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Originally Posted by
Enumerate
I'm happy to help out, here:
"A 'right' is a moral principle defining and sanctioning a man’s freedom of action in a social context"
If you are going to start quoting Ayn Rand at me best we definitely move the conversation elsewhere we could try SOLO.
But lets continue for a moment for the benifit of those poseters tahat aren't now catatomic
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Further, these rights should be viewed as a right to "action". I have a right to express my ideas. I have a right to design a skyscraper. I have a right make my own investment choices.
while arguably you have the moral right to these actions you do not necessarily have the legal right. Your right to express your ideas is restrained by the Human Rights Act - an act passed by a majority in the House of duly elected representatives of individuals.. Your right to design a skyscraper is confined by your ability to secure as your property the materials on which you will create your design - and if your ideas behind the design belong to someone else you may come unstuck. You certainly have the right to make your own investment - but with that right goes the responsibility of recognizing its your money to loose so don't expect the taxpayer or regulatory authorities to stand by you when things go wrong. We know of course thats not the case with the Govt Deposit guarantee.
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There are no rights to objects. I have no right to a house, for example. I have the right to contract to own a house (if I have the means).
Your confusing two rights - the right to negotiate and the right to own. Even in a Libertarain world they preciously defend the right to own objects as property. You seem to be expresing a bit of a socialist view there.
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Governments have a monopoly on the use of force to protect individual rights.
Well individuals have this right as well - try stopping an Anton Pillar order!
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The police protect individuals from the violation of their rights by criminals.
No they don't - society does that. The police are there to catch the crims once a crime has been committed - their powers in prevention are limited.
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The armed forces protect individuals from the violation of their rights by foreign attack.
That is a limited view - as evidenced by our troops in Afganistan
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The law courts enforce individual rights through a judgement process of enforceable law.
Arguably thats the role of the civil law courts.
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There ... I hope this adds some clarity to the issues.
Thanks for the distraction