Have been to a few of the places in that list (Las Vegas, Great Wall, Mannekin Pis, London, Astronomical Clock) and the only one I was really dissapointed by was London. I'd say that most of the criticisms of London are valid. Definitly overpriced and I didn't find much that interested me. If it wasn't the centre of the Anglophone world, I think its reputation would be a lot lower than its current status. Certianly wouldn't be any issue about expanding Heathrow at any rate. Whilst I admit that taste is a personal thing, I've done similar short trips on the way to Ireland in several European cites that I felt were all much more interesting and better value for money than London (Berlin, Budapest, Prague, Brussels).
Some of the others are a bit unfair while reflecting on the understandably UK centric viewpoint of the article. Mannekin Pis is a good example. It really is just a small, quirky piece of public art while while fun and histroic, isn't worth going to Brussels in itself. Certainly anyone who took a four hour round journey on Eurostar just to see it would be disappointed. This clearly wouldn't apply to Australians since I don't think anyone, even those with endless free time and money, would contemplate a minimum 25 hour journey just to see a tiny fountian. This applies as well to the Astronomical Clock, which is lovely but is only one attraction of the city it resides in.
I love Las Vegas, but I can definietly understand the viewpoint of simongr and Blinky. While it does offer a bit more than just gambling and parties, it is still a place that is strongly targeted towards particular demographics in a way this is likely to lead to a black and white view of the city. The bit on the Great Wall however is a joke. It's truly a wonder of the world and is a must for any trip to China. Given that it's a few thousand kilometers long, it's not to hard to avoid the more touristy sections if you really want, although the authorities seem to have really cracked down on hawkers harassing tourists in recent times (comparing my trip last year to when I went in 1997) so even there the main issue should be the crowds.
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