Again (see my response above) some Americans *have* experienced living in a functional, fully-funded society. But that society was highly segregated by race and sex. So when austerity began being imposed at the same time that women and minorities began demanding a seat at the table, right-wingers deflected the blame for austerity’s predictable outcomes on those “others,” who were “taking” from hard-working Americans. This is why so many white Americans believe the austerity lie — because they have been brainwashed to believe it’s the only way they can keep their “hard-earned tax dollars” away from those “lazy takers.”