Luxury Beliefs
There's a growing trend among cultural elites of moral grandstanding.
Rob Henderson is currently making the rounds in the media to promote his new book Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class.
He has quite a story to tell. Born to a drug-addicted mother and a father he never met, he ultimately shuttled between ten different foster homes in California. Divorce, abandonment and poverty marked his adolescence before finally landing with a stable, loving family.
Despite the tumult, Henderson was an extremely bright young man. And the chaos also made him a very resilient and resourceful young man. Upon graduating high school, he enlisted in the United States Air Force at age 17. In the military, he was able to stabilize his life.
Upon completing his duty, he graded out well enough to enroll at Yale University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology. From there, he was awarded a Gates Scholarship and eventually earned his PhD in psychology at Cambridge.
Now 33, his book is a bestseller and making an impact among cultural circles.
The new Status Symbol
Henderson first became fully aware of class and social orders at Yale. Upon leaving the Air Force, suddenly he was ensconced in affluence at an elite university — more than half of Yale students came from families in the top 1 percent of income.
And he came from the bottom of the bottom 1 percent.
He quickly tuned in to class distinctions and sensibilities. Whether sharing a dinner table with classmates or sitting in study groups, he had nothing in common with the Ivy League bluebloods. He was an outsider looking in.
One oddity stuck out to him — their relentless pursuit of status. But not the status of material wealth, which was inherent among his classmates, a birthright. They sought it in other ways. Something superficial. Something contrived. Call it “aesthetic status,” a virtue code Henderson found shallow and disingenuous.
He identifies this virtue code in his book as Luxury Beliefs.
Definition: Luxury Beliefs
Henderson defines Luxury Beliefs as:
“… ideas and opinions that confer status on the upper class while inflicting costs on the lower class.”
Translation: Rich people advocate for the poor to elevate their status among their peers, but with ideas and beliefs that actually hurt the underclasses in some form — economically, socially, or in overall health and well-being.
I would modify Henderson’s definition. There isn’t always a concrete “cost” to the lower/poorer classes. But the elites’ pandering sure isn’t helping them.
The concept is closely tied to good old-fashioned hypocrisy but with a moral twist. Some define it as “cultural capital.” In other words, you don’t need a Lambo or carry a Balenciaga purse to flaunt your status. Just state something, as publicly as possible, to show your deep care and patronage of the unwashed masses.
Think of the uptown socialites who advocate for homeless shelters, then retreat behind the walls of their gated community. “Let’s build them! … But put them over there!” This loathsome group of morally superior plaster saints is often called “NIMBYs” (Not In My Back Yard)
Luxury Beliefs are not the province of a specific political party. Generally speaking, they belong to a class we collectively call our cultural elites.
Luxury Belief #1: Trickle-Down Economics
A quick stroll back in history.
The first Luxury Belief I remember was this noteworthy free market economic strategy from the Ronald Reagan era. I remember it because I believed it at the time.
In general, the precepts behind Trickle Down Economics were …
Reduce taxes.
Reduce growth in government reach and spending.
Reduce regulations.
Tighten the money supply to reduce inflation.
Essentially, the thinking fits a maxim of conservative orthodoxy: “Rising water lifts all boats.” Every American would benefit from a free market system unconstrained by taxes and government impedance.
In theory, it sounded great. And it worked. For a while. During Reagan’s first term, unemployment dropped from 7.5 percent to 5.4 percent. Inflation dropped from 12.5 percent to 4.7 percent.
But markets change. Always have. Economies fluctuate in cycles, regardless of who sits in the White House. But social classes don’t. Not really. Americans are still identified by class, with a chasm between the very rich and … well, everybody else.
Crucially, over 40 years, America evolved from a manufacturing-based system to a technology-driven economy. Industries changed, but the power dynamics — the dominance for whom and how the money works in the marketplace — have not.
Over the decades — given the ebbs and flows of market forces — another axiom, this one more cynical, has held up through all the trickle down …
The Golden Rule: “He who holds the gold makes the rules.”
And so it goes with Trickle-Down Economics. The game is rigged. As certain as “death and taxes,” the rich always get richer.
Two years before Reagan’s first tax cut, the richest 1 percent of Americans held less than 23 percent of the nation’s wealth. A decade later, after two rounds of tax cuts they owned over 28 percent. By 2019, after more tax cuts by George W. Bush and Donald Trump, people at the top owned almost 35 percent of America’s wealth.
Meanwhile, the middle class has shrunk. Though household incomes have risen considerably, the share of aggregate U.S. household income held by the middle class has fallen steadily.
As for the lower classes, the trickle-down has hardly lifted their boats at all. They’re pretty much anchored.
Meantime, the federal government continues to spend like an extinction-level asteroid is coming. The money cannon has never stopped firing, regardless of the party in power. And there’s a reckoning coming … the National Debt currently stands at $34.6 trillion, and is going up at a rate of $1 trillion every 100 days.
As an irresolute Libertarian, I still believe in the free market economy, meritocracy and equal opportunity. But I’ll submit Trickle-Down Economics didn’t work. It was, in retrospect, a Luxury Belief.
Today, the “wealth gap” has never been wider since America’s “The Gilded Age.”
Luxury Belief #2: Defund the Police
This movement sprung out of the protests and unrest in cities across the country after the killing of George Floyd. “Defund the Police” became the mantra for activists, patronizing politicians and a handful of academics, all heartily cheered on by mainstream media.
In theory, cutting police budgets and investment in things like low-cost housing and other social services would result in lower crime rates and fewer George Floyds.
Easy to say, especially if you didn’t live in high crime areas, which the loudest “defunders” didn’t. It was estimated in 2021 that 80 percent of residents in low-income areas wanted greater police presence, not less.
Predictably, in the cities that cut police budgets — Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Baltimore — crime went up and urban residents cried foul. Within a year, most cities reversed course and restored full funding. Overall, “reported” crime rates were down in 2023.
But …
Misleading Crime Statistics
Then again, crime statistics can be misleading, especially if certain illegal activities are no longer considered criminal.
Major cities such as New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles decriminalized many offenses, in particular property crimes — car thefts, burglary, shoplifting — and drug offenses. Progressive District Attorneys have reduced sentences for non-violent crimes and radically changed prosecutorial procedures such as the elimination of Cash Bail1, which places criminals back on the streets within hours of arrest.
How serious are these “revolving door” booking policies?
Individuals released on zero bail committed new felonies 90 percent more often than those who posted bail. Individuals released on zero bail committed new violent crimes 200 percent more often than those who posted bail.
Think about that next time you see a “smash-and-grab” video.
Luxury Belief #3: Smash the Patriarchy!
OK, this one as a Luxury Belief is iffy. But it’s still really dumb.
Let’s ask Google for a definition since 90 percent of men don’t know what the hell “The Patriarchy” means.
The Patriarchy: a system of relationships, beliefs, and values embedded in political, social, and economic systems that structure gender inequality between men and women.
Ask any Fourth Wave Feminist, or anyone in the social sciences, the “(fill-in-the-blank) Studies” disciplines. They point to The Patriarchy as evil, the male-dominated hierarchy responsible for gendered norms2, the “marginalization” of women, sexual harassment, domestic violence, the objectification of women,3 the gender pay gap, sexism in the workplace and male “privilege” in all forms.
Men have screwed up the Western world, or so I’ve read — especially us old white guys, past and present. But let’s stick to one grievance at a time.
The Patriarchy is further extrapolated into “toxic masculinity.” This logic concludes that since Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Cosby were predatory assholes, all men are assholes, and any display of masculinity is dangerous,
According to the American Psychological Association …
The main thrust of the (…) research is that traditional masculinity —marked by stoicism, competitiveness, provision and aggression — is, on the whole, harmful.
— APA Guidelines for Practice with Boys and Men (2019) 4
No more playing King of the Hill, boys. Toxic. Ambitious? Poison. Like being a gym bro? No way.
A cursory Google search for headlines with examples of “The Patriarchy” finds its toxic men are to blame for the following …
… All “-isms”… the wage gap … various phobias … climate change … inflation … Brexit … eating meat … fast food … physical fitness … alcoholism … Capitalism … risk-taking … Stoicism … all religions (except Islam, a “sacred cow” for some reason) … board games … motorcycles … interest in cars … misuse of pronouns and a huge glossary of colloquialisms, including saying “Have a nice day!”
Strangely, changing a flat tire is missing from the “toxic” list. So are family court and child custody cases.
None of these problems would happen in Barbie Land.
If we just put Judith Butler in charge everything would be better. No more wars, famine, or basic human suffering. Equality for all … except in agriculture, mechanics, building construction, aerospace, machine operation, mining, logging, fisheries, road and infrastructure construction, heavy manufacturing, engineering, sanitation and waste management, or any job where health risks and death rates are highest.
Luxury Belief #4: “Body Positivity”
Shortly after the turn of the century, the politely expedient term “plus-size” was introduced to the lexicon. About 15 years ago, plus-size became fashionable.
Thin and healthy became passé'; size 18 became the pop culture target. “Body positivity,” they called it. Clinical definitions such as “obese” were de-amplified. Critics were certified as “phobic” and landed in the bigot bin. Even Victoria’s Secret, the retail empire of boudoir lingerie and the epitome of feminine allure, began promoting the Big Momma undies.**
Men were not included in this movement. Somehow the big guy missed out on the vibe of “body positivity.” There was never a casting call for “beer gut” models. Quite the opposite. Today’s men’s stylings emphasize the “skinny” look in fashion, so much so that young guys are wearing ankle-exposing pants that look two sizes too small.
But I digress. A couple of pertinent factors here.
As waistlines grew, so did the demand for fashionable clothes. There is a Size 16 market out there. Plus-size women want Lululomon leggings and ripped jeans, too.
But, recent studies in overall health found that 42 percent of all Americans are, under medical terms, “obese,” or at least 25 pounds overweight. The health consequences are obvious, and no amount of re-imaging body confidence will eliminate diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and other chronic illnesses. Don’t forget: almost 80 percent of all COVID fatalities were the result of pre-existing conditions and co-morbidity.
There’s no need to shame anyone for their weight issues. That’s just a different form of rudeness and douchebaggery.
But superficially boosting confidence and pretending bigger is better isn’t helping anyone, either.
** It took a decade, but Victoria’s Secret learned a hard lesson … that expanding their lines decreased their profits. Nobody was buying their big frillies, so a couple of years ago, they quietly returned to the waif-like angels on the runway.
Other Luxury Beliefs
There are plenty of other examples of Luxury Beliefs crossing the political and cultural spectrum. There’s the Conservative “Pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps” mentality where anyone can lift themselves out of poverty just by working hard. Or the Progressive idea of Sanctuary cities. Just ask New York Mayor Eric Adams or Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson how that’s going.
Other samples of Luxury Beliefs are pushing for the legalization of drugs (even the most dangerous), advocating loose sexual norms, "marriage is an outdated institution” and that there are better alternatives to the traditional family.
Luxury Believers try to cloak themselves in self-aggrandizing, high ideals. With every claim, they become the heroes in their own narrative, something to show off to their peers and the masses.
Frankly, Rob Henderson has a better story to tell.
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Jim Geschke was inducted into the prestigious Marquis Who’s Who Registry in 2021.
Cash bail is a deposit of money, usually in cash or cashier's check, that is posted with the court to secure a defendant's release from jail. The defendant receives their money back if they appear in court as required. Cash bail is intended to ensure that the defendant returns to court and remains arrest-free.
This male dominance perpetuates beliefs and practices that -- whether consciously or unconsciously -- favor men over women. These beliefs are not just held by men, but by the majority of the people in that society, whatever their gender.
The objectification of women? Perhaps insanely popular recording artist Cardi B can best explain this in her 2020 hit track “WAP.” (Warning: explicit lyrics are an example of the Patriarchy’s objectification of women).
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/01/ce-corner
A term popped into my head over the weekend that I'm not sure has been used before: "homeless hipster." So that might be something buried in my own "luxury beliefs"? Probably.
Good points. I agree with all of them. "Big Momma Undies"? I'd hate to see your google search history, Jim...LOL