Thesis One: Contemporary culture, wherever it might be hiding, is no longer providing emotional and ideological support for the elite that dominate the United States' political order. The ruling classes can carry on just fine without symbolic references that establish their superior position in society. Philanthropy is at most an activity between the wealthy, but it no longer serves as a compensation for the wealthy to show that they are willing to share. There is no need for such displays anymore.
Culture is an outdated habit, a hobby for those who cannot afford it, a collection of practices by fragmented groups, but certainly no longer monolithic.
Popular entertainment likewise feels little need for cultural legitimation. It operates on its own history without looking more than a generation back into the past.
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