that's a different conversation. we're talking about attaching strings to recipients of federal dollars, businesses in particular. welfare/tax breaks...it's still giving money to someone at the expense of someone else.
Not necessarily. When a for profit company pays billions of dollars in taxes and gets millions in tax breaks, it is a net payer. In effect, it is being asked to pay less. The government is giving it some of its own contributions back.
When someone doesn't pay in at all and only takes out, then you have redistribution.