Successful people should supp ort the government that allows them to flourish. Nobody argues for the illusion of safety. What good is illusion? We want security. You share this same need and it's obvious. You view your taxes paid to the purportedly 'useless' government as a drain on your financial security. We manifest our security needs differently I suppose. I realize that if I shit on the poor and demoralized masses long enough, they'll probably kill me. By supporting them, I'm supporting my own lifestyle and yours.
Before the new deal and the Great Society, who helped the poor? Churches and other civic minded groups. They can do it a whole lot more efficiently then the federal or state governments could even hope to the job. Nor would you have people on welfare for life or for Barbra Streisand reasons. America is the most generous nation on earth. Even if some of the progressives are stingy with their own money. Gores, Clintons et al