There are a few reasons I can think of off the top of my head that would explain how someone with a dim view of people could believe in handouts.
- People deserve security by virtue of being people, and their competence has nothing to do with it. There should be a social basis for security by something other than the boom and bust of the market.
- Disability shouldn't be regarded as equivalent to a crime simply because it might come into question with capitalist notions of productivity.
- Society is better off if people have handouts; for instance, if they have a steady income, it is probably less likely that they will rob others.
- An extension of the above: this would probably reduce extremism. I have a cousin who I think is a smart guy, but he got into InfoWars and RT and we can all imagine what happened next. I think if my cousin had a stipend, maybe he'd stop blaming everything on Mexicans and perhaps not even vote for Donald Trump at all.
People can also be manipulated by optimism and upbeat feelings.
I'd say the alt-righters are optimists in some sense. Driven by hate, probably, but I imagine they think the world they want to see is a likely possibility. I doubt they are cynics in either sense of the word.
My emotional constitution is not usually driven by optimism. It has happened to me at times, but it often means something else is wrong (trust me, it's not good). I also don't want to take the leap of faith and land on the other side surrounded by bags of flaming turds instead of the Holy Grail.
Sometimes, I have encountered a compelling individual or vision that has given me positive feelings. For instance, I related to "not me, us". I liked the implication of individuals at state, city, and local levels (perhaps even outside of government) being involved in change. I liked the deemphasis of "me"; this wasn't about venerating a charismatic figure. I wish I could have been in my early twenties for
that; it would have been great.