vote for the seven new wonders of the world

[May-chan]

http://www.new7wonders.com/

I'm guessing a lot of dumb americans will be voting for statue of liberty *slaps forehead* bakas

[Christina Anikari]

Vote for the german castle. Fairy tale buildings looking like they were made of legos need love too.

[Kara-chan]

Yet a wonder also means what it inspires in others. For many millions, my own ancestors included, the Statue of Liberty was a sign of freedom from repression and the start of a new life. It was a symbol, one of rebirth and liberty, and one that has inspired many. Frankly, if voting for it makes you an idiot, then you can put me up as one, if not for the engineering feats (not super impressive but still pretty cool) then for what it's given millions and what it represents.

[Mistress Guendolen]

I find myself gravitating towards the more mysterious and ancient wonders, like Stonehenge, the Pyramids (both Giza and Chichen Itza), the Easter Island heads.... The things that their construction is still very much speculated about. It's that mystery that, to my mind, makes them something to marvel at.

[Mitera Nikkou]

Just those twenty-one things? What about the Troll? Or the Delta works? (There was a dike-thingy that was built, I think, that could open and close like a door, to allow ships passage when the sea wasn't being naughty.)

There are plenty of others out there, but those are the ones that I could think of.

Edit:

As far as the Easter islands go, I think they figured that out.

[Mistress Guendolen]

There are theories, but last I heard there weren't any concrete conclusions. But I suppose I could be mistaken. Either way, though, I still really like 'em.

[Christina Anikari]

Ummm...not to ruin any of your ideas Guen, but how those were made is quite well known. Not every single engineering detail, but the basic methods are known already. Stonehenge was by large rock slabs quarried and then hauled along on logs until they reached the spot where they are now and then using ropes and logs for lifting were pulled erect. The pyramids were made using thousands of conscripted peasants beating the blocks into shape using rounded stones and then hauled up what was already made and so on.

As for the symbol the Statue of Liberty represents then a lot of buildings are symbols of a lot without even being nominated. What about Great Zimbabwe for example the great symbol to African nationalists and black pride movements for over a century? Or the area around the Kabah? Or the Basilica of St. Peter...i actually wonder why that one wasn't nominated. Or any of the countless others there are, they are just as much symbols as the Statue of Liberty, yet they get no attention, probably because they aren't American.

[Mistress Guendolen]

Well, pardon me. I guess I'm just not well-informed.... Though you're right in that there are an awful lot of things left off the list. I guess they were trying to go for ones that were largely well-known. And if the list were bigger, then choosing what to vote for would be even harder. Shame, really, because you mentioned some good stuff there.

[Xiao]

I personally think that I should be on that list, but whatever.

Makes me wonder what authority these people have in making a worldly descision. I like the old wonders, even though there is only one left.

Also for the Statue of Liberty. It's not as if they have exactly 7 American national land marks in hopes of people voting for those, I myself think it's fairly wonderous, you don't see too many people making those today...

[Kara-chan]

Indeed, those are all good things and they are all important symbols. I agree that the voting should not be only 21 and should include other things as well, strong symbols like the ones you mentioned and others. What I was objecting to was calling people that voted for it idiots. That's really it.

[Christina Anikari]

You are not that poorly informed. Noone has any clue why the Easter Island heads were made for example or who actually made the Stonehenge. Likewise the details for how the pyramids were made are constantly adjusted to fit new findings, so there are lots of mysteries left. Just not as many as is often said in popular presentation about them.

And i could think of many other examples of structures that could be nominated as well, i just picked those that held large symbolical value that i could think of, off the top of my head. Had those giant Buddhas in Afghanistan not been bombed they should be added as well. Those terra cotta warrions in China could be as well. Mount Rushmore could actually be as well, the largest statue made by one man and in the middle of nowhere even. I would put the Cathedral of St. Vitus in Prague or perhaps the entire castle of Prague. The city of Czechy Krumlov as well, whic is a city that has stood unchanged since the middle ages and it was a really rich one as well so it is highly decorated. The Charles Bridge of Prague. Lots of other stuff around Europe as well, i am just the best at remembering the truly impressive bits in the Czech Republic for some reason.

[May-chan]

I said idiots because I'm making a strong assumption that many american's don't even really know a full seven of those listed... just like how in the poll of America's greatest president... Bush, Clinton, and Reagan were near or at the top of the list because most of the voters were only familiar with recent presidents... thus I'd imagine they'd vote for statue of liberty because they think "OMG amereka nombar 1! we are tuh bestest hurr hurr! All dose udder 1's R in commie-nazi-terrorist countrees, I thunk..."

-_-

[Mitera Nikkou]

I just noticed that they don't even have the forbidden city (in China) listed...

[Chibi MitchellTF]

Hey! May-Chan, I take offense at that! *puts the fence in his yard*

Still, you do have a point that Americans need to discover more about other countries. I think the thought process might be something closer to "Great Wall of China...isn't that somewhere in Texas?", personally. I think it would have been less offensive if you mentioned that it was because they didn't KNOW any other landmarks, but it's your post.

[Christina Anikari]

They lack a lot of the obvious ones the forbidden city and the Basilica of St. Peter for example. Lots of other stuff in Italy as well. Perhaps Pompeii as well, though it is due to nature that we have that to look at.