lol... nice try.
Because I receive services that I generally don't use, I basically don't want and generally vote in such a way to get rid of, I'm on welfare because the services are there and I can't do much about them?
Interesting concept.
Now, if it were up to me, instead of paying taxes on a percentage of your income basis, we'd pay a flat per-head tax. I know this isn't realistic, as it'd never pass - heaven forbid everyone realize exactly how much the government is spending once they start paying for it - but it's what I'd like to see.
As for your idea that we have a stronger society because of welfare programs - overall, I disagree. We've raised a nation of fools that believe that, if they fail, the government will be there to take care of them. Ask the poorer residents of New Orleans how that worked out for them. I wonder - if another Katrina-like Hurricane hit the area, how many residents would be waiting around on their roof tops for Uncle Sam's failboat to come and pick them up... (sadly, there'd probably be quite a few, as I'd bet a lot of them didn't learn a lesson).
So, no, I don't think I'm benefiting from a stronger nation. We have more people than ever on government-provided Welfare. If anything, though, it's our children that are being ass-raped. They're the ones who are going to get to enjoy trying to pay this mess off (hell, the way the economy is going, perhaps we might get to see the fruits of our labor sooner than later. Man, it'd be nice if I live to see the day our government leaders have to step up to the podium and say "Well folks, it was nice, but now we have to pay it all back.")...