The defenders of socialism say that one should enjoy the fruits of one's own labour. Socialists are not opposed to work per se, but work which is alienating, exploitative, and in no way meaningful or creative. Most work under capitalism is engineered to produce profits. Moreover, those who actually create the wealth - the workers - do not receive it; it goes directly to the bosses instead. Under a socialist society - where we would produce what is genuinely needed and not what can make the most profits - people would have far more control over their own labour, and would be free from the economic coercion present in capitalist society ie. either get a job and produce profits or starve on the streets.The constitution cannot possibly guarantee anything, much less equal opportunity. For instance if I was born into the family of Bill Clinton, I would be assured of a prosperous future. If however I was born into an average working class family, I face a future of uncertainty, and less and less prospects for a decent living standard. Karl Marx once said: "Men control their own destiny, but not in circumstances of their own choosing". What he meant was that people can to some extent control what path their life takes in the current world, but the choices they can make are severerly restricted.
The reason welfare is there in the first place is ostensibly to provide some safety-net for those unable to compete in the capitalist economy. However it also serves other functions such as keeping the potential workforce healthy through health-care and other means, education when it was free was a subsidy to big business as they were provided with a skilled labour force, and unemployment benefits serve the dual function of providing an "incentive" to work for those not working, and keeping the unemployed from not becoming to unruly. As capitalism continues to decline however, profit rates fall, corporate taxes do not provide the government with enough revenue to cover spending etc., the welfare state comes under increasing attack. Welfare is an absolute right under a system which does not provide for people and therefore it must be fought to be maintained.
As for the bit about being an American and supporting yourself through your own hard work etc., that ideology is pushed to benefit those who prosper from the status quo. Its nationalist tone also serves the purpose of persuading people to see themselves as Americans or Australians or British, rather than members of a class with common interests with those in the same class all over the world. This helps people feel better about going off to war and butchering people "for one's country". War has never been about defending countries or the people in those countries, but for the purpose of expanding imperial empires, grabbing markets for MNC,s and protecting profits for oil companies (the Gulf War esp.).
I too am an athiest and therefore cannot identify with any idealistic notions about a Saviour one day coming to rescue us from our "sins".
None.
