Luxury Beliefs Signal Class Status

The upper class now signals status less with goods and more with beliefs that are costly for others to adopt or endure. Drawing on Veblen, Bourdieu, and costly signaling in biology, the argument holds that elite endorsements (e.g., 'defund the police') function like top hats—visible distinction that shifts burdens onto lower classes. — It reframes culture‑war positions as class signaling, clarifying why some popular elite ideas persist despite uneven costs and policy failures.