People that say stuff like this sound like they subscribe to the Just World fallacy, for this case specifically that every problem someone has stems from themselves, and that you can't possibly be struggling if you're working hard. It's a lie some people tell themselves to make them feel better, usually out of either a fear of it happening to them, believing that it cannot happen to them, or believing that since it has never happened to them, the poor must be doing something wrong. Every ex-CEO probably subscribed to that theory until they had to start delivering pizzas.
Either that, or you have a heavy and unwarranted disdain for poor people, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.
You don't need to subscribe to the just world fallacy, nor have a disdain for poor people to want to abolish government involvement in social security. You might be of the opinion (as I am), that social security would probably better be handled if the government wasn't involved. Private individuals would have more disposable wealth to share with others, if the government would refrain from taking half of their income for starters.
Like you describe the just world fallacy as an attempt to come to terms with ones own (presumably comparatively well-off) situation compared to the situation lots of poor people find themselves in. The same thing can be said about wanting the government to take care of social security. That way when you walk down the street and see a beggar in torn clothes you can think to yourself that it is none of your business. It's the job of somebody else to take care of this problem - we have experts for that. Relying on government (or other institutions for that matter) to take care of the poor shows more disdain for them than advocating the stance that we are all responsible on an individual level. And if you are OK with living in a world with lots of poor people - fine then. But if you're not, don't stand around crying for somebody to do something. Inevitably some politician will hear your cry and do "something" and we all find ourselves wishing he hadn't done anything
At least give that beggar a dollar yourself or treat him to lunch or a haircut or whatever.
Give him the feeling that he is a human being, too! That's what people need the most anyway. A bureaucrat won't give him that.
I think we've determined already that you have far more faith in humanity than I do, and it shows. Yes, private individuals would have more wealth to share, but would they? I am of the opinion that it's human nature to horde and be greedy, and from the tone of your post and others, I'm sure you disagree. You sound like a really nice guy, but take care not to too readily project that onto others. As for WHO takes care of social security and welfare, I don't care who it is, as long as it's done. The government sucks and is probably quite inefficient, but how else are we going to do it? You can't take away something without offering either a reason for why it shouldn't be done (which some of you have. I disagree with most of those reasons, but some of you have), or with a suitable replacement.
The Just World fallacy is not an attempt to "come to terms" with anything, really. It is primarily a state of denial and emotional self-protection. It hurts us to see people suffer, so if we can convince ourselves that it was their fault, and that it can't happen to us because we work hard or whatever, it somehow makes it feel better, or just. If you wanted to make a proper analogy, if I were to see that homeless man and say "get a fucking job, you bum, if you had any skills or cared about yourself, you wouldn't need to mooch" without ever stopping to consider how he got into that situation, that would be a much better example of the Just World fallacy. Based on what I've argued so far, does this sound like anything I would ever say about someone in need?
As for giving him the feeling that he is a human being, too, man you are a really nice guy (no sarcasm). It is true that good feelings help people get through the tough times, but all the goodwill in the world won't feed you. I never give money, they get food or nothing. I have no idea what they will spend my money on. After all, I'm not naive enough to believe that everyone in hard times got there despite hard work, some people really are just incorrigible fuckups, just not as many as you might be led to believe. When I give food, unless they can find someone who wants to buy a sandwich from a homeless man, all he can do is eat it.
For the record, maybe you're just pulling the wool over my eyes, but you don't seem to be anywhere near the "disdain" category. I do think a lot of you are in the "misconception" category, though.
