Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Another Human Right Identified

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..." Hard to disagree with Thomas Jefferson. And, he took that concept largely intact from John Locke who listed the trilogy as "life, liberty and pursuit of property."

I've got no problem with Locke's view. I've always felt that if I succeed in pursuing a lot of property I will become, almost by default, very happy.

But let's note that we start with life and we are free at birth, so those don't cost a tax-payer dime. And we are only acknowledged a right to "pursue" happiness. We aren't born happy or endowed with a lot of property. Pursuit does not guarantee capture of the prey. No redistribution of wealth required to gain any of the three.

Yet, we continue to expand the concept of "human rights." For some the expansion becomes almost satirical in its absurdity. For example:

And to Bask on the Beach at Malaga

Notice that this is not some loon waxing eloquent after an afternoon with his snout in a schooner full of Guiness. This is the European Union Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry speaking. This is a supposedly mature, responsible, fiduciary agent of the the taxpayers of the continent.

As one of those seniors on the short list of entitlement recipients, I think I like the concept! Now, who should I contact in the Obama administration to register my demand for this human right?

2 comments:

nzgarry said...

Surely the EU has bigger issues to
deal with, such as the Greek debacle. Is this some sort of diversion?.
Speaking of "rights", the UN seems to have some sort of agenda for overturning the rule of law and
property rights, see here.. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10639516&ref=paidb

MagiK said...

Ed, you forget, Obama views seasoned citizens as People who need to accept that they are going to die and are not worthy of expending our treasured resources on. Remember the Death Panels? As not young people you and I will no qualify for this "Right"