons for the troops.

There is an interesting book about the subject and it was made into a movie staring George Clooney in 2014, the book is called The Monuments Men by Robert Edsel published by Center Street part of the Hachette Book Group, New York, 2009. In the book, Mr. Edsel outlines the importance the Nazis gave to the looting of art and how an unlikely group of Allied Heroes was able to recover most of the art. In the war, the last thing Generals worried about is saving the landscape, they are worried about defeating the enemy. If the enemy takes positions in sensitive areas, then it is their fault that something happens to the setting. After the battles are over is a time to worry about historical buildings and what is in them.

In the past to the victors went the spoils, as long as gold has a value, countries have gone to war and taken gold. The Spanish did it with Mexico and Peru for a time making the country the wealthiest in the world; Napoleon took art from St. Petersburg and Moscow as well as many treasurers from Italy; there are plenty of examples and continues to be plenty of examples of country looting another. The Nazis were more blatant about it. They even tried establishing new laws and procedures to “legalize” the looting activities.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, while some stocks have a history dating back to an era known as robber barons, because the rules were much more relaxed, now days we have rules and regulations. These rules help differentiate companies willing to break the rules and regulations and those that should and try not to. Ideally, the companies you invest in live by the rules and regulations and have a healthy profit margin which translates into profits and consistency of dividends.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.