[mustardjohn]

My opinion is that it is more a scheme of creating dependance. The more you depend on me the more control I have over you. If I can get you to depend on me by my spending someonelse's money. I get control without paying for it or earning it. If I am permissive with you, it is easier for me to have many friends.

Ultimately it fails as the number of people earning their way becomes out of balance with those depending on them. Especially when the process is brokered by politicians and public bureaucracy.

What seems to work is allowing the money to flow to the provider of desired products and services not the dependent. Free markets the opposite of Federal/State Control.