i am ambiguous regarding private citizen rescues

[drmeow]

61. I feel that this is a significant problem

in a lot of areas. Teachers have to buy their own supplies and the public are encouraged to donate money (donors choose), various charities to support veterans (if someone serves and is injured while serving, their needs should be covered ... period!), first responders (911 responder cancers, anyone?), bailing out the banks but leaving homeowners to be screwed. It is all part and parcel of the broader effort to transfer wealth to richest and leave everyone else to fend for themselves. That doesn't mean, as you rightfully point out, that in extreme cases we shouldn't all pitch in and help each other - but there is an overarching ideology that government and government services are for the rich and powerful and the rest of us should be happy with crumbs.