The Cure That Kills: Shopping Shopping Shopping

If you are puzzled about how the US economy suddenly found itself going over a cliff, but are disinclined to read detailed and technical accounts like this one, check out this finely written piece in today's paper of record. Focusing on the outlandish bastion of overconsumption, the Mall of America, where upwards of 5000 couples have gotten married in the last 10 years, this account is a fine exploration of how the downturn, otherwise known as a depression, will force the culture of shopping to end. Truly, the US public's attachment to huge centers of consumerism is over; these people just don't realize it yet. There are few better uses of your time than to peruse this, and ponder the implications...