re: pure silliness
Generosity toward the poor is a good thing. As long as you keep the guns out of the picture.
But just providing all the needs of the poor into perpetuity is how you treat a pet or a slave, not a free individual. Making sure the economic environment has plenty of opportunities is what actually works.
Social engineering generally creates dependents on the state, not independent citizens. Of course, that's exactly what a politician wants, right?