America's long history of falling for hucksters and their outlandish promises
A man sells a tonic claiming to be good for any of several ailments while a crowd listens on 50th Street near Broadway in New York, on Dec. 1, 1944. (AP Photo/TR)
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September 18, 2026 4:25 PM
NEW YORK (AP) — America: land of possibility. And also: land of suckers.
Our enduring belief that anything is possible — whether based in reality or not — has helped the nation become the world’s largest economy. It has also led us to fall head over heels for hucksters and charlatans, again and again.