“A cultural factor that reduces the social tensions that might otherwise arise from a sharp and rising inequality of Americans’ incomes is that the United States, unlike the countries of Europe, has no aristocratic tradition. There is no suite of tastes, accent, bearing, etc., that distinguishes the rich in America from the nonrich. The rich have more and better goods, but they do not act as if they were a “superior” sort of person, refined, well bred, looking down on the average Joe. The rich play golf, but so does the middle class. The middle class follows sports, but so does the upper class”. –Richard Posner, writing on Why Rising Income Inequality in the United States Should Be a Nonissue