You are insinuating that the people utilizing these services are somehow unproductive or lazy. They are not! These people are victims of the classist, racist, sexist society that you are defending. It's easy to discount the value of these services if, for example, you have access good health care and don't have to worry about where your next meal will come from.

It is "short sighted and self-destructive to the collective good" to ignore the needs of our neighbors who are struggling to survive in a system that is failing them. Yes, these safety nets are costly. But don't attack the people who need them most and martyr the middle class. Instead, look at the way the government prioritizes money. There seems to be an endless supply of money to fund the Iraq war, yet there never seems to be enough money to keep libraries, hospitals and schools open and running effectively.