By Dan Galernter, includes “A Cato Institute paper years ago made the excellent point that the creation of the modern welfare state under FDR did more than to destroy a certain spirit of independence on which Americans prided themselves: It also destroyed countless clubs, charities, social groups, and church organizations. The private money that had funded these organizations, Americans’ donations and gifts to charity, was confiscated by the government in the form of taxes. It was the first and greatest step towards unraveling a society based on faith, hope, and charity and replacing it with a society based on bureaucracy.”