I don’t think that’s true. I think you’re misunderstanding the way some people perceive fairness. There are some people who feel very strongly that it’s unfair

I don’t think that’s true. I think you’re misunderstanding the way some people perceive fairness. There are some people who feel very strongly that it’s unfair to give out benefits such that the people who worked hard and took care of themselves are no better off than people who did not work hard. For example, regarding student loan forgiveness, I have heard people say: “I struggled for years to pay off my student loans, but now the government is going to just cancel everyone else’s debt? That’s like punishing me for being responsible and rewarding people who didn’t sacrifice for putting the problem off.” And I can see how someone would feel that way. It would be more fair to track down everyone who had student loans and refund the full amount for all of them, including people who had already paid them off. I’ve also heard friends who are legal immigrants oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants because they feel it’s like punishing everyone who went through all the trouble of the legal process. I don’t think you can actually prove they are right or wrong in their argument. This is exactly like the parable of the prodigal son, so it’s an ancient human dilemma that giving grace and generosity to people who are in need tends to make people who are one notch up the ladder feel bitter that when they needed help they didn’t get it, and that their hard work is somehow invalidated by the fact that others got something for free when they had to work for it. Finally, there’s always a question of who pays for things, and some people just feel that - while they’d prefer some government benefit in theory - they aren’t willing to pay any more in taxes in order to get it. Considering the US has a track record of relatively high total taxation (when you add up all the local, state, and federal entities), while receiving generally poor public services, there are plenty of people who feel the answer is to stop “wasting money” on the problem and expect the government to become more efficient or better at providing services before they’d support any more taxes.