Quote:
Originally posted by brianna
i think you're belief that the other rights are free is false. taxes pay for millions of things so that citizens can pursue their rights to life, liberty and happiness, the most egregious example is liberty; we spend billions of dollars a year on a state military that helps to ensure this right. i see no reason why health care needs to be added to the list, frankly providing health care is the only way to ensure the rights to life and happiness which are already promised.
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The proper role of government is to protect citizens from those who wish to infringe on their liberty. This is why the military, courts and police are essential - to enforce the rule of law. We all share the expense of this effort - and rightly so. These functions should also be managed so as not to discriminate - all citizens should be equal before the law.
Such equality does not exist in the assertion of "positive" rights. There must always be a segment of the population who pays so that others may consume.
You also confuse the concepts of life and happiness with equality of condition. There is no right to happiness btw - only the pursuit. The true meaning of these concepts is equality before God and under the law. There is no basis for a claim of equal condition of material wealth, health or any other physical circumstance.