I think what it comes down to is that they feel if their tax dollars go to someone else, that is stealing, and so they feel violated because of that.
Let's talk about facts first and then a little later let's talk about feelings.
What is stealing? The dictionary says: "1. To take (the property of another) without right or permission." This is the primary meaning of the word. Now without splitting a lot of hairs it means what it means. When an entity (read the government) takes my money away from me and gives it to someone else it is stealing. Doesn't matter what I feel about it and it doesn't matter what you feel about it. It is stealing.
Basically, they feel it's not their problem if someone else is starving.
The bald fact is that if someone else is starving it isn't my fault. It may not even be their fault. Though to be fair it may. Some people are indigent of their own accord.
They further justify this to themselves and to others by convincing themselves that anyone who can't make it out of poverty is lazy or incompetent.
This is true in some cases. There is no denying it. Some conservatives are sensitive and use the fact that it isn't their fault to assuage their conscience. But as you so deftly pointed out there are some people who, through no fault of their own, are poverty stricken. So, they really cannot use that excuse if they are honest to themselves or others. And to suggest that people are poverty stricken are lazy when they are not is inconsiderate at best and an outright lie at worst.
This oversimplification makes them feel less guilty about letting others starve.
This argument itself is rather oversimplistic but we needn't go into that. And, in some instances, there is no doubt you are right here as well.
So, we see that your argument does not fit squarely with the facts. You may not like the facts. I may not like the facts. But, there they are. We either have to accept them or live in a world of feelings versus facts. Give me facts first. Then I will understand.
So let's talk directly about these feelings. If we see someone starving should we feel guilt? I say, no we shouldn't. Should we, if we have a heart, feel bad? I say, yes, we should.
And there is all the difference in the world.
Now, I am not a conservative. Neither am I am liberal. Although, depending on which friend of mine you talk to you will receive each answer in reference to which question is asked. My rightwing friends label me a liberal and my leftwing friends label me a conservative.
If you function from the level of false guilt over the plight of someone else's misfortune where do you stop? In your country people are staving. So you pay your fair share of taxes but you never really miss the money and you never give of your time, effort or money to feed the poor directly out of your own pocket. Or maybe you do feel the false guilt enough that you actually do give of your resources directly to feed the poor of your own country.
Then what about the poor in other people's countries? Is it ok for them to starve because your goverment "takes care of its own"? And you feel no false guilt about that? Shouldn't you? Just how far do you carry this?
Is it ok for you to demand your government to feed the entire world at the expense of someone else because you are too shiftless to have a job or you find ways to dodge paying your fair share of taxes?
Then you have the best of both worlds. You can feel good because you know they are being taken care of without you ever lifting a finger to help them.
Wonderful.
Please don't take any of this personally because none of it was meant that way. I am only asked you to fearlessly inspect your feelings and thoughts using reason. I don't think that is an unreasonable request.
Now this is a rather long post and I sincerely hope you have followed me on this because I would like answers to my questions. No matter how long your post is I can assure you I will read it.
So, lastly let me tell you about a guy I know.
He is a moderator here at the Shroomery. He does that because he really likes mushrooms. But it is more than that. He moderates the Support Group forum because he cares about the people that post here. He moderates the the Other Drugs Discussion forum for the same reason. He is building the Hunting FAQ so that people won't poison themselves by eating a poisonous mushroom when they are just trying to get high.
He exchanges pm's, e-mails, posts, and even phone calls that total over a hundred dollars a month to counsel people here that are in need.
Two quick stories about him and I'll end this post.
On Thankgiving Day not too long ago he was making the entire Thanksgiving Day dinner from scratch for his wife. He figured it was his turn.  At the last minute he had to run to the store to get a few items he had forgotten. When he was in the checkout line a young black women was with a few of her children trying to purchase all the trimmings for her Thanksgiving Day dinner. She had a turkey, stuff for making the dressing, rolls, and everything she needed.
But when she tried to pay for it on her credit card it wouldn't go through. Something was wrong with the card. So she tried to write a check. But her ID didn't match the information on the check and the cashier had to call the manager. He wouldn't approve the purchase.
He could see the look of desperation on her face. So he did what he thought he should do. That's right. He paid for everything and swiftly got out of the store before she could thank him. Before he could make it to his car her little son came running out of the store and asked him if he paid for all of it because his Mom wanted his address so she could send him the money.
He declined.
The boy's face lit up like a candle and when the man got home he broke down in tears.
This same man is a former politician. When he was elected he was immediately put in charge of the Street, Sewer, and Sanitation Committee. Solid waste was his field of expertise. Budget time followed hard on the heels of the election and he was informed that he would have to raise the Trash rate in order to balance the budget for the next year.
He was horrified.
So he asked the mayor if the city had a trash contract with the local landfill. The mayor told him, no, they didn't. So he used his knowledge of solid waste to negotiate the first ever contract for the city with the landfill.
The budget was balanced and he singlehandedly saved the constituents $750,000.00 over the next 5 years. That money was able to be spent by the families in the city to buy goods and services from the community and thus increase their local economy.
When the negotiation was complete the Finance Director was so impressed he wanted to have a special resolution drawn up for this man so that the entire city would know what he had done.
He declined that too. And today few people realize what he did for their city. But that's all right he thinks. He was just doing his job.
This same man will tell you he feels no guilt for the plight of others he had no hand in creating although he does feel bad. He won't force Peter to pay Paul to make himself feel good. Instead, he'll roll up his own sleeves and pitch in whenever he can to help.
That's his way.
Cheers,
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