Writing at The American Thinker, John Horvat adds to the drumbeat of rejection of Piketty’s logic with a more Tocquevillean approach:
Moreover, these institutions [the natural regulating institutions of family, community and Church] distribute wealth much more efficiently and effectively than government programs. More importantly, they create personal bonds of affection that unite society. A moral tie is formed when benefactors take personal interest in those receiving aid and recipients express gratitude for help given. This differs from the cold bureaucratic arm of government aid which is polarizing the nation by creating resentment among those forced to pay for programs, and ingratitude by recipients who now consider such benefits as entitlements.