Genuine challenge for elite pols: Keep us from ‘coming apart’
It appears that, come November, Americans will elect as president either a wealthy member of a narrow elite or … another wealthy member of that narrow elite.
Of course, I mean the prospect of Barack “Anybody gone into Whole Foods lately and seen what they charge for arugula?” Obama facing Mitt “[My wife] drives a couple of Cadillacs, actually” Romney, in a contest to seem more in tune with Americans who gravitate toward iceberg lettuce and Fords.
This would be true even if Charles Murray hadn’t just published “Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010.” And while Murray does not discuss presidential politics in his treatise on the growing gap between the New Upper Class and the New Lower Class, his book’s arrival is timely — and ought to inform the 2012 debate.
“Coming Apart” has been one of the most talked-about books in the commentariat in the past couple of months. But in case you have not come across any reviews of it yet: Murray focuses on “white America” to control for divisions rooted in America’s cruel history of race. “Don’t kid yourself,” he warns, “that we are looking at stresses that can be remedied by attacking the legacy of racism or by restricting immigration.”
That admonition alone would improve our political dialogue. But the trends Murray describes go much further.
He argues that, while our nation has always had disparities of wealth, for almost 200 years Americans shared common cultural experiences. In part, this was because the rich, the middle and the poor interacted. They were not isolated by religious practices or educational attainment; they consumed similar culture in terms of music, television and cinema; they had similar tastes in food and bought different models from the same auto makers.
Over the past 50 years, he says, this has changed. A critical mass formed of highly educated, well-to-do people with jobs of great cultural and/or political influence. There were enough of them, and they were sufficiently mobile and connected, for businesses to cater to their tastes. Think craft beer, espresso, sushi (and arugula).
By and large this New Upper Class is, Murray notes, politically liberal. Yet, in their private lives they behave more traditionally. For example, they marry before having children, and most of them stay married, even as out-of-wedlock births and divorce have risen among all white Americans. Perhaps surprisingly, they are more likely than members of the New Lower Class to attend religious worship services regularly.
Religion and marriage aren’t the only social institutions weakening among the New Lower Class. Its members are less likely to participate in sports clubs, the Elks Lodge, scout troops, elections.
Murray devotes little of “Coming Apart” to identifying the causes of this stratification. But he suggests one reason is the crowding out of social roles by government programs. Another is the New Upper Class does not preach what it practices. Lest they seem judgmental, our elites stay mum about behaviors they deem essential in their own lives. Murray calls them the “founding virtues”: marriage, industriousness, honesty, religiosity.
The reference to the founders is instructive. The people who practice these virtues — increasingly, the elites but not the lower class — are more likely to say they are happy. That is, they are succeeding in “the pursuit of happiness.”
A presidential election that explores this malign neglect of virtue would be worthwhile. Certainly moreso than a contest to see whose theme songs make them most “authentic.”
– By Kyle Wingfield
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292 comments Add your comment
getalife
March 10th, 2012
10:42 pm
@@,
You shut down Jay’s blog.
Dusty
March 10th, 2012
10:50 pm
Well, I am going to get a good night’s sleep in case middle class white Americans are also “coming apart”. You never know. I might just wake up in two pieces! And after losing an hour to daylight saving time.
I’ll let you know tomorrow. If it happens, I’ll be busy writing a book about it so politicians will know what to do. Keep in touch…
captguitarman
March 11th, 2012
3:01 am
M.H.Smirh @ 5:54 p.m. The double standard is not new. It should not shock you that Bill Maher can call any woman he chooses a slut, protstitute, or worse, and he will not be challenged or condemned by women in any way, as long as he is aiming his arrows at conservative women. This same type of double standard applies to blacks. Maher or any one of his ilk can call a conservative black man or woman anything he or she wants, including the N word, but usually Uncle Tom or something like that suffices. — and with no out cry and no retribution. Why? Because blacks and women OWE the Dem/Libs. They owe them for all the “great things” that liberalism has brought them over the decades — like four generations of welfare dependents, but let’s not go there right now. If you are a consersvative black or a conservative woman, you are obviously a TRAITOR to the “cause” and disillusioned, as well as delusional, to boot . . . and you are totally and completely FAIR GAME for any slander they want to throw your way. If Sarah Palin had been a Dem/Lib woman, she would be a holy and sainted martyr now for what she has gone through at the hands of the Dem/Libs and their lamestream media lackeys. Remember when Bill Clinton, the President of the United States, convinced a 20 year old girl to give him oral sex in the Oval office? Do you recall the indignant and huge out cry by the National Organization for Women (NOW)? Do you recall their outrage, their livid anger, their disgust, their frustration, their hatred and their stated inention to bring this guy down, and to bury him, to ruin him politically . . . forever? Do you recall that? No. Of course you don’t. Because it didn’t happen. NOW is a Dem/Lib organization. It was then and it is now, and it will be forever. When Clinton did that, they all collectively disappeared. They practically left the planet. Did you hear one word out of them? One little peep? No, not one. Clinton was THEIR guy. Now, what do you think their reaction would have been had Clinton been a Republican? The mind boggles at what they would have done to a sitting Republican President. Just look what they did to poor Clarence Thomas for far less, and based only upon the nutty testimony of an obvious woman scorned. She never could answer why she went back to Thomas for advice and counsel afer the alleged harrassemnt and “pubic hair on a coke can” incicent. Why? Because there was no harrassment. The Dem/Libs were desperate to keep a conservative black off of the Supreme Court and Anita Hill was their dupe. Double standard???? Do ya think? Do ya really think?? Like duh.
Michael H. Smith
March 11th, 2012
6:31 am
captguitarman
March 11th, 2012
3:01 am
The point was and remains reiteration, notwithstanding the drama, to say it over and over, again and again, for ever how long it takes to publicly nullify the duplicity. Sorry if you missed my intent – and what I really think – but thank you for making the point – once again
AU Liberal in ATL
March 11th, 2012
7:34 am
Where were you during the Reagan administration, Lil Buh Buh, in a cave, under a rock? Reagan’s government was bigger and more expensive than all the governments before him put together. He was not the man Noot and company would have you believe. He was popular on the right side of the aisle because he was likable and he had an R next to his name. It had absolutely nothing to do with his policies.
GT
March 11th, 2012
7:47 am
“By and large this New Upper Class is, Murray notes, politically liberal.”
I had taken the argument from Kyle’s observation that most of the elite rich are liberal, quoted from Charles Murray. First of all there is the loose use of the word liberal, then there is a reason behind what he is saying called education, the rich have access to real education. Just because you use an outhouse doesn’t make the toilet progressive to the general public. My question to Kyle is does poverty make you conservative or is it ignorance, which one came first?
GT
March 11th, 2012
8:01 am
Double standards also was the protection RL claimed in his defense. He claimed at first his comments were for humor. Rush is not a standup comedian though his work feeds a lot of other standup comedies with lots of good material, Bill Maher being one of them. Bill Maher, by the way is a true liberal, not the moderate like Obama, and really has helped the conservatives blur the reality of Obama’s message. RL is the professor in residence for the standards of the conservative movement. When he calls you a slut the whole ditto head nation now has license to use the word. I am just glad he didn’t use the n word, and set the country back another 100 years.
@@
March 11th, 2012
8:33 am
And oh, by the way, wages are falling under Obozo.
I can recall when employment was up under GWBush. What were the AJC’s leftists complaining about?
“They’re low-paying jobs, service industry jobs, part-time jobs. Some folks were having to work two/three jobs just to make ends meet.”
Now? Those same “low-paying jobs, service industry jobs, part-time jobs” are due to the miraculous efforts of one President Obama.
Michael H. Smith
March 11th, 2012
8:52 am
Some including those on the left consider Rush Limbaugh a clown. No real difference exist between Maher and Limbuagh, both are entertainers.
Where some may want to use “one against the other arguments”, as disingenuous people so often do: If it is wrong for one, it is wrong for all to use offensive unacceptable gender demeaning language. Only the morally bankrupt and intellectually deficient would defend this conduct regardless of its origin and worse NOT publicly denounce any duplicity of that fact.
Thankfully, as much as the leftwing nutjobs would like to make Rush Limbaugh the solitary voice of conservatism, he really isn’t: Though, I’m too, am glad he didn’t use the “N” word… regrettably Maher and those of his ilk have and do use the “N” word as well as other ethnocentric slurs that is too often accepted by those left, even embraced with frivolity and laughter rather than denounced in public outrage, as the duplicity of the current Marxist in the oval office reaffirms.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
March 11th, 2012
8:59 am
Michael H. Smith, your earlier attempt was not ignored, but it was dismissed as being too simplistic and lacking any background except your own faith.
Now, if you can make your case with any reason behind your blanket statement, I’d welcome it as a worthy attempt to add to the discussion.
Michael H. Smith
March 11th, 2012
9:00 am
@@
The only real good economic news is the reduction in government jobs.
Take real unemployment numbers like those found in U6 and put the cost of fuel and food back into the formula used to establish inflation figures, then you’ll get a reality check.
Michael H. Smith
March 11th, 2012
9:02 am
Hate master if your depth wasn’t so lacking you might merit another attempt.
Michael H. Smith
March 11th, 2012
9:08 am
Oh and by the way hate, your opinions don’t translate into some intellectual utopia. Historic facts of the role that churches have played in this country is in the least a matter of my faith, it is a matter public record.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
March 11th, 2012
9:14 am
Michael H. Smith, there is no question regarding the historical fact of the role churches have played in this country.
The question is regarding THIS issue, which you have not tied anything to except, again, your own faith without anything but that faith to back it up.
You have failed to step up your game. Faith is your crutch for virtually every argument, but faith is a belief, not a theory, which requires at least some facts to back it up.
So if this remains your theory, please do us all the courtesy of backing it up with something other than “I believe”.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
March 11th, 2012
9:22 am
And Michael, I always know when you’re losing an argument, when you start mocking posters by something other than their primary name.
For someone of alleged “faith” you don’t have a great deal of tolerance for other views.
Michael H. Smith
March 11th, 2012
9:32 am
“Murray devotes little of “Coming Apart” to identifying the causes of this stratification.
But he suggests one reason is the crowding out of social roles by government programs
Another is the New Upper Class does not preach what it practices. Lest they seem judgmental, our elites stay mum about behaviors they deem essential in their own lives. Murray calls them the “founding virtues”: marriage, industriousness, honesty, religiosity.”
First improve YOUR pitiful reading comprehension will you? What part of the above doesn’t tie in to the question of this “Coming Apart”?
And YOU have been completely dismissive of the role the Church has played in this country, one point made in my comment directly addressed the role Churches gave to uniting communities.
Therein is no theory, it is a matter of public record.
But if you like to contend differently to the facts go ahead with YOUR excellent beliefs.
Want to begin with disassociating churches from the civil rights movement?
Oh maybe, you can tell me there are no hospitals in this town with ties to churches or ties schools? Oh but of course, it will be easy for your beliefs to supply reasons to suggest that rich and poor black and white had no shared virtues e.g. industriousness, honesty, religiosity, in seeing these fictional institutions brought to a visible fruition?
Michael H. Smith
March 11th, 2012
9:34 am
Coming from someone that epitomizes intolerance you can be humorous on occasions.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
March 11th, 2012
9:43 am
Thanks for NOT playing, Michael H. Smith.
I suspect you failed every analytical course you ever took.
Michael H. Smith
March 11th, 2012
9:47 am
That’s your analytical mistake NOT mine.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 11th, 2012
10:09 am
US soldier kills 16 Afghan civilians
———
I guess we have to ask if this is a leadership issue going all the way to the top.
Oops, never mind…that script was only operative during our President Bush’s administration.
Joe the Prophet
March 11th, 2012
10:23 am
Newt attacked my small business personally……I ferment algae for fuel, cosmetics, and medicine…..We are working on a solution for alzheimer’s with algae…..And he’s making a joke of it…!!!!! Screw you Newt….you adulterous loser….!!!!!!
Joe the Prophet
March 11th, 2012
10:25 am
Eeeeek…..Romney makes me cringe….!!!!!! Looks like a Gary Johnson Libertarian November…..
Maybe I’ll take up Reefers with Pat Robertson…….although that smell…..Smells like rope burning….But it’s better than polygamy and crazy planets with multiple Gods…..
mr buckley
March 11th, 2012
10:31 am
@ we do not know maher has a tv show that the left may call comedy but it is clearly political opinion thats why its revalant
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
March 11th, 2012
11:11 am
Reality, Joe the Prophet.
Try it sometime.
Rightwing Troll
March 11th, 2012
11:34 am
Thank you Michael Smith…
I’ve said it here many times… a church that can seat 10,000 in the hall of worship ( a monsterthedral) is not a church at all, and should not be treated as such. A 10,000+ strong congregation is not fellowship, it’s a mob…
Ackmed
March 11th, 2012
11:47 am
Greetings, infidels-
I have received thee urgent message from thee blessed iman, peace be upon him, to suspend his fatwa instructing us to stone to death little Iraqi children who don’t dress like us, the maggots. There has been a great and frightful crime committed upon the peoples of Afghani by the American crusaders. Thee iman has told us to hop up on our little horseys and ride to meet the hordes of US lib media “journalists” that will surely be coming to point all of their cameras at us and babble about Bushie. The iman also told us if we can’t find any dead bodies to parade around in front of them, then make some. Bunches of them, he says.
Giddee up, Thunder!
Duht dee duh lut, Duht dee duh lut, Duht dee duh lut, Duht dee duh lut, Duht dee duh lut, Duht dee duh lut.
Yo. Where are all thee lib media people at? It is so quite here.
chirp, chirp, chirp
Aahhh, here is a “reporter.” Quick everybody, grab a dead child and wail.
Terrible, isn’t it, missus reporterbabe?
What do you mean, How do I feel about Rick Santorum’s stance on contraception? Can you not see the dead baby I am holding? What is contraception, anyway?
Geez.
Oh well, back to Baghdaddy.
Rafe Hollister
March 11th, 2012
11:52 am
Rightwing Troll
A 10,000+ strong congregation is not fellowship, it’s a mob…
__________________________________________________
Unless, they are attending a mosque, right?
Seems the lefties are always preaching tolerance, but are the most intolerant of all. Religious bigotry has its home on the left side of the political spectrum, except for Islam. They support Islam, a religion that treats its female members much like goats or camels and advocates world domination, but they have no room for Catholics, Protestants, Jews, or the Mormons.
Perhaps, they follow the Koran teaching, an enemy of my enemy is a friend. After all doesn’t the Islamic world hate America, so it may be shared values.
@@
March 11th, 2012
12:52 pm
A 10,000+ strong congregation is not fellowship, it’s a mob…
The black mega-churches here in Clayton County would resent that label. We’ve got several. If I’m not mistaken there are more churches in Clayton County than any of the other metro counties.
Jonesboro Baptist has a huge congregation. Their community outreach is immeasurable. Then there’s the Truett Cathy family, members, whose personal contributions outside the church are always ongoing.
@@
March 11th, 2012
12:58 pm
BERN, Switzerland (AP) – Who turns down a long vacation? Known for their work ethic, Swiss citizens appear to be leading the way on European austerity, rejecting a minimum six weeks paid holiday a year.
Swiss polls closed Sunday on several national referendums, including one pushed by a union to raise the minimum holiday from four weeks to the standard used in Germany, Italy, Russia and other European nations.
Kewl!
getalife
March 11th, 2012
1:22 pm
“Ex-Palin adviser: Movie ‘true enough to make me squirm’”
Watched it last night.
Pretty good movie.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
March 11th, 2012
1:58 pm
Notice how there are no Cons ate up enough to make a movie about Nasty Pelosi? Or even watch one?
We’ve got better things to do, just sayin…
getalife
March 11th, 2012
2:21 pm
You mean Speaker Pelosi Andy.
You will lose the house this cycle so show her some respect.
getalife
March 11th, 2012
2:32 pm
“Ken Griffin, Billionaire Romney Backer, Says Super Rich Have ‘An Insufficient Influence’ On Politics” Aol.
Whopper of a lie.
The newt is right.
willard lies.
@@
March 11th, 2012
2:38 pm
So Obama’s not gonna share his campaign contributions with his dem cohorts….those struggling for re-election?
A greedy billionaire.
schnirt
@@
March 11th, 2012
2:43 pm
New law stops injustice of paying alimony forever
There’s some gender equality for ‘ya, ladies!!! Social justice if that’s your game.
getalife
March 11th, 2012
2:43 pm
When did our President become a billionaire @@?
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 11th, 2012
2:48 pm
Obozo thinks anyone who makes over $250K is a billionaire.
The guy who sits in our Oval Office makes $400K a year.
By Obozo’s own definition, he’s a billionaire.
See how retarded your Idiot Messiah is?
getalife
March 11th, 2012
2:49 pm
lil bar.
Lies.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 11th, 2012
2:50 pm
Yeah, I know, Obozo tells lots of them.
getalife
March 11th, 2012
2:52 pm
willard does nothing but lie so he fits in perfectly with you lil bar.
@@
March 11th, 2012
2:52 pm
Getalife:
Didn’t he say he was gonna take in a billion for his campaign?
This should get interesting:
As a fathers’ and family rights advocate for 27 years, I am in agreement with Tom Leustak about the new alimony bills working their way through the New Jersey Legislature. Alimony has seen its better days, with both parties working full-time jobs and securing their careers.
Permanent alimony reeks of peonage and forced labor, prohibited by Federal Laws under Title 18 U.S.C. Sections 1581 and 1589, and is an abomination that must be eliminated completely.
Peonage? Forced labor?
Didn’t marry a divorced man…never been divorced. But in some ways…I can identify. I feel his pain.
getalife
March 11th, 2012
2:56 pm
@@,
The election is tainted with unlimited donations thanks to our sc.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 11th, 2012
2:59 pm
Now now gotnoclue, isn’t it a bit early to start rationalizing your November loss?
When Obozo loses, Americans win.
getalife
March 11th, 2012
3:07 pm
You cons keep carrying that billionaire water until they have all the money.
Pitiful.
getalife
March 11th, 2012
3:30 pm
The me generation is the first generation that gave your children no chance to do better than you yet you keep fighting for this fact.
Why do you do this to your children?
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
March 11th, 2012
4:57 pm
So which one do you think the dummycrats are hot after?
Solar, of course.
Have you ever met a peoples so blatantly stupid?
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
March 11th, 2012
4:59 pm
The Energy Information Administration estimates the cost of generating a megawatt hour of electricity from a new plant would be 66 cents from plants powered by natural gas; 86 cents from hydro; 95 cents from coal; 97 cents from wind; $1.13 from biomass; $1.14 from nuclear, and $3.12 from solar thermal.
So which one do you think the dummycrats are hot after?
Solar, of course.
Have you ever met a peoples so blatantly stupid?
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
March 11th, 2012
5:10 pm
As al Qaeda butchers it’s way across the Arab Spring, courtesy of obozo’s willful negligence, issuing fatwas to have women hung, shot, maimed, stoned, raped, mutilated, defiled and other forms of slaughter, who does the lamestream lib media have issues with?
Rick Santorum, otherwise known as harmless.
Such brave souls they are.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 11th, 2012
5:17 pm
It’s a two-fer, I Report, since a bunch of Christians are dying or getting displaced too.
Say, doesn’t Obozo pretend to be a Christian?
getalife
March 11th, 2012
5:42 pm
Our President uses them all resources on energy andy.
The freedom from the Arab Spring is up to their people to decide.
Not us andy.
You are still dead wrong about everything so you are consistently wrong.