The word "welfare" represents so many things, to different people.
The only "cradle to grave" welfare scam in the US is reserved for military members and their massive families, which often resemble Joy's children from My Name is Earl. Free health care, free housing, food stamps, and all the spouse has to do is get pregnant every time they are on leave, (or if they are already pregnant, hope it coincides with the military member being home). A base town is a welfare state within a state, for the low-rent mercenaries (er, volunteers) and their consorts. When I lived in NC, the housing projects were far less depressing than Jacksonville & Fayetteville.
There is also the welfare such as the 3 publicly funded sports arenas where I live, which were voted down by referendum, but still constructed with tax money. Then there was the construction of a light-rail tunnel under a friggin' river using public funds, in an area already well served with public transportation and bridges. I couldn't figure out why, until 3 years later they announced that, of the three proposed sites for a new casino, the site near the underwater tunnel was selected. Apparently the fix was always in. There is plenty of welfare for already successful outfits, but nowhere near as much for the struggling small business, which apparently most gov't views as an enemy based on their treatment of such enterprises compared to professional sports teams.
The welfare that seems to anger most right-wingers is in place as a safety valve to prevent mass uprisings and to channel dissent into red tape. I live in a poor neighborhood, adjacent to a fancy one. Nothing could please me more than helping myself to a nice big house because my starving neighbors have gone apeshit and decided to help themselves to the yuppie's stuff. I'm not sure how those well meaning liberal types would feel about rabble expropriating their stuff, but I'd love to find out. Likely guilt and shame.
