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Malls outside of the US and western Europe are still the go-to place. Especially for the middle class. Especially on weekend nights. Places where the whole family goes to splurge. To maybe ice skate, get a hamburger, and then see a movie. They are also nice windows into the often massive inequality in most countries. In Jakarta there is an upscale mall, complete with fancy western fashion stores, with shacks literally against the back wall of the mall. Using it as one side of a tin roofed home. Although being in a Kyiv mall two weeks before the Russian invasion gave me a pretty blind vision of what was about to happen. All I saw were happy families oblivious to the encroaching danger, which I mistook for some commentary on what was about to happen, rather than people trying to do their best to ignore the ugly.
How to Travel
walkingtheworld.substack.com
Many Californian imports identify more as libertarians than as progressives or conservatives, reinforcing Austin’s live-and-let-live vibe. For as long as I’ve been here, Austin has considered itself a liberal bastion, in contrast with the conservative state it finds itself in. Though the city council remains progressive, the dominant tone of Austin today—social tolerance mixed with turbocharged capitalism—is closer to libertarianism than to liberalism.
The Astonishing Transformation of Austin | The New Yorker
Lawrence Wright
Nihilism asks us to toss out meaning and gaze into the void that’s left in its place. But rather than being a simple, terrifying black hole, a void can prompt reflection. It’s a space to be filled with whatever you want. In that way, nihilism can serve as a funhouse mirror, reflecting and distorting your own beliefs. Approach it with pain and fear, and those feelings will be magnified. Go to it looking for a way to excuse gross behaviour, and you’ll find it.
How to Be a Happy Nihilist | Psyche Guides
psyche.co
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