One small quibble:

Veblen could have come to the conclusion that most Americans eventually reach--i.e. that the richer a person was, the smarter.

I keep reading and hearing people say that most Americans believe this or think this, but are we sure?  I know it's repeated often in the media, and I've heard people use it as a put-down, but I've never met anyone who actually believes it or thinks that.

You might be interested in seeing this -- the barn moving made me think of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBWjwRCywHM

Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes