Italian Museum Burns Art

I guess this can be written off as a publicity stunt, but it does demonstrate how badly Italy's sovereign debt crisis is impacting funding for the arts:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/19/us-italy-art-idUSBRE83I14920120419

It is unrealistic to think such stunts will somehow restore funding-- there is none to be had.

Instead, Italy, like Greece, has to give up with the pretense that the State should be a guardian and funder for everything of cultural worth. Instead, it should concentrate on protecting cultural treasures like Pompeii, and frankly allow interested members of the public to help conserve the rest, through collecting, yes.