Even with the ridiculously confiscatory tax rates in the US, Americans give more money to charity than the entire budget of the United Nations.

We really don't need government to do anything to "help" the downtrodden, the American people are the most generous and charitable in human history. Couple that with the fact that private charities are significantly more efficient with the money they get and you'll find that MORE people are helped when the government is cut out of the charity business.