One of the more remarkable results of the rise of industrial the kind of capitalism I hate and want to destroy was that, for the first time in human history, the poorest classes of people gained access to luxury goods.
Quite true! A very good reason why glibertarians are wrong to want to destroy it.
Another remarkable result was that wealthier people who claimed to be allies of the poor told them this was bad for them.
Nope! The left is largely made up of the working class everywhere but the US (even in America trade unions used to have quite a lot of power in the left party). In Australia for instance, every left prime minister bar one started poor. Nor is it true that the left "tells" the poor that "what they wanted" was "bad for them". That's just bullshit.
Last Sunday night, Macklemore and Lorde, artists who have built their careers upon songs attacking the desire for luxuries among African-Americans
A deliberate misunderstanding of their music.
Their songs continue a long tradition, rooted in progressivism, of protests against the pleasures of the poor.
Pleasures like "lack of representation in government". Or "low wages". "Crap and dangerous working conditions". "Death". "No access to medicine". Some pleasure! The poor need not worry, these pleasures are aptly defended here at Reason.com!
Like the early progressives, Macklemore believes he knows better than the poor what they should desire, buy, and value.
In the same sense that, say, a book reviewer believes he knows better what the rich and middle class should read.
And also like the progressives he believes that the highest value is found not in shopping malls but in places like museums:
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I thought conservatives valued the traditions of the past? Silly me. Conspicuous consumption is what Burke and Oakeshott are all about, I guess.
Again with Macklemoore?
His song Thrift Shop seemed to demonstrate the message that you could find nice things in a thrift shop, I don't get the problem with that.
It's a shockingly bad song. That's what's wrong with it.
