One reason many European nations were able to build robust social safety nets was because they were racially homogeneous. America is much more racially diverse, whites in America were fed the racist narrative that all minorities are lazy parasites freeloading off of the system, while all whites are hardworking and paying into the system. This is untrue, whites make up the largest racial group living below the poverty line and they receive the most government aid. Right wing politicians have been successful at getting working class whites to vote against their own self interest by connecting welfare with undeserving minorities. Some whites want to deny aid to minorities, even if it means denying themselves the same aid.