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Meriadoc · 3833 days ago · link · · parent · post: The Worst Day Of My Life Is Now New York's Hottest Tourist Attraction
I think it's a matter of spectacle above all else. Yes, our monuments in DC are tourist attractions as well, but it's not their primary function. They exist independently, and are larger, existentially, than the attraction they have. They don't have any excess to them, they're purely for respect of who or what they depict (except maybe the WWII memorial. I fucking hate that thing.) The same goes for the Norway memorial. It's a symbol. The 9/11 one is a cheap, highway side-show museum. "Wonders and Oddities of A Unique Event!" It's like the Buzzfeed/HuffPo of memorials. "10 Crazy Things From 9/11 You Won't Believe!" It's disingenuous at best, but really, it's what capitalism is at its worst.