Surely you can see that this isn't true? I have an acquaintance who was doing very well for himself as a result of his hard work and application of common sense, but due to no fault of his own (and due very much to a drunk driver), he is now incapable of carrying out his trade, is totally reliant on state aid, and is a shadow of the person he once was. By saying that you can't fail if you work hard and use common sense you imply that there's no such thing as bad luck. Are you therefore implying that this person's predicament is somehow his own fault?
This is a truly terrible story,and he is a person who deserves help.However this is a one in a million circumstance,your clutching at straws abit by using such extreme examples.This could be a perfect case for lottery funding or charity help,based on non forced taxes or donations.I would enter the lottery,firstly to win,and maybe more often if i knew it would help less fortunate people like him rather than funding a government quango or some church roof.