The _supporters_ of the welfare system _wanted to believe_ they had good intentions.
People want to believe they are transferring the wealth from the rich to the poor, when in fact the “WEALTH” is being transferred from the poor to the rich.
Trickle up economics.
Giving people free goods and services isn't transferring wealth to the people on bottom receiving the goods and services, the wealth is transversed to the people on top that are providing the goods and services.
Give somebody a free ice cream cone they can't do squat with it, it's not wealth.
The guy that sold the ice cream cone is the one that got the wealth.