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
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
292 comments Add your comment
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
March 11th, 2012
6:22 pm
“The freedom from the Arab Spring is up to their people to decide.”
Except when it comes to Libya.
Rafe Hollister
March 11th, 2012
7:24 pm
Arab Spring = inmates now in charge of 7th century asylum.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
March 11th, 2012
7:33 pm
obozo didn’t have any apprehensions manning up against the Catholic Church, just sayin…
getalife
March 11th, 2012
7:48 pm
AQ crushed, obl double tapped, daffy dead.
Yeah, our President does man up.
getalife
March 11th, 2012
7:59 pm
Y’all want to compare drone attacks .
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
March 11th, 2012
8:35 pm
Officials and human rights groups estimated as many as 58 Iraqis who are either gay or believed to be gay have been killed in the last six weeks alone – forecasting what experts fear is a return to the rampant hate crimes against homosexuals in 2009. This year, eyewitnesses and human rights groups say some of the victims have been bludgeoned to death by militiamen smashing in their skulls with heavy cement blocks.
The dummycrats want you to believe that al Qaeda is “crushed” so that their messiah obozo, giver of all things shiny and miniscule, will get more votes but I’m pretty sure, al Qaeda is the one doing the crushing, uh, just sayin…
getalife
March 11th, 2012
8:49 pm
It is up to the Iraqis now andy.
We are out of there as promised.
The gop are weak on national security.
They cower to a radio entertainer and con radicals.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 11th, 2012
8:49 pm
Genuine challenge for elite pols: Keep us from ‘coming apart’
5:20 pm March 9, 2012, by Kyle Wingfield
———————-
Democrat pols are the biggest part of why we’re coming apart. Not sure why we should be looking to them for help getting out of the mess they got us into.
What we need to to is minimize their ability to impact our lives.
Government and libtards are the problem. Freedom is the solution.
getalife
March 11th, 2012
8:53 pm
lil bar,
willard is running a ad saying sanitarium raised the deficit 5 times and wasted our money on the bridge to nowhere.
He is a con.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 11th, 2012
8:57 pm
Sorry, no one to have ever walked this earth has accumulated more debt than Obozo. $6 trillion in four years. Heck, our President Bush only increased the debt $4.9 trillion, and that was in eight years.
Obozo: Inferior to our President Bush.
Obozo: Worst Ever.
hryder
March 11th, 2012
9:32 pm
Vote against all incumbent elected office holders in the November elections. There are a few out there who understand that “liberals” rarely will ever spend personal funds to aid others if there is the slightest possibility that tax payers funds or any other funds are available. They will than lay claim for their personal largesse, sympathy, and willingness to aid those who are unfortunate and in need through no fault of their own. This is the usual modus operandi or B.S., M.S., and Ph.D(male bovine fecal matter, more ——–, and piled higher and deeper). AAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!
Tealiban Party
March 11th, 2012
9:49 pm
Here is some awesome reading for both sides….
One of the plaintiffs against President Obama’s healthcare bill which is now in the Supreme Court, is declaring bankruptcy. This includes bills for healthcare. Seems she doesn’t like the mandate but she likes others paying for her healthcare bills.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-health-law-plaintiff-20120311,0,3670021.story
WaitAMinute
March 12th, 2012
6:36 am
Obozo? Is that a new name for mittens?
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 12th, 2012
7:16 am
“Seems she doesn’t like the mandate but she likes others paying for her healthcare bills.”
——-
The supreme court will be deciding the case based on the constitution, not on the personal circumstances of any of the plaintiffs. It’s that whole “nation of laws” thing tripping up the know-nothing libtards again.
tireofit
March 12th, 2012
7:31 am
Free Markets at work: “To all Traffic Managers: The information below applies to your Premiere Radio Networks commercial inventory. They’ve specifically asked that you schedule their commercials in dayparts or programs free of content that you know are deemed to be offensive or controversial (for example, Mark Levin, Rush Limbaugh, Tom Leykis, Michael Savage, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity).’
HDB
March 12th, 2012
7:46 am
Lil’ Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 12th, 2012
7:16 am
….from the Constitution…..
“Section 8 – Powers of Congress
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;”
…and….
“To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States…..”
In this case, health care would fall under the “general welfare” part of the Constitution…if so, it would be deemed CONSTITUTIONAL……..
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 12th, 2012
7:52 am
Keep dreaming, HDB. The constitution also enumerates the powers of the federal government to do so, and much to the dismay of little tyrants throughout the Democrat party, forcing people to purchase products isn’t one of them.
You will lose. Which means Americans and liberty will win.
HDB
March 12th, 2012
8:02 am
Lil’ Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 12th, 2012
7:52 am
Don’t be too sure……
….from the NY TImes:
“It always surprises me to see how many people claim that the Commerce Clause can’t govern health care. The operation of every health care facility in this country — from a doctor’s office to a major hospital — is directly controlled by interstate insurance companies, an interstate body of health care professionals produced by educational institutions that serve a national clientele, interstate providers of medical supplies and equipment, and federal laws and standards that regulate all those people, schools, and companies.
The notion that any state is capable of providing and regulating its own self-contained healthcare system is pure fantasy.”
…and…
“Opposition to the Health Care Act claims that it is unconstitutional to force people to buy health care insurance. The question that begs to be asked is why should the rest of us be required to pay for those who are uninsured? If the goal is to be independent and free of big government involvement than why do we pay billions more for healthcare because the cost of covering the uninsured is priced into our care? So big government cannot dictate to us but big business can?”
These two points should be the focus of the issue….and due to these two….HCR will be constitutional….
Rafe Hollister
March 12th, 2012
8:25 am
HDB
It is unconstitutional. If the Gov is so powerful they can force you to buy health insurance, because it is good for you and the common welfare then you can infer that they can force you to buy a Chevy volt for the same reasons.
Anyway, won’t matter one whit when we get a Rep President, who will sign the repeal. The votes are there, just need someone who will not veto the bill.
saywhat?
March 12th, 2012
8:28 am
You know what would REALLY bring America together again? More tax cuts for the rich! After all, haven’t they suffered enough? If we could make just a few more billionaires really, really happy, wouldn’t that make all of us happy?
saywhat?
March 12th, 2012
8:32 am
You know what else would bring Amercans together? If we could only once again allow private insurance companies to start kicking people off their rolls for a “pre-exsiting condition” like acne, when they make a claim for colon cancer. That would be the ticket.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 12th, 2012
8:38 am
The question that begs to be asked is why should the rest of us be required to pay for those who are uninsured? If the goal is to be independent and free of big government involvement than why do we pay billions more for healthcare because the cost of covering the uninsured is priced into our care? So big government cannot dictate to us but big business can?
———
Those are very good questions. The answer is that it is government, not business, that requires that everyone get healthcare even if they can’t pay, and therefore it is government that causes health insurance costs to be higher than necessary.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 12th, 2012
8:41 am
If the government can do whatever they think is necessary to promote the general welfare, what powers does the government NOT have?
The Democrat wet dream: The ability to control others lives completely.
F’off, liberal fascists.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 12th, 2012
8:46 am
More tax cuts for the rich!
——–
Who signed the bill extending them in late 2010?
HDB
March 12th, 2012
9:27 am
Rafe Hollister
March 12th, 2012
8:25 am
“If the Gov is so powerful they can force you to buy health insurance……”
Question: if the individual mandate (a Republican idea, by the way!) is held as constitutional in one state….and the US Constitution mandates that all contracts in one state be recognized in ALL.then why wouldn’t the individual mandate be viewed as constitutional in all 50 states??
“Anyway, won’t matter one whit when we get a Rep President, who will sign the repeal. The votes are there, just need someone who will not veto the bill.”
Contingent upon control of the Senate…..if the Democrats maintain the Senate, the repeal will die…..
HDB
March 12th, 2012
9:31 am
Lil’ Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 12th, 2012
8:46 am
“More tax cuts for the rich! ——– Who signed the bill extending them in late 2010?”
Questions: Who held the nation hostage by not passing a clean bill extending unemployment insurance…and desiring to create a depression?? Who ties the continuation of the tax breaks to extending unemployment insurance??
The Republican wet dream: The ability to control others lives completely by stating that their view is the ONLY view. (Fixed that for you!)
Ernest T. Bass
March 12th, 2012
9:34 am
I find it somewhat humorous that the son of a single mother and who needed food stamps while growing up is considered a member of the “elite” by the Republican Party, while the son of a President and grandson of a US Senator was considered to be a “regular” guy.
Dont be. They have been doing that sort of thing for years.
For example John kerry who fought for his country in Vietnam. He was a sissy.
George Bush who was a coward and had his daddy get him out of the war. He was a man’s man to them.
Its a level of doublethink George Orwell couldn’t have imagined.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 12th, 2012
9:37 am
The Republicans aren’t requiring anyone to purchase a product, HDB.
I understand your desire to change the subject from your failed attempt to explain the general welfare clause, though!
I win.
Jefferson
March 12th, 2012
9:37 am
The other problem with the GOP other than not being creditable is they have this weasel approach to things they don’t like. They act like weasels.
Ernest T. Bass
March 12th, 2012
9:38 am
Anyway, won’t matter one whit when we get a Rep President, who will sign the repeal. The votes are there, just need someone who will not veto the bill.
Its not nearly that easy.
1. No way the Republicans win this November. Romney wont excite the base and Santorum is unelectable in the general election.
2. Universal Healthcare is here to stay like it or not. Im glad because the countries who do have Universal Healthcare have a much better healthcare system than ours.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 12th, 2012
9:39 am
“Regular guys” don’t take their family to Martha’s Vineyard on multiple private jets.
DawgDad
March 12th, 2012
9:39 am
“For example John kerry who fought for his country in Vietnam. He was a sissy.”
You are being VERY intellectually dishonest. People aren’t down on Kerry because he “fought for his country in Vietnam”, and you know it.
Joe the Prophet
March 12th, 2012
9:40 am
Tiberius – Your lightning rod of hate!
March 11th, 2012
11:11 am
Reality, Joe the Prophet.
Try it sometime.
——————————————–
Trying to make the world a better place….trying to help someone besides yourself….
Try it sometime…
HDB
March 12th, 2012
9:41 am
Lil’ Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 12th, 2012
9:37 am
“The Republicans aren’t requiring anyone to purchase a product, HDB”
Really…then whose idea was the individual mandate…and what candidadtes SUPPORTED the same? (Hint: Romney, Gingrich…)
…from the NYTimes………..
Conservatives Sowed Idea of Health Care Mandate, Only to Spurn It Later
By MICHAEL COOPER
Published: February 14, 2012
It can be difficult to remember now, given the ferocity with which many Republicans assail it as an attack on freedom, but the provision in President Obama’s health care law requiring all Americans to buy health insurance has its roots in conservative thinking.
The concept that people should be required to buy health coverage was fleshed out more than two decades ago by a number of conservative economists, embraced by scholars at conservative research groups, including the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute, and championed, for a time, by Republicans in the Senate.
The individual mandate, as it is known, was seen then as a conservative alternative to some of the health care approaches favored by liberals — like creating a national health service or requiring employers to provide health coverage.
“In 1993, in fighting ‘Hillarycare,’ virtually every conservative saw the mandate as a less dangerous future than what Hillary was trying to do,” Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, said at a debate in December, casting his past support of a mandate as an antidote to the health care overhaul proposed by Hillary Rodham Clinton during her husband’s administration. “
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 12th, 2012
9:46 am
The Republican wet dream: The ability to control others lives completely by stating that their view is the ONLY view.
———
Is that all it takes to control you?
Doesn’t seem nearly as effective as using the federal government to impose things on folks, like requiring them to purchase a product from big business.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 12th, 2012
9:48 am
How many Republicans voted for the individual mandate in Obozocare?
I win again. This is just too easy.
Ernest T. Bass
March 12th, 2012
9:56 am
You are being VERY intellectually dishonest. People aren’t down on Kerry because he “fought for his country in Vietnam”, and you know it.
I didn’t say that at all. I don’t expect you to get the context and the point. That’s ok.
Have to go now. Unless most of the cons on this blog I actually have a job and don’t just sit on it all day.
I will say this. Until the level of education goes up in the south they will continue to vote Republican. You can almost look at a map and the lower the education level of that state and the lower the number of college graduates the more likely its a red state.
HDB
March 12th, 2012
9:58 am
Lil’ Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 12th, 2012
9:48 am
You lose…..who was the Republican ADVOCATE and CREATOR of the individual mandate??
Hint…..from the Weekly Standard:
Did Romney Support a Federal Mandate During the Obamacare Debate?
9:01 AM, Mar 3, 2012 •
As BuzzFeed’s Andrew Kaczynski reports, USA Today published a health care op-ed by Mitt Romney on July 30, 2009 — just days before the start of the August recess that quickly became the August uprising against Obamacare. In his op-ed, Romney seems to encourage President Obama to move in a slower and more bipartisan manner, to abandon his planned government-run “public option” (which, under constituent pressure, the Democrats eventually did scrap), to use Romney’s Massachusetts health care overhaul as something of a model, and (as a way to keep Obamacare’s costs down) to include a federal mandate.
Romney wrote:
“Health care is simply too important to the economy, to employment and to America’s families to be larded up and rushed through [Congress] on an artificial deadline. There’s a better way. And the lessons we learned in Massachusetts could help Washington find it.
“No other state has made as much progress in covering their uninsured as Massachusetts….Shortly after becoming governor, I worked in a bipartisan fashion with Democrats to insure all our citizens….For health care reform to succeed in Washington, the president must finally do what he promised during the campaign: Work with Republicans as well as Democrats.
“Massachusetts also proved that you don’t need government insurance. Our citizens purchase private…insurance. There is no ‘public option.’…
Ernest T. Bass
March 12th, 2012
9:58 am
How many Republicans voted for the individual mandate in Obozocare?
Zero
And they will be remembered very harshly for that fact.
HDB
March 12th, 2012
11:08 am
LBB…an interesting argument from the NYTimes…one reason that HCR will be constitutional:
“It is tempting to shout states’ rights when deeply flawed federal legislation is enacted, but the momentary satisfactions of that exercise carry long-term constitutional costs. Badly conceived bills die a thousand political deaths — in the appropriations process, in the states, through electoral retribution, in the executive appointments of a succeeding administration and ultimately in amendment and repeal. However, if courts read the Constitution in such a way that it enables them to make Congress ineffectual, and instead to promote 50 state regulatory regimes in an era of rapidly mounting global challenges, the risks should escape no one. Making our charter more parochial while other nations flex their economic muscle seems like poor timing. “
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 12th, 2012
11:17 am
Nice try, but the individual mandate isn’t being argued on states rights grounds.
Just another HDB red herring!
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 12th, 2012
11:20 am
Zero
And they will be remembered very harshly for that fact.
———-
You realize we had an election in 2010, right? Some called it a “shellacking”.