>Because the primary purpose of government is the well-being and comfort of the people governed.

Not necessarily true, unless you perform your own liberal interpretation of the text. It depends on your government. In the U.S., our constitution clearly states that the purpose of government is to:

"establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity." In order to achieve this purpose the Founding Fathers established three main principles on which our Government is based:

Inherent rights: Rights that anyone living in America has;
Self Government: Government by the people; and
Separation of Powers: Branches of government with different powers.


It is our individual responsible to chose our path in life. That path cannot be determined by government and should not be. When there is no incentive to study, learn, excel, or even be a good citizen, many fail to take the initiative themselves to do so. That is the individual's choice and he has the freedom to make that choice. In most cases, the government should not step in and fix the economic problems a citizen has created. No where does it state that 'promoting the general welfare' is to guarantee welfare via entitlements. It does not state 'guarantee' or 'ensure' but only promote.

Now, realistically I have no problem with my tax dollars paying for medical care, food, housing, et al (the basic necessities) for those citizens who cannot work for medical reasons. Especially our elderly and the infirm of all ages. Primarily those individuals whose medical problems (in this case citizen or not) are due to service in our armed forces, the peace corps, or civic support or service. However, I believe confirmed medical diagnosis in writing (from more than one source) are required to substantiate such benefits. I also think they are benefits and NOT entitlements.

The problem becomes one of serious debate when children are involved. Each child deserves the basic necessities of life because they are not legally responsible nor normally capable of providing it themselves. It is up to their parents to provide for them, to make good decisions, and to train them to provide for themselves in the future and be a good citizen. When parents fail to take care of their children, then what? Do you support the parent in order to take care of the child? Do you remove the children from the household? Do you support the child while teaching the parent? It is a serious issue that has not been resolved well in any of our states. We train for free those who have committed crimes and reside in our prison system but we invest so much less in our free citizens who make poor (but not illegal) choices. It is a conundrum.