Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by orthecreedence 3501 days ago
Rights are privileges. Absent modern society, there are no rights. The strongest and the most influential make the rules.

The governing bodies that enforce these so-called inalienable rights are the ones that grant them as well, and it is up to them, and in many cases the people who comprise them, which rights are granted. Rights are not some absolute concept defined by Ayn Rand. They are an artifact of civilized society.

The property rights you describe are not as binary as you wish them to be.

1 comments

Like I said, by your rationale, slavery doesn't violate people's rights in countries where slavery is legal.

Such a definition of rights would render the term meaningless.