How about this as a compromise? Yes, “the moral, spiritual, and political challenges posed by the consumerist ethic affect us all.” But they affect different people differently. And therefore, we as conservatives or libertarians must be very wary of assuming that our views on the subject are so much more deserving that they should be translated into public policies. I have no problem with Rod or, say, Virgina Postrel saying that the consumerist ethic — however defined — has consequences. It’s the “therefore what?” question that should make everyone nervous.