What Rights Do I Have?

Sometimes I think that there is a constant battle between personal rights and public good.  The problem is that there are no clear demarcations in this battle.  Yes, there are laws.  But laws are always changing to favor one side or another.  The battle goes on.  It is an interesting fight.  The political arena is one of the battlegrounds.  Especially this year.  Especially in November.  There are liberals, conservatives, independents, non-voters, activists, extremists,  zealots, the unaware and the uconcerned.  But what rights do we have, or not have?  Those are the big questions.  A former Presidential candidate of this year's campaign attempts to answer the two part question.  At least he made the effort.  At least he thought about it.  At least he studied and researched it.  At least he is not ignorant about it.  Do I agree with him.?  Yes.  But only philisophically.  Why?  Because change comes in increments.  And I don't think Dr. Paul wants Incremental change.

"You don't have a right to the fruits of somebody else's labor. You don't have a right to a house, you don't have a right to a job, you don't have a right to medical care. You have a right to your life, you have your right to your liberty, you have a right to keep what you earn. And that's what produces prosperity. So you want equal justice. And this is not hard for me to argue, because if you really are compassionate and you care about people, the freer the society the more prosperous it is, and more likely that you are going to have medical care... When you turn it over to central economic planning, they're bound to make mistakes. The bureaucrats and the special interests and the Halliburtons are going to make the money. Whether it's war, or Katrina, these noncompetitive contracts, the bureaucrats make a lot of money and you end up with inefficiency."

 Dr. Ron Paul