<p>OP -</p>
<p>Before you start talking about rights, consider your rights: You have the right to believe that welfare is unfair to the rich, and to say so publicly. You have the right to vote for representatives who agree with you on the issue of welfare. You have the right to convince other people that your position is correct, and that they should vote for the same representatives.</p>
<p>If the majority of the population feels that some form of welfare is worthwhile, then chances are society will implement some form of welfare. If you can gather enough support then you can reverse this, without a revolution, in the United States. Welfare in this country is not an issue of the government's "rights," because the American government is the embodiment of the voice of the people; and even the Constitution itself can be changed if the support for the change is wide enough.</p>
<p>The real issue is whether or not welfare is worthwhile to society - it's an investment. In principle I believe some amount of welfare is good because it provides a foothold for those in desperate circumstances. Unfortunately, it can be hard to tell what the return will be for society; some people will make good use of the money, and others won't. One aspect to the problem that I've seen is that, given the chance (or even the illusion of a chance) via government assistance, someone with creative inclinations will pursue creativity while ignoring real-world economics. Personally I believe that creativity is valuable to society, but then again I'm aiming for a career in theoretical astrophysics - one of the least practical professions imaginable - so I guess I don't have the right perspective.</p>