Faux affluenza, 2010: Looking for sin in all the wrong places
- Peter Lorenzi
- Dec 15, 2021
- 2 min read
Building on the literature of materialism and compulsive buying, de Graaf, Wann & Naylor (2005) coined the term “affluenza” to describe the “disease” associated with all-consuming consumption or materialism. Affluenza indicates a very high degree of materialism, excessive consumption, and negligent waste. Affluenza is therefore presented as antisocial behavior, for it affects others and the environment, and not just the perpetrator of the behavior.
Social critics decry and despise what they claim or assume to be an American disease -- grossly excess consumption -- that they created a clever new term to paint this behavior as an addiction, calling it "affluenza." As with many progress theories -- better labeled as a silly assumptions and accusations about capitalism and freedom -- the lack of evidence posed no problem in asserting a 'fact' about the American lifestyle. Instead, stereotypes and anecdotes become data, statistics and the basis for preconceived notions laced with confirmation bias.
Based on the research done in this article, the data, the analysis, the patterns and the findings, we drew this conclusion:
Affluenza is not prevalent nor is it apparently addictive. In looking for addictive, antisocial behaviors to tax, politicians need to look elsewhere. Some bad habits are not that ‘bad’, nor are they necessarily addictively ‘habitual’. Somewhat addictive bad habits can be changed with time, education, practice and incentives. For sin taxes, we suggest that politicians focus on behaviors that are addictive, antisocial, and self-destructive. In extreme cases, the ‘tax’ could be a prohibition. However, many antisocial behaviors are so enduring, pervasive and addictive that a financial tax can be an effective way to generate some public benefit from antisocial behavior. The tax can also deter the behavior, if only in a limited fashion.
Reflection
This paper/project was the last time I worked with Bobby Friedmann, my long-term Uruguayan Jewish gypsy Kansas compadre. Some of the best times of my adult life -- laughing, dancing, hanging out, socializing, joking,-- came in his presence and often at his insistence. His infamous quip he used in introducing us to women, "Lorenzi's cheap but he's not easy. I'm easy but I'm not cheap," captures and characterizes my social life at Kansas from my early days there in 1978-79 to his departure for Georgia in 1984.
He introduced me to numerous amorous interests, including Alison Berry, Dianne O'Donnell, and Susie Reichle. He was a groomsman at my 1990 wedding. He was the one person I knew who could compete with Jeff Cunningham when it came to charming women; Jeff was gracious enough to visit Bobby with me a month before Bobby's death. As I noted in my eulogy (below) at his death in 2011, he had a machismo that oozed, a quality that forty years ago was fascinating, when today it makes a macho man subject to cancelation. I miss him, I miss those qualities, I miss those times, all very badly. And he was just the right person to contribute to a paper on sin and affluenza.
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