A response to a criticism of "entitlements" and Big Government

Social Security (or Medicare or Medicaid) is not perfect in either its administration or its financing. But the financing is separate from objectives or performance. Criticism about unsustainability could be answered simply by raising taxes, and/or reducing benefits.

The broader point about trusting government with "your" money implies the philosophy underlying your critique, and it's a fair one (and a classic). You might be right, but We the People (not "the Government") decided differently: that it is better to nationalize the risk of poverty related to old age and illness, rather than individualizing the risk. "We" could be wrong, but that's a majoritarian representative democracy for you.

I think a smaller, cheaper government is better. But history shows that a huge chunk of people in any society make seemingly irrational, self-destructive decisions that hurt themselves, and hurt the rest of us, and one of the projects of government is to respond to that reality. The American way has been to grow the economy to provide as much opportunity as possible, including the self-destructive or irrational or unskilled people. But we also wanted our homeland to cleaner and safer, and over time, other countries also developed a competitive labor force. There is less and less for self-destructive people or irrational or low-skilled people to do to pay for themselves. The administrative state has grown in response. Indeed, one could be forgiven for thinking that the administrative state caused the poverty, rather than the other way around. I would pay attention to a "free market," laissez-faire, small government approach to that fundamental issue if it included a serious, adult assessment of how it provides for the self-destructive, the unskilled, the poor and ill; not because my heart bleeds, but because it simply needs to be done. But the "hands-off" approach either just assumes everything will work out, or simply doesn't care. Which is why We the People don't buy it. "The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want," Mark 14:7.