A nation of moochers : America's addiction to getting something for nothing / Charles J. Sykes.
| Author/creator |
Sykes, Charles J., 1954- |
| Format | Book and Print |
| Edition | 1st ed. |
| Publication Info | New York : St. Martin's Press, 2012. |
| Description | x, 307 pages ; 25 cm |
| Subject(s) |
Click here for more information about this title
| Contents | Preface -- Part 1: Moocher Nation: -- Scenes from moocher nation -- Chapter 1: Nation of moochers -- Moocher checklist -- Chapter 2: Have we reached the tipping point? -- Moocher's dilemma -- Part 2: Joys Of Dependency: -- Chapter 3: Rise of moocher nation -- Chapter 4: Joys of dependency -- Kindness of strangers (a moocher manifesto) -- Chapter 5: Addicted to OPM (other people's money) -- Want-need-right -- Chapter 6: Feed me -- Part 3: At The Trough: -- I, the piggy bank -- Chapter 7: Harvesting OPM -- Moocher's dilemma II -- Chapter 8: Crony capitalism (big business at the trough) -- Chapter 9: Two Americas -- Part 4: Bailout Madness: -- Lessons in moral hazard -- Chapter 10: Mortgage madness -- Chapter 11: Bailouts for idiots -- (how to make out big by screwing up) -- Chapter 12: Walk away from your mortgage! -- Interactive reader's exercise -- Chapter 13: No, they didn't learn anything -- Part 5: Middle-Class Suckers: -- Chapter 14: Bank of mom and dad -- Chapter 15: Middle-class suckers -- Chapter 16: Why get a job? -- Chapter 17: Mooching off the kids -- Part 6: What's Fair?: -- Abbreviated history of mooching -- Chapter 18: We're all from Starnesville now -- Chapter 19: What's fair? -- Chapter 20: Step away from the trough -- Notes -- Index. |
| Abstract | Overview: 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. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (p. 271-293) and index. |
| LCCN | 2011036244 |
| ISBN | 9780312547707 (hardcover) |
| ISBN | 0312547706 (hardcover) |
Available Items
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions | |
| Joyner | General Stacks | HV95 .S95 2012 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |