The boys drink and review Sierra Nevada's Narwhal Imperial Stout, then discuss the obligation of the government to provide for the poor and how such efforts inevitably degrade into graft, corruption, and abuse -- like what we see in Minneapolis right now.

There have always been poor people, and there has always been an obligation to help the less fortunate. In the past, much of that work was done by churches.

The big transformation in government-run charity followed the Great Depression, where masses of unemployed men threatened to riot. So-called "welfare" system only got bigger over time, especially under President Johnson. At first, public assistance was just for the elderly, widows, and orphans. Today, an enormous percentage of the population gets some type of government benefit.

The trouble is, whenever there's money changing hands, people try to get in on it and put themselves in the middle so they can get their cut. Charity is no exception. Unscrupulous actors find ways to cheat and rob the system.

The extent of the cheating, stealing, and fraud is almost beyond belief. But rather than monitoring and preventing it, public officials turn a blind eye.

It makes you wonder whether welfare systems are designed to help the poor, or are just slush funds for politicians to bribe their cronies.

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