[catswiththum]

I agree with most of what both of you said (except for the doomed part), with a caveat.

The situation we currently find ourselves in demands the funding of social welfare programs.

What is disheartening, as Bluestreak alluded to, is that we seem to be more selfish (although human nature is an unusual thing) and because we have fewer and fewer connections with our fellow human beings and families are increasingly fragmented, those social programs are necessary to provide what we used to do/give to each other.

The various programs that keep people housed and fed are the last resort, but any 1st year psychology student can tell you the way we learn, grow, and gain confidence to achieve and be happy is through relationships and trust with our fellow humans.

A faceless bureaucracy is no replacement for human warmth, but as that seems to be sorely lacking these days, it is needed for the basic staples of life for many.