Ah I wonder what indicators you use when you first meet people to immediately judge if they are worthy or not. What subtle deep in your mind factors decide if someone deserves it.

The first 35 years of my life I was surrounded by nothing but Midwestern American conservatives, with splashes of evangelical Christians in the mix. I was raised that we should love our neighbors, give to the poor and needy, work hard, and or needs would be met. When I was no longer a child the clarifications started to creep in. I should love and help others, but only if they really deserved it. Who deserved it had a long list of unspoken qualifiers. If my needs weren't being met, I must not be working hard enough, even if that meant working 2 jobs and my health suffering for it.

In my 30s I had the opportunity to meet people outside my bubble, and what do you know - I started recognizing the hypocrisy I was raised with and living, and finally started to grow as a person.

I live in Florida, surrounded by red and I'm from a red state/area. To be clear, I think it's PERFECTLY VALID to hold the thought "my money and stuff are mine and I should have a say who gets to use it". And to your point about democrats: yeah that's effectively what I mean. Universal health care and paying for college are publicly funded from....other people's money. Most Republicans I've talked to wish we had either or both, but balk when taxes are raised. They would rather be the ones to decide who gets a portion of their paycheck from an understandable hesitancy to have the government be the one to decide who gets the money. Republicans see that prudence as necessary, and most democrats I know see that as an unwillingness to contribute to the "greater good".