Sunday, September 07, 2003 :::
The substantial and stylish Virginia Postrel was on Fox News Channel this afternoon promoting her book, "The Substance of Style". I was reminded of something while watching: anti-globalization types complain that big companies like Wal-Mart and Starbucks are forces for homogenization. Ignoring the fact that good local shops still exist, consider what you see when you go into one of the stores. I went to Walgreen's a few weeks ago to buy shampoo, and was overwhelmed by the array of options. In the parts of Europe I've seen -- and, I've been told, in many parts that I haven't -- there aren't nearly as many different options, especially for those with lower incomes.
Frankly, I could have done with that lack of options regarding shampoo. In general, though, I think it's good that we are wealthy enough to have a variety of options.
::: posted by Steven at 10:38 PM
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