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Subject: 
Re: Gotta love Oracle...
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Sat, 13 Oct 2001 00:49:46 GMT
Viewed: 
653 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Horst Lehner writes:

Generally, don't you think that some sensible level of safety is one of the
very basic human rights?

No. Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Safety is too broadly
defined to be a right.

But doesn't it take some sensible level of safety (as opposed to absolute
safety) to ensure the value of the "life" part of your rights definition?

Paid for by whom? Government sets up systems but should not be providing
goods. What is the value of a life, by the way? Don't answer infinite,
that's the wrong answer and will give you silly results.

The proper functions of goverment in a Jeffersonian republic are police,
courts, and national defense. These provide for citizen safety, inasmuch as
they protect against force initiation. All other safety (the safety of a
train when you buy a ticket, for example) is properly regulated by contract
not law.

And if so, don't you think that only the rich will
get it through free market mechanisms?

and again no. You fall into the classic "only the rich will have X" fallacy.

Don't get me wrong: As long as X is NOT a basic human right, I am OK with X
being only available to the rich.

Great. We're all set since you've failed to demonstrate any right to goods
whatever.

I am just not sure how the "life" right
can be lived without security ...

It is not a right to live as long as one possibly can at societies expense,
it is a right not to have force initiated against you, that's it.

Is it not fair that those who work harder or are cleverer have more than
those that don't?

I would without hesitation agree to the "work harder" part of your question.
I am not 100% sure about the "are cleverer" part of it, because that's
something people cannot really influence.

Nonsense.

I influenced my cleverness. I paid attention in school. I stopped taking
mind altering drugs at a relatively early age. If Joe Bloggs didn't, tough
luck for him but that doesn't mean I am under any obligation to pay his beer
tab at the bar.

But let's assume I agree to both. Is it true then, that Bill Gates works
10000 times harder than I do? Is he 10000 times smarter than me? Am I 10000
times smarter than the average inhabitant of Africa, or do I work that much
harder than they do?

Yes, yes, yes and yes.

++Lar



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: Gotta love Oracle...
 
(...) Hmm, Larry, I think you fired that off without thinking about it, or you're being obtuse. My circumstances have a great deal to do with how hard I work, yes. That applies, in a relative degree, to virtually everyone on the planet (work (...) (23 years ago, 13-Oct-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
  Re: Gotta love Oracle...
 
(...) If security is a good, then the right to live has very little value as well. (...) It seems to be more in Europe than in the US. (...) That was too quick a victory for you to let it go ;-) First, I already have said that I see no way to (...) (23 years ago, 24-Oct-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Gotta love Oracle...
 
(...) But doesn't it take some sensible level of safety (as opposed to absolute safety) to ensure the value of the "life" part of your rights definition? (...) Don't get me wrong: As long as X is NOT a basic human right, I am OK with X being only (...) (23 years ago, 12-Oct-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

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