https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/12/business/disney-costco-netflix-password-sharing-nightcap/index.html

We are somewhat pleased to award a joint Molière Citation to the FREELOADERS of all types and stripes who rely on their entitled existence to game the system and apparently have no qualms about it.

The cited article merely skims the surface, and it’s certainly an exaggeration to claim that “The Era of Freeloading is Officially Over.”

While such companies as Costco and Netflix may be able, by using information technology, to enforce the terms of their services, the mentality that enables the Freeloading Class to steal stuff is not going away.  

Beyond that, certain States and cities have become enablers for these parasites.

In California, for instance, the “dine and dash” behavior has been encouraged by the law enforcement and prosecutorial practice of overlooking theft of less than $950 per occurrence.  In response, some restaurants have taken to “Pay in advance of ordering” practice. https://www.shouselaw.com/ca/blog/dine-and-dash-california/

New York City has reduced the State’s 10-year requirement to assert “Squatter’s Rights” to a mere 30 days. 
https://propertyclub.nyc/article/squatters-rights-in-new-york

Not to pick on the Big Apple, but apparently some $300 Million was lost to public transportation freeloaders last year — creating a deficit to be picked up by taxpayers, and ultimately paying riders who will face another fare increase before long. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/the-maddening-impossibility-of-prosecuting-300m-a-year-mta-fare-dodgers/ar-AA1oG67Q

We’re going to resist the temptation to call out the folks who collect Social Security benefits without ever making ANY contributions to the underwater Social Security Trust Fund — the guilty parties there are politicians, who seem to be at the very root of the entitlement mindset of the freeloader phenomenon.

While they may not be in the “malice aforethought” category of freeloaders, student loan forgiveness beneficiaries make a suitable group to include in the Citation.  The legally unauthorized assumption of their debt by the tax-paying public still qualifies as a freeloader event.  How does it make sense for working people who never went to college to become liable for the debts of college attendees who took junk courses that didn’t prepare them to be productive citizens?  [As a more sensible alternative, we might suggest that student loans be treated like other debts, instead of making them non-dischargeable in bankruptcy; at least in that case, there would be a true hardship requirement for the debt forgiveness.]

Whether it’s the general public, other dues-and-membership paying customers, taxpayers, or the shareholders of the affected companies, freeloading isn’t free.  Somebody always has to pay for the “free lunch.”

FWIW, there’s an outstanding balance of over $35 Trillion on the National Debt tab, and it will eventually have to be paid, because we can’t all be freeloaders!

Today’s Molière Citation is awarded to the hordes of freeloaders in our society who manifest the narcissistic attitude enabling them to operate on the “something for nothing” principle.

We encourage our readers to take a peek in the mirror and consider whether Pogo’s observation applies.

Photo credit for Freddie the Freeloader: Brian Hoffman’s Remembering Red – A Tribute to Red Skelton http://www.redskeltoncomedyshow.com/freddie_the_freeloader.html