Just a couple of quick points - Gov't money (all types) is "our money" so by extension at least some of it can be considered "my money". Not everyone agrees with how it is spent but that goes with the territory. I agree that everyone should help each other in times of trouble but it does go a bit against the grain to help the same people for the same avoidable things time and time again. Or to borrow someone else's turn of phrase, some of us seem to keep paying "insurance premiums" while other keep turning in "claims".

What is government's role? This is an on going debate in lots of countries around the world and there are no universal answers to the question. In the US the most applicable answer is drawn from our constitution but even this is being debated regularly.

From Article IV, section 4: The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER. Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.

From the Preamble: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

My personal view is that this does not include "provide for it's citizens". I think there is a considerable distance from promoting to providing but there is lots of room for discussion in those two clauses and as I said earlier, this is only applicable in the US. Other countries are working from different outlines.

- Eric
"hoping to add value while not degenerating to a political discussion"