To associate conservatism with the view that welfare programs should be either narrowly defined or nobody gets anything is reckless and irresponsible. Conservatives have long been the advocate of those who need help the most, but because liberals choose to take the easy road when it comes to helping the poor (throw money at them and hope everything falls into place while portraying conservatives as heartless), conservatives are left with the daunting task of being the responsible parent in this whole mess. Once we bring down-scale the welfare system, we can make it easier for people to be held accountable for their actions and expected to work for a new source of income. Call it moral absolutism if you must, but I just call it common sense.
