NotOfIt

Couple of points-- There are issues you find legitimate and some not, why do you decide what is legit? 2. you seem resigned to a democracy where "the gov will do what it wants' regardless of what the ppl want. That is a dictatorship. 3. Expecting healthcare to be paid from our taxes (that we pay) is being too dependent? Why? With healthcare price gouging no one can afford healthcare. It's a corrupt, predatory system. You will die.

moremetalguitar

OK, yeah, a right is not an actual, objectively verifiable thing. It's a philosophical idea.

The idea that all people have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness forms the basis for American culture, politics, and law. You can say that these rights are imaginary, but if everyone has tacitly agreed that these rights apply to all people, and act accordingly, you're going to have a hard time swimming against the tide.

If all it really comes down to is one man's power over others, as you say, then you are reducing our civilization to survival of the fittest. While we do have evolutionary adaptations and instincts, humans are not beholden to their animal nature. Which is why we have formed societies and created these concepts such as human rights, in order to be collectively stronger than any one man can be alone just bashing heads and being a bad motherfucker.

carlip

The notion of rights has been weaponized. It can be used by people to squelch your own "rights" and unless you fight to protect them, you lose them. So in the end a society is a fine idea, but it relies on violence for continuity.

llwish

Great article... I've been looking for something for my teenaged daughter to read to understand what's going on with all the protesting and women's marches. This looks like a good start.

moremetalguitar

A right is not something someone gives you – it is something that no one can take away, or prevent you from pursuing.

This needs to be printed in huge pink comic sans and posted all over college campuses, coffee houses, and social media sites.

All these anti-Trumpers claiming they're oppressed and that he's going to take away their "right" to be sexually and morally deviant Welfare-dependent baby killers need to get this drilled into their peach-fuzzed moon-faced thin-skinned skulls.

djsumdog

I in general agree with most of the author's post, and this is an important distinction I haven't head of between positive/negative rights.

However, it shows the author's libertarian bent. In high income countries you depend on a very high level of socialism in order for the society to function. Parks, fire, police, roads, rail, transit .. these are all forms of socialism. Countries without socialism are going to be low to mid-income or developing.

The author does make a good point: the government is going to do what it wants despite what the citizens think. There is science/are publications behind this:

http://fightthefuture.org/videos/does-voting-make-a-difference/

The author also makes it clear they don't understand how debt, war, money and taxes work. In fact, modern money is entirely dependent on war. Conquering and holding was entirely dependent on taxes. The earliest forms of human economies were credit based (NOT barter) and coins only came in when conquerors needed to pay their soldiers. They'd pay the soldiers in coin and then also have them collect taxes, which are coins.

They'd put areas in debt in order to keep them under control.

I highly recommend the book Debt: The First 5,000 Years .

edthomson92

Or your friends do, and you're scared for them