Liberals Vs. Conservatives

Conservatives and libertarians want to help the poor in a different way that they see as more effective, namely, the elimination of excessive taxes and regulation in order that the economy, being more free, may thrive more and benefit all, poor and rich alike.  There are regulations that are necessary to prevent the oppression of the poor by corporations, but the laws we have now do nothing but regulate companies into the ground and create a culture of dependency among the poor.  It's business, after all, that creates jobs for the poor, which gives them money to live and save and hopefully eventually climb out of their poverty.  If the government were to operate on the principles of freedom and free markets (which the country was built upon), it would give many poor people the chance to get jobs and to support themselves and their families instead of relying upon government aid.  The lazy people who don't want to work and rely upon the government for their livelihood would reap the due rewards of their actions, and the remaining number who genuinely are stuck and can't dig themselves out of poverty no matter how hard they work could be helped by charity and, if necessary, by a limited, selective aid program by state and city governments.

The only thing that this redistribution of wealth does for the American poor is to train them to be dependent on the government; it doesn't help them escape poverty, it just makes them think that they couldn't survive without their big daddy government that provides them with food, housing, and education.  Meanwhile, because of over-taxation, large and small business owners can't provide the poor with jobs anymore.  The idea that the government should take some people's money and give it to others is essentially a socialist principle, and anyone with a basic knowledge of history can see how socialism has worked out for nations in the past.