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My friend Gail Sallee wondered aloud on the inter-webs why people shop in the mall in their pajamas; I don't have a hard and fast answer, but I have a cranky speculation: I think it is a symptom of the loss of the distinction between public and private space. A full-fledged ruckus or fracas ensues if you happen to humbly suggest that the God-man died on a cross and rose from the dead, but curses if you try to stop me from shopping at that Dillard's over there as if it were my living room. It's not that there's too much stuff in the public space, it's just the wrong stuff. Isn't that weird? We can share our bodies in public, but not our hearts. I'll make you a deal: I'll button my face if you button your shirt.
Side-Rant: I love malls. I love shopping. I love nearly everything about it. I don't have to buy anything; I just enjoy the experience. I know I'm not supposed to say this; I'm supposed to lament greed and gaudiness and suburbs and wealth and smiling and cookies. But I suspect that at least 87.8% of the time people worry about "materialism," what they really mean is, "I neither understand nor am able to tolerate the economic activity of free people." It's not like tough decisions and moral conundrums don't arise. And it's also true that without the moral formation to do justly, (Jesus Christ, directly or indirectly) one cannot hope to be just for any length of time. But it can be done. And by and large, I don't know if paternalists on the Upper East Side of Manhattan know what a voluntary, non-coercive contract between two parties actually is. Especially if one of them is non-white. Put simply, paternalism+wealth envy+dim college students="fair trade." I've yet to see an argument against global trade that didn't boil down to A) nationalism, B) "They traded, and that guy made a million dollars, while the other made a thousand. That's so unfair" or C) "I secretly continue to feel guilty about my life of American privilege, so I will unwittingly destroy the system that brought it about." We should all as Christians be concerned about the means and manner of the acquisition of wealth. We should also consider the question of what do with it after it is created. But make no mistake: new wealth needs to be created everywhere. The world is in an economic funk, and robbery or wishful thinking won't help. Leaders of the US: throw the hammer down. Slash the taxes, tariffs, duties, spending, and for pete's sake, STOP PRINTING MONEY!!!! I swear I'm not an economist, but I'm also not a moron. Even Keynes would wake up and say, "Dude, seriously, you guys are making me look bad." And after I give due adoration to our Lord on his birthday, I'm going to the mall.

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