This is an investigation into what has gone wrong with the social fabric of American society. Huer postulates two models of society: one that pursues profit and self-interest, and the other that cherishes community values. Huer hold that the two types of ethics cannot coexist in society. One prominent result of the current dominance of the profit-driven model of behaviour is that American society increasingly substituted reality with illusion, happiness with pleasure, strength with brute force - highlighted by the now-obsessive demands for entertainment and overconsumption, and frequent calls for the warlike ventures. The Wages of sin is a social critique that gives historical insights and suggests remedies to the current societal malaise.