NPR: The Seven Wonders of the Totalitarian World

The Seven Wonders of the Totalitarian World

If you followed the voting last month on The New 7 Wonders of the World, you might have noticed that the romantics won out. Sure, Machu Picchu and the Taj Mahal are beautiful and uplifting, but what about the other side of the coin? What about the tacky, egotistical monuments to self that only a dictator can erect?

Esquire magazine takes us through The Seven Wonders of the Totalitarian World.

It must have been hard to pick a favorite in North Korea, but the truly ugly hammer, sickle and painter's brush won out. Then there's the atrocious giant gold fist crushing a U.S. fighter plane in Libya. I don't know if all the good artists are in prison or if ugly art is a cunning method of psychological control. Perhaps it might have helped the U.S. in Baghdad if we had spent some time putting up a monument to our victory.

Just make sure you visit the Seven Wonders soon. These things have a tendency to get pulled down and blown up after the inevitable coup.

- Robert Smith

12:04 PM ET | 08- 7-2007 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

There's certainly not much left to the imagination with the Libyan monument. Probably best to admire it from a distance, or for a closer look I'll don my Toronto Maple Leafs cap again.

Sent by E.L. Gulbranson | 1:13 PM ET | 08-07-2007

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