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In Baghdad, an enormous monument nearly twice the size of the Arc de Triomphe towers over the city
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Two huge forearms emerge from the ground, clutching two swords that clash overhead. Those arms are enlarged casts of those of Saddam Hussein, showing every bump and follicle. The ‘Victory Arch’ celebrates a victory over Iran (in their 8-year long war) that never happened.'The Monument' is a study of the interplay between art and politics – of how culture, normally an unquestioned good, can play into the hands of power with devastating effects. Kanan Makiya uses the culture invented by Saddam Hussein as a window into the nature of totalitarianism and shows how art can become the weapon of dictatorship. Under Saddam Hussein, culture connived in his evil – The Monument explains how. It is essential reading for anyone concerned with the power of culture and the culture of power.“Brilliant and moving. The kind of totalitarian propaganda discussed by Makiya is relevant not only to explain the grip of power of Saddam Hussein but to other Arab countries.”Peter Partner, The New York Review of Books“Makiya writes stridently, but he is also capable of patient rational analysis unravelling what the Monument teaches about the abuse of art for political purposes.”Robert Hillenbrand, Times Literary Supplement
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