You should read "The 10 worst presidents" Most of it is right on the money, but I don't agree that Nixon was one of the worst. I prospered under Nixon, he got us out of Viet Nam.
By the way, the first military advisors went to Viet Nam under the Eisenhower administration.
I was raised during the great Depression, and if it hadn't been for FDR with his CCCs, WPA etc, I don't know how we could have survived.
My Father decided to be a wandering drunk, so I was one who was raised on welfare. It didn't do the whole job, but at least we didn't starve like poor folks did in the old days. Many young people had to quit school and go to work. The lack of education doomed them to a life of manual labor. I was able to stay in school and I can guarantee that every dime we collected on welfare went to necessities, and later on I was able to get a good job, and I have paid back in income taxes far more than the government gave us in welfare.
You can read of socialism, communism, welfare cheats etc. but I was there, and what I know is from personal experience. If you were not raised in the depression, you have no first hand knowledge.
As FDR said when the republicans attacked him, "I'm an old campaigner, and I love a good fight."