Ted Kemp

If we brought back powdered wigs for elites, luxury beliefs would disappear overnight. Give people an obvious way to display their rank, and perhaps they would feel less need to signal it through their opinions. I’m only partly joking. In some elite circles, openly displaying wealth is considered vulgar. But the desire for status does not disappear just because certain ways of showing it become unacceptable. People find other ways to distinguish themselves. In The Status Game, Will Storr describes three broad forms of status competition. In dominance games, people gain status through force or intimidation. Street gangs and organized crime offer clear examples. In success games, people gain status by showing competence: earning a degree, building a career, or becoming skilled at something others value. In virtue games, people compete to be seen as morally good. This last form of competition helps explain the appeal of luxury beliefs. An unusual or fashionable opinion can make someone seem both distinctive and virtuous. But seeking status through beliefs does not always cause harm. People can also gain admiration by promoting ideas that improve other people’s lives. I’m often asked whether there are any good luxury beliefs. By my definition, the answer is no. Luxury beliefs are ideas and opinions that confer status on elites while inflicting costs on everyone else. If a belief raises the status of the person expressing it and also helps others, it is not a luxury belief. There have been historical examples of elites gaining status by advancing ideas that benefit society. The question is how to encourage more of that kind of competition.

Today, legendary American boxer Terence Crawford is in Ukraine. He has supported our country and our people since the first days of the war. We deeply value having people like him stand with Ukrainians. As a gesture of solidarity, Terence gifted me an American Pit Bull Terrier puppy – a female named Freyja. Her grandfather Athos survived the Russian occupation of Bucha, and now Freyja bears the name of our future FREYJA air defense system – as a symbol of our protection. Thank you for the meeting and for this very warm and special gift. Thank you for your support and for your respect for our people.

#BreakingNews Dubai Civil Defence has confirmed that a #fire that broke out last night in #DubaiSouth resulted from an incident at a workshop. khaleejtimes.com/uae/dubai-c…

It is not a coincidence that socialism is more popular among people with high social and educational capital and less popular among the working class––both cohorts understand who is best able to game centrally planned systems.

The Globalist, live from Dubai: @TedWKemp on media coverage of the Iran war, Paris impressions with @feap and Meagan Kelly Horsman of @ChristiesInc in the Middle East. Plus: #WhatWeLearned with @andrew_mueller buff.ly/31d1PDz