"Sykes (A Nation of Victims) argues that hardworking, tax-paying Americans are being turned into the nations piggy bank by freeloading moochers, both individual and corporate, who have given in to a culture of dependence and free lunch. He lays all this squarely at the feet of elite liberals, whose Assumption of Incompetencethe default position of assuming that most Americans are incapable and thus must be cared forhas cultivated an atmosphere where people are no longer required to fend for themselves. He points to Katrina victims misusing benefits, homeowners who walk away from underwater mortgages, unemployment benefits fraudsters, adult children living with their parents, big businesses accepting bailouts, and, somewhat less persuasively, food stamps and free school lunches. Though he doesnt make an especially strong case that Obamacare is to blame, his argument is sobering: weve set up a system in which dependency begins at birth and extends through peoples entire lives, which has brought us to a tipping point in which more Americans are relying on the efforts of others rather than their own. Interestingly, his cure is less systemic than social: he suggests dismantling Moocher Nation by restoring some of the stigma of accepting a handout. Though at times verging on the purely mean-spirited (recall the school lunches), his call for a return to personal responsibility is on point and persuasive." (Publishers Weekly) Check Our Catalog
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