Just google the Larry Silverstein/Frank Lowy partenership.There are a lot more questions to be answered there.

John Pilger: Grim, Angry, yet so well travelled! Lucky bugger.

Material enslavement is actually a choice made John. People are free to not participate. Malls don't fit your nostalgic World view - strip shops on the High Street still significantly outnumber malls anyway - but they do provide an efficient and (shock, horror) even enjoyable distraction for some from the mundanities of life.

But I guess those folks just need to attend one of your dire lectures to shake that out of their systems.

Love the anti-semetic sub-text too. Damn those Lowys, Oi Vey!

See you at the barricades old bean.

“but they do provide an efficient and (shock, horror) even enjoyable distraction for some from the mundanities of life.”

In fact they are suffering from a terrible disease called “mallitis” and the only cure is a strong dose of retail therapy.

Grotesque consumerism is not a recent phenomenon, as illustrated compellingly in William Leach's 'Land of Desire: Merchants, Power, and the Rise of a New American Culture'. While I share Mr Pilger's distaste and concern, I think the temptation to blame the state and class apartheid for the current state of affairs ought to be resisted. This is a social disease that afflicts rich and poor alike, and it would be more profitable to ask questions as to how consumerism has taken the place of community, civic duty, and religious devotion. Shopping has become a poor substitute for many things. While the political establishment may bear some responsibility, real change will only ever come from the grass roots. As long as protesters and rioters choose clothes, gadgets, and televisions over books and genuine political debate, state efforts for good or ill will be largely ineffective. Our governments merely reflect a wider social malaise, and until we persuade people of all sections of society to choose the responsibility of democratic freedom instead of the mind-numbing autocracy of consumerism, railing against the state is not only futile but hypocritical. When people act in concert, their power works as a counterweight to the force of tyranny, but when that power is relinquished the state will invariably take up the slack. Shopping malls reflect our choices, our priorities. Unless we consciously support independent retailers and avoid malls (as whole communities and not just individuals here and there), we only have ourselves to blame.

You say “The mega mall is the biggest in Europe”.

May be now, but a bigger one will be built in the next years and one bigger than the biggest will follow and so on, and when the space runs out, they’ll import some.

The Priests of the world better switch sides. There is more money in Sports than in Gods.

‘Don’t you worry about that’ used to say another import to your country, Mr. Pilger

A (Western) world going mad with consumerism - obesity, suicide and road trauma, while the 'other half' have more to worry about - where to get their next meal. Thanks John for holding up a mirror for us yet again.

So what do we do about it? I try to watch my own footprint - boycott the 'lala land' mega shopping malls for a start. Spending time in my garden (lucky enough to have 1/4 acre still) is another therapy that costs nothing and actually produces a bit of fresh food. Used to love fishing but using 20 litres of fuel to catch 2 kg of fish doesnt wash any more.

What of the biggest challenge of all - the social one where we are reduced to isolated objects who are either better or worse (i.e. consume more or less, slot into higher lor lower paying jobs) than the next man? This is a harder one to crack.

I reckon it's a matter first knowing when enough is enough to spend on getting money and consuming. Then slowing down our interactions, just realizing that other people and nature are the real stuff of life and deciding to spend more time doing it.

The retail therapy is there but we don't have to partake - best thing to do with some things is ignore them. Roll on the recession (that means no or negative growth of GDP).I find recession times are actually good for our society. Maybe this one will even spur 'the masses' to political action - to reform taxes and make the mega rich pay back some of their plunder - or maybe things will have to get a lot worse yet.