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… is from page 68 of economists Phil Gramm’s, Robert Ekelund’s, and John Early’s important and data-rich 2022 book, The Myth of American Inequality: How Government Biases Policy Debate [2] (footnote deleted; link added):
Government programs eliminated deprivation but increased idleness and stifled human flourishing. It happened just as President Roosevelt said in would in 1935 [3]: “To dole out relief in this way is administer a narcotic, a subtle destroyer of the human spirit. It is inimical to the dictates of sound policy. It is a violation of the traditions of America. Work must be found for able-bodied but destitute workers. The Federal Government must and should quit this business of relief.” Despite government’s stated intention to avoid dependence, government policies have created more dependence and, in the process, dramatically increased the inequality of earned income.