Liberty4eva
02-03-2011, 01:43 AM
In the last few days I've posted many threads but I think this one is by far the most serious. Although I'm very opinionated on this subject, I'm here mostly to gage opinions and listen rather than change what people think.
This thread is motivated by an event that I witnessed a few years ago. One of my favorite politicians, Representative Ron Paul, once came to my university while he was campaigning to be president in 2008. I can't remember exactly how this came up but while he was answering the audience's questions he essentially told a college student, to her face, that she didn't have a right to a college education (who said politicians don't have balls?). And, moreover, she didn't have a right to a job or a car or a house or anything like that. By that he meant those were priveleges that she had to work for if she wanted them and it wasn't the responsibility of society to provide them or even to try to provide them. However, he did say she had a right to her life and a right to liberty. But that was it.
Basically, I'm curious what people in the UK think are rights and what they think are priveleges and what they think their ideal society ought to be. And by "right" I mean you are entitled to be given this by society via the government (courtesy of the unwilling taxpayer). For instance, in childhood (both the US and UK) we go to public schools and do not pay directly for these services. Hence, in the US and UK public education for children is considered a right. But many Americans and British may not see eye-to-eye on other things such as universal health care. Many in the US do not believe we are entitled to health care. In the old Soviet Union it was considered a right for every person to have a job and so everyone worked for the government whereas in the US and UK having a job is considered more of a privilege than a right (hence many people are unemployed).
The tone of this question is not only philosophical and moral but also practical. Providing everyone with a car may mean, for instance, that taxes will have to go up or the quality of the car will have to go down. And so please do not just answer this poll emotionally. Nobody wants anyone to go hungry but if you think everyone has a right to food, then that means you are in favor of the government doing something like providing rations for every citizen for every day that they live. And some people may not like that especially if the food is low quality which is what it probably would be or the government becomes more bloated as it hires bureaucrats and people on the ground to distribute the food. And if you feel safety from terrorists is a right, then that may mean you are in favor of the government monitoring everyone's phone calls and emails. So I pose this question in the context of the real world where there is no such thing as a free lunch. If it wasn't for the fact that taxes would be funding all of these things, I personally would check down the entire list (as I think everyone else would). But considering there is no such thing as a free lunch, there are very few I would check.
So if you believe that people are entitled to some of these things check all that apply (note: you can vote for several options). I've also included some stupid things like owning a nuclear weapon to separate the jokesters from the people who take this seriously and maybe to provide a little levity.
This is a broad question. I've arbitrarily listed only a few things but there may be other things not listed that you feel we have a right to. If there is something else you feel people have a right to feel free to mention it.
This thread is motivated by an event that I witnessed a few years ago. One of my favorite politicians, Representative Ron Paul, once came to my university while he was campaigning to be president in 2008. I can't remember exactly how this came up but while he was answering the audience's questions he essentially told a college student, to her face, that she didn't have a right to a college education (who said politicians don't have balls?). And, moreover, she didn't have a right to a job or a car or a house or anything like that. By that he meant those were priveleges that she had to work for if she wanted them and it wasn't the responsibility of society to provide them or even to try to provide them. However, he did say she had a right to her life and a right to liberty. But that was it.
Basically, I'm curious what people in the UK think are rights and what they think are priveleges and what they think their ideal society ought to be. And by "right" I mean you are entitled to be given this by society via the government (courtesy of the unwilling taxpayer). For instance, in childhood (both the US and UK) we go to public schools and do not pay directly for these services. Hence, in the US and UK public education for children is considered a right. But many Americans and British may not see eye-to-eye on other things such as universal health care. Many in the US do not believe we are entitled to health care. In the old Soviet Union it was considered a right for every person to have a job and so everyone worked for the government whereas in the US and UK having a job is considered more of a privilege than a right (hence many people are unemployed).
The tone of this question is not only philosophical and moral but also practical. Providing everyone with a car may mean, for instance, that taxes will have to go up or the quality of the car will have to go down. And so please do not just answer this poll emotionally. Nobody wants anyone to go hungry but if you think everyone has a right to food, then that means you are in favor of the government doing something like providing rations for every citizen for every day that they live. And some people may not like that especially if the food is low quality which is what it probably would be or the government becomes more bloated as it hires bureaucrats and people on the ground to distribute the food. And if you feel safety from terrorists is a right, then that may mean you are in favor of the government monitoring everyone's phone calls and emails. So I pose this question in the context of the real world where there is no such thing as a free lunch. If it wasn't for the fact that taxes would be funding all of these things, I personally would check down the entire list (as I think everyone else would). But considering there is no such thing as a free lunch, there are very few I would check.
So if you believe that people are entitled to some of these things check all that apply (note: you can vote for several options). I've also included some stupid things like owning a nuclear weapon to separate the jokesters from the people who take this seriously and maybe to provide a little levity.
This is a broad question. I've arbitrarily listed only a few things but there may be other things not listed that you feel we have a right to. If there is something else you feel people have a right to feel free to mention it.