Here's my theory. Before government stepped in to provide the welfare, people had to depend on family, friends, neighbors, etc for help when hard times struck.
I think it made for better families, neighbors and friends, that people were so interdependent. You had better be kind to your neighbor, cuz someday you will need him. You better raise your kids right because someday you will need them to treat you right. You word better be good as gold with your friends, because someday you will need their help.
These days, people can screw their friends and neighbors and children with impunity, basically, because if they run into trouble, there is always the nanny state to run to.
But that's just one piece in the puzzle. Americans ARE the most generous people on earth. We contribute more money to more causes than any other nation on earth, by far. And we do this despite the nearly 50% tax burdeon we carry. Intresting, isn't it? Why do people just suppose that if we had say a 5% tax burdeon, that we would suddenly become a selfish nation? The idea just doesn't hold water.
If we were able to keep 95% of our money, maybe moms wouldn't have to work at all, and dads wouldn't have to put in the overtime to make ends meet, and maybe we would raise a better crop of kids, who would be less likely to need assistance in the future... and maybe we would see a downward spiral instead of upward, in the numbers needing help?
All in all, I would rather take my chances that no one will help me if I need it than depend on a government to help me in the half assed way that they do it now, at the expense of nearly 50% of my income.