Burj Khalifa…monument to a bygone era?

Yesterday marked the much anticipated opening of the new Burj Dubai, wait, make that Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates. After several hiccoughs along the way, including the near collapse of the local economy, how should the public view this mega-structure? In a time post-global economic crisis, is the building simply a vanity reminiscent of insider Wall Street power deals?