A better use for int'l aid

In the 1960s, the U.S. donated hundreds of tons of concrete to Laos for the purpose of building a new airport runway. However, instead of going for the runway, Laos decided to build this gigantic monument thing:


It may seem irresponsible for Laos to have built this when what it probably needed was better transportation infrastructure, but it does look pretty cool. And, you can climb to the top and see for miles around Vientiane.

(As for how the decision was made, I picture 5 or 6 Laotian government employees in a plain white room, seated around a wooden table, somewhat bored. They know they have to build this runway, but nobody's too excited about it. But then, this one guy pipes up, saying, "Hey, I got an idea. WHAT IF, instead of a runway, we..." And the rest, as they say, is history.)

btj