Subject:
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Re: Rights to free goods? (was Re: What happened?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Sat, 3 Jul 1999 20:56:01 GMT
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Reply-To:
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lpieniazek@/nospam/novera.com
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Viewed:
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954 times
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Richard Dee wrote:
> But your own Declaration of Independance states that everyone
> is entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of hapiness.
I'm going to refer you to the federalist papers on this, and they're a
hard slog, believe me, I'm re-reading them now, as I periodically do.
Summarizing, though:
I acknowledge that a quick read of the phrase "LL&PH" may leave one with
the impression that because certain goods are required for life, there's
a government committment to supply them.
But the FFs did NOT mean free goods in that oft twisted passage. Life
means the right not to be shot by the government capriciously, liberty
means the freedom of action to do as you wish within the limits I have
often stated, and pursuit of happiness means the right to strive to
succeed materially or spiritually or to strive for happiness in other
ways.
Had the FFs meant free goods, surely they would have set up such from
the get go either in the articles of confederation, or in the
constitutional republic (their second try) we still have. After all
other governments not that far removed chronologically specifically DID
try to do so.
But the FFs did not set up any free goods. They were capitalists, not
socialists. Their intent is clear. I'm usually rather dismayed at the
lack of clarity of thinking evinced by those who trot out this tired
argument (that LL&PH means free goods). Shame on you.
Think about difference between promising happiness and promising the
freedom to pursue happiness. The latter speaks only to behaviours. And a
central tenet of my arguments here has been that rights speak only to
behaviours not goods.
No one, not even Bill Gates, can promise us happiness, no matter what
expenditure that was committed to the task...
--
Larry Pieniazek larryp@novera.com http://my.voyager.net/lar
- - - Web Application Integration! http://www.novera.com
fund Lugnet(tm): http://www.ebates.com/ Member ref: lar, 1/2 $$ to
lugnet.
NOTE: I have left CTP, effective 18 June 99, and my CTP email
will not work after then. Please switch to my Novera ID.
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