system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
I believe welfare programs harm society's moral conscience. CMV.

I believe a society is only as moral as the individuals that make up that society.  I believe in a truly moral society, there would be no poor *and* no welfare programs, because individuals would act on their own or through the community or their religious organizations to raise up the poor.

But instead, our societies choose to implement welfare programs, and in doing so, remove citizens responsibility for each other and place it in the hands of their government.  

I feel this causes a serious psychological distance between those who have and those who need.  It becomes very easy for individuals to justify *not* helping those in need personally because they've already given their "fair share" to the government.  

It also creates an environment where it is much easier to "blame" those in need who continue to struggle, even on welfare ("They must be misusing their welfare money, buying the wrong things with their food stamps, etc").  And it creates an environment where individuals can blame continued poverty on failings of the government to adequately manage the money they are given for these programs.

Most damaging is that it creates a sense of superiority in taxpayers over the poor.  They complain and argue over who truly "deserves" to use these programs, and criticize and chastise those perceived to be gaming the system (drawing welfare while seemingly capable of providing for themselves).

In a moral society, needs are met simply because the need exists.  If you want to help someone, you don't ask them to explain why they feel/are deserving, you just help them.  The simple fact that government welfare programs require qualification makes them immoral because they do not strictly aim to help those in need, they only help those who meet society's standard.

**EDIT - Folks, please notice that none of my criticisms of welfare programs have to do with their efficiency.  Whether they work or not is not relevant to my view.**

**Also, nowhere did I suggest that the absence of such programs would cause individuals to be more moral and help the poor directly.  Whether they would or not is also not relevant to my point.**

**A lot of people have commented here and I am trying to address everyone, but I see no point in arguing against misunderstandings.  Please read carefully.**
gpt
In an ideal world, sure, we'd have no need for welfare programs. Private charity could take care of everything.

But we *don't* live in an ideal world; private charity has never been close to sufficient.  Given that, taking care of the poor is *much* more important than making sure we don't harm some vague "moral conscience".