The welfare state as currently constructed should not exist in this country, not now, not ever, as it is by definition diametrically opposed to what this country was founded on, which is life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This country provides you life, because there is no compulsory draft, and therefore your life is your own. America provides you liberty to live where you want to, travel unmolested, think and do what you desire, and consequently you are free. Your pursuit of happiness is left in your own hands so that you can pursue your dreams, your goals, your plans, and to blaze your own path. The welfare state opposes all of that. The welfare state demands one very important thing which is anathema to the principles of America, which is for you to be subservient to the government, so that they can take care of you. That isn't America and that isn't what this country was founded on,
The welfare state means that the more that you reward a particular action the more that you will get in response that particular action. Further, when you provide for people's welfare and treat them as wards of the state, the more wards you will discover. Additionally, when every little problem or setback is dealt with as if this is an ongoing disability, the more disabilities you will find. Finally, if the rivers of welfare prosperity and sustainability appear unending, welfare largess will never end.
To make matters worse, the government doesn't have the moral courage to tax the gainfully employed and income-producing peoples directly to assure that the welfare state is self-supporting, instead it taxes through its massive yearly deficits generations yet unborn. That is hypocrisy at its worse, as those that have yet to enjoy the fruits of their labor, are stuck with the bill which simply states: "payment due" and gives no value in return.
It's always easier to spend other people's money. When a congressman pats himself on the back for spending money on this or that welfare program, he hasn't spent his own money, he has spent yours; yet he gets the plaudits, he gets the buildings named after him, he gets the roads that sing his name, and the editorials that praise his generosity. That's wrong in every aspect, it's nothing more than a con game, in which the government pretends that it can create wealth, whereas the truth of the matter is the government is very good at coercing wealth and ill-using labor and resources; because our government essentially produces nothing, it re-allocates and re-distributes resources to favored groups while taking a large slice of the pie for itself for its troubles.
America owes its citizens, a chance, a level playing field, opportunity, and anything that we can do to encourage these things is a net benefit to society at large. We don't owe anyone a free ride, entitlements, or promises that we ourselves cannot keep without taking from others. The welfare state has not worked to date and needs to be reformed, so that properly understood and reformulated, charity and welfare should be a helping hand and not an indiscriminate handout.