A Nation of Moochers: America's Addiction to Getting Something for Nothing

Have we reached a tipping point where more Americans depend on the efforts of others than on their own? Are we becoming a nation of moochers?

In "A Nation of Moochers," Charles J. Sykes argues that we are already very close to that point, if we have not already crossed the line: from the corporate bailouts on Wall Street, to enormous pension, healthcare, and other entitlement costs, to questionable tax exemptions for businesses and individuals, to the alarming increases in personal default and dependency, the new moocher culture cuts across lines of class, race, and private and public sectors.

"A Nation of Moochers" explores the shift in the American character as well as the economy. Much of the anger of the current political climate stems from the realization by millions of Americans that they are being forced to pay for the greed-driven problems of other people and corporations; increasingly, those who plan and behave sensibly are being asked to bail out the profligate. Sykes' argument is not against compassion or legitimate charity, but distinguishes between definable needs and the moocher culture, in which self-reliance and personal responsibility have given way to mass grasping after entitlements, tax breaks, benefits, bailouts, and other forms of feeding at the public trough.

Persuasively argued and wryly entertaining, "A Nation of Moochers" is a rallying cry for Americans who are tired of playing by the rules and paying for those who don't.