Not only handouts. Handouts are part of the system too, nothing lives in a vacuum. Remember that while the corporations are making the profits from those receiving the handouts, the taxpayers are also paying that profit. That is funds that could be used for investing for example. And, because the corporations are doing what they do, the governments take more loans, which are again funded by the taxpayer and handed to those who don't have enough.

The entire system is broken. The handouts are just a symptom of it and a facilitator that helps hold the status quo.

I don't think handouts are the answer, but your focus on handouts suggested you were essentially blaming people for being poor or being unable to make ends meet without assistance for the wealth gap

No, I used that as an example and I added, "Reading this, you likely felt a few different emotions come up."

This is exactly what I mean. Our relationship with money raises emotions in us and evoke a response, whether we are right or wrong, doesn't really matter. This is my point when people believe that they are objective when it comes to money. So, while you saw me blaming the poor for being poor, I can say that there is a "give a fish or teach to fish" issue. Which is where I think this fits in.

If corporations paid their fair share of taxes then the government could actually spend a lot more on handouts, people could spend their money on more than just living expenses,

Yes they could, but unless they are investing into ownership, they will always be reliant on the handouts. Which means that they end up as economic slaves at the mercy of a government giving them enough to survive. I don't believe governments will ever distribute wealth well, because they are run by humans with agendas and profits in mind. Look at how they rate the wealth of a country - it has nothing to do with the health of the people that reside there. If a government's job is to increase wellbeing of humans, they are failing.

Personally, I love the Co-op model of businesses, where all the wealth generated by the business goes to the workers (who are also investors).

These are popular in Finland. For example, the largest retailer is actually a cooperative with hundreds of thousands of micro owners.