> I'm more than happy to personally take them as an example of why spending big on social programs doesn't produce long-lasting social benefits.

Different markets have different needs. I disagree with socialism for all things. There are some things, where i think it's the best system we have. Air quality is a good example. Everybody needs air and it's hard to separate mine from yours. So, collective ownership with collective decisions about how much pollution is to be allowed makes sense to me.