day no. 16,092: positive rights produce slavery

The following thought was provoked by re-listening to Frederic Bastiat's The Law. 

Highly Recommend.

Positive rights are those produces by legislation. They do not exist until they are created. And once created, they require someone to do something in order for them to continue to exist.

For example, Affordable Health Care. This does not, by nature, exist as a right. It can only be made a right by passing legislation which in its creative power says, "thus," and expects it to be and in it's being brought forth, to be very good.

When positive rights are created, it requires people and systems to be set up in order to execute everything in keeping it. E.g. Someone has to provide the health care, someone has to provide the machinery and medicines required to provide the care, someone has to secure and sustain the locations that adequately provide access for all to exercise their rights, someone has to pay for the equipment, electricity, and property taxes to keep it all going, someone has to pay the personnel or someone has to do it for free. All that to say, many people are now obligated to either directly provide or pay for all the services required in order to guarantee the newly minted right.  In other words, many are enslaved to ensure a positive right.

Rights that do not originate with and from God can only be guaranteed by limited beings by enslaving other limited beings. But the law of the Lord does not enslave, it sets free. It secures liberty. Where the Spirit is, there is freedom. Government exists to insist on these freedoms and liberties remaining as such by punishing those who would violate these God-given rights of life, liberty and property. Government should not be in the business of minting more "rights," mainly because it shouldn't, but secondarily because it can't.

Romans 13:2-4

Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.