Always_Ask_Questions,
“If communal norm is to, say, rely on welfare to support learning;”
So I got married right after getting by BS from a university, and we started having children while I was in grad school. We relied on some government programs such as Medicaid, and my parents and in-laws helped us a lot to make ends meet. My wife received some government grants to help her complete her bachelors degree. After grad school I landed a job, but based on our income and family size we qualified for housing assistance, and lived for a while in a rent-reduced apartment. When we purchased a house, we utilized a large interest free loan via a Federal homebuying program to help us scrape enough together for the minimum down payment. Now B”H we aren’t relying on any government “welfare” programs, but due to our family size, KA”H I don’t end up owing much in Federal income taxes, yet I still drive on Interstate highways, rely on the USDA for my food’s quality, and so far have not had foreign armies raiding my street. And I feel no guilt for any of it. Am I a bad person?
“or to refuse transparency by suggesting “trust us”, it is worth questioning those.”
This seems to be you taking a bad personal experience and projecting it onto an entire group of people.