By the way, I believe in charity (and participate in it to the detriment of my own financial well being, it hurts to say the least). But private charity engenders a sense of guilt. That guilt is necessary to wean oneself off of charity. Governmental charity does not engender that sense of shame. It engenders a sense of entitlement. No one wants poor people starving in the street, and our government policy should protect people from this. But too much Governmental charity engenders a sense of entitlement, which can be damaging to the long-term well-being of the recipient.
Why don’t we replace long-term unemployment with a CCC type employment. Is complacency more effective in buying votes then picking up a shovel for the government?