This isn’t even new, of course. This has been the project for Progressivism since the 1880’s. The idea was and is to supplant private charity so that religion as a counterweight to government could eventually be turfed out altogether. Then the cult of the state as God could be quietly installed and children taught to worship Baal.
Come to think of it, that makes the project a lot older than the 1880’s, eh? {eyeroll}
I was doing some reading a few weeks ago on the subject of Paul's Roman citizenship. Came upon this article, Was Paul a Roman?"
The article was fascinating. In the course of discussing citizenship in Paul's time, it addressed several ways in which the Roman government was collapsing from within because of socialism.
First, the Matthew 23:9 admonition to call no man on earth your "Father" was set against the Roman idea that the Emperor was one's Father (Dan Quayle was right) AND that you "prayed" to your Father (the Emperor) for "benefits" (yes, all your needs -- more and more social welfare benefits). The follower of Jesus was being instructed to look to God for provision.
The author states that "Rome's decline began as it altered this system of self governance in exchange for dependence on benefactors who exercised authority by taking from their neighbors to supply their welfare."
A second interesting point was as to the Nicolaitians (Rev. 2:6.).
He writes that the error of the Nicolaitians was the error of Balaam: that is, "The Nicolaitan were members of social systems that forced the contributions of their neighbor to provide the their welfare and security."