I've read the comments on this thread so far and while there are definitely some good points, I think everyone is ignoring a central issue when it comes to welf

I've read the comments on this thread so far and while there are definitely some good points, I think everyone is ignoring a central issue when it comes to welfare: in the US, anything that even remotely resembles socialism is going to be shut down violently regardless of how well it could work. Free education & free healthcare are staples of most western countries, but not the US. Universal basic income has also been given out in some places in Europe. But in the US, all of these ideas are traditionally rejected by the people, and of course, any kind of wealth distribution is going to be countered with strong resistance from corporations, lobbyists and certain individuals. Bottom line is, regardless of how well it works, all the pieces need to fit a certain way for this to be implemented, which is very unlikely.