Love Hotels and Market Forces
Love Hotels, for those not familiar with Korea, are establishments that cater to couples looking to rent a room for an hour or two. The are usually located near bus or train stations in seedy neighborhoods that are home to "Room Salons" and other fronts for prostitution. The church where I was received into the Catholic Church two years ago was the solitary point of light in such a neighborhood.
In recent years, the Love Hotel industry has boomed. Some have spread to residential neighborhoods, and even near elementary schools, prompting the protests of angry mothers. The government responded by barring such "entertainment facilities" from operating within 200 meters of public schools.
The government's move has caused the indignation of Scott Fallis, who, in an op-ed piece entitled Love Hotels, agrues that "market forces, not angry women, [should] dictate the kinds of businesses that flourish in their communities."
I reject Mr. Fallis's argument. This kind of idealistic capitalism puts materialist economic forces ahead of people, family, and community. This type of capitalism is as bad as socialism.
Love Hotels, for those not familiar with Korea, are establishments that cater to couples looking to rent a room for an hour or two. The are usually located near bus or train stations in seedy neighborhoods that are home to "Room Salons" and other fronts for prostitution. The church where I was received into the Catholic Church two years ago was the solitary point of light in such a neighborhood.
In recent years, the Love Hotel industry has boomed. Some have spread to residential neighborhoods, and even near elementary schools, prompting the protests of angry mothers. The government responded by barring such "entertainment facilities" from operating within 200 meters of public schools.
The government's move has caused the indignation of Scott Fallis, who, in an op-ed piece entitled Love Hotels, agrues that "market forces, not angry women, [should] dictate the kinds of businesses that flourish in their communities."
I reject Mr. Fallis's argument. This kind of idealistic capitalism puts materialist economic forces ahead of people, family, and community. This type of capitalism is as bad as socialism.
Redeemed by Our Savior, I work out my salvation with fear and trembling in Pohang, South Korea, where I live with my wife, daughter, and son and teach English at a science and technology university. Baptized a Methodist and raised a Missouri Synod Lutheran in Buffalo, NY, I spent six years as a guest of the Anglican Communion before being received by the Grace of God into the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church on the Feast of Saint Andrew, my patron, anno domini 2002.
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