A new front has opened in America’s culture wars, and its target is economic growth itself. Led by figures like Vice President J.D. Vance, a rising faction of the American right is arguing that the nation’s focus on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has led to spiritual decay and social fragmentation. This line of attack, which borrows heavily from the European leftist degrowth movement, seeks to subordinate economic prosperity to a vaguely defined Christian morality, a move that misreads history and offers flawed solutions to real problems.
The New Right’s Case Against Growth
In his recent book, Vance argues that an obsession with economic indicators has blinded America to a deeper spiritual crisis. He contends that a culture of consumerism and overwork, while boosting GDP, has left Americans isolated, depressed, and disconnected from family and community. The argument suggests that by prioritizing “creature comforts” and “price club mega-size junk,” the nation has traded authentic human flourishing for empty materialism. This narrative frames economics as a hollow substitute for a shared moral language, a force that actively undermines traditional values.
This critique is not merely academic; it serves as the intellectual justification for a protectionist and anti-immigration policy agenda. When policies like tariffs or immigration restrictions are criticized for harming the economy, the anti-GDP argument provides a ready-made defense: a small hit to national wealth is a worthy price to pay for supposed social and spiritual renewal. The goal is to neutralize economic objections, clearing the path for policies that, by conventional measures, would make the country poorer.
Mistaking Prosperity for Poison
The central flaw in this narrative is its misreading of American history. Vance’s argument implies that economic prosperity is the cause of social decay, but the historical record shows the opposite. The period from the early 20th century to the 1960s, which many social conservatives view as a golden age of community and family values, was also the era of America’s most explosive and sustained economic growth. It was during this time of soaring GDP that church attendance rose, social solidarity increased, and families grew larger.
Far from destroying the family, the “creature comforts” that Vance disdains actually helped build it. The post-war economic boom made it easier and cheaper to raise children. Widespread access to larger homes, better healthcare, and labor-saving devices like washing machines and refrigerators reduced the burdens of parenthood, contributing directly to the Baby Boom. Furthermore, the claim that issues like the opioid crisis are a product of abundance is a gross mischaracterization. The epidemic has been an economic catastrophe, with one estimate from the Philadelphia Fed suggesting it cost the U.S. economy over $2.5 trillion between 2015 and 2018, devastating the labor force and reducing GDP.
A Flawed Prescription for a Real Sickness
While the social ills Vance identifies—loneliness, addiction, and a sense of purposelessness—are real, his proposed solutions are a form of political cargo cultism. There is no evidence that protectionist trade policies will restore manufacturing jobs or the social fabric they once supported. In fact, President Trump’s tariffs have been shown to harm the U.S. manufacturing sector by raising the cost of essential materials. Similarly, while critics of immigration often cite its negative impact on social trust, research shows the effect is negligible.
Ultimately, the war on GDP is a distraction. While it is true that GDP is an imperfect measure that fails to capture everything that makes life worthwhile, abandoning the pursuit of prosperity is not the answer. Forcing Americans to become poorer will not magically make their families stronger or their communities more vibrant. The challenges facing American society are complex, but they will not be solved by rejecting the very economic engine that has historically provided the foundation for both material well-being and social progress.
Original analysis inspired by Noah Smith from The National Interest. Additional research and verification conducted through multiple sources.
