[RHSeeger]

> it's the exact amount of money that would stop the idle masses from burning down the city.

That seems awfully pessimistic. There's a couple different reasons

- To stop the masses from uprising (as noted)

- Because the health of the society as a whole depends on the health of the people in the society. And sometimes you need safety nets for the people in that society, because people can't always do for themselves. Fire departments, unemployment, health care, education; these all fall into that category in one way or another. Some places provide all of these, some provide none, and most provide somewhere in the middle. In the end, we provide for those that can't because it's better for the society that we live in if we do. And we are all served by a better healthier society.