Comments on: The Right to Everything

By: You have no power over me « Way Too Opinionated

You have no power over me « Way Too Opinionated — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:23:13 +0000

[...] Serve the government and you will be served. This was well laid out by the Hot Air post “The Right To Everything” by Dr. Zero. Or even paraphrasing others, you cannot have everything you want unless you [...]

By: nater1976

nater1976 — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 15:40:13 +0000

Doctor Zero, you may be one of the finest bloggers around. Here’s to you!

By: ericdijon

ericdijon — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:00:54 +0000

That’s why socialism always reduces its dependents to infancy.

We’ll soon see our prez stroking the blond locks of wayward six year old boys at the whitehouse; it’ll remind us of Saddam Hussein.

By: ericdijon

ericdijon — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:57:07 +0000

I sometime think that Dr. Zero is Mark Levin himself or at least read hi last book, Liberty and Tyranny.

Yakko77 on September 4, 2009 at 12:58 AM

The May archives have been removed, but in that grouping you could have gleaned a piece of personal detail that places Doctor Zero’s age at approximately 10 years younger than Mark Levin.

Anyway Doctor Zero,

How flattering is it to have the public abuzz over who it is behind the mask that speaks both for and to the people? It’s not that you are simply preaching eloquently to the choir, you’re attracting the unwashed as well and holding their attention.

By: RuffledRaven

RuffledRaven — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:51:50 +0000

Since the left seems to be feeding us it’s propaganda through Facebook more and more. I think we should blast out this article by Dr. Z.

BierManVA on September 4, 2009

I’ve already got it up on Facebook to rave reviews (giving full credit of course) I even have someone of some political influence who wants to push it as well…I sense an oncoming tsunami lol

By: RushBaby

RushBaby — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:43:07 +0000

fantastic

By: Attractive Nuisance » Blog Archive » The Right To Everything

Attractive Nuisance » Blog Archive » The Right To Everything — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:01:00 +0000

[...] there are some broad-brush generalizations here about what conservatives and liberals believe. But the essay is nonetheless a useful antidote for that “no one should die because they cannot afford healthcare” meme floating around [...]

By: BierManVA

BierManVA — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:17:36 +0000

Since the left seems to be feeding us it’s propaganda through Facebook more and more. I think we should blast out this article by Dr. Z.

By: BierManVA

BierManVA — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:14:16 +0000

I got that same FB post from my cousin. Now I see those exact same words here. Must have been some leftist primer that was sent out to alert the masses on their talking points of moral equivalence.

vapig on September 4, 2009 at 10:16 AM

Me too. Verbatum.

By: Catherine Wilkinson

Catherine Wilkinson — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:32:02 +0000

I can’t add any additional praise that hasn’t already been written, Doc Z. Magnificent!
This will be sent far and wide and printed out and re-read many times.

By: Sharke

Sharke — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:31:36 +0000

I agree in large part with this. But of course it’s all rather ridiculous coming from a person like Rand, whose Objectivism cannot account for morality at all.

2Brave2Bscared on September 4, 2009 at 1:01 AM

That’s just ridiculous. Rand explained very clearly and rationally how morality could be derived from objective reality and the basic metaphysics of human life, without having to appeal to a spirit world. I guess this is probably where you make some futile attempt to persuade me that morality can only come from God, that humans are incapable of understanding morality without religion and thus that I, an atheist, cannot possibly be a moral person.

Bring it on!

By: itsacookbook

itsacookbook — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:29:33 +0000

Beautifully written. Thank you.

By: vapig

vapig — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:16:16 +0000

Darn tootin’ about Thomas Sowell, Dr. Zero. Although it would have been easier to have acquiesced with my Facebook friend’s declaration this morning that “no one should have to die because they can’t afford medical care,” I decided to push back with this succinct quote from The Quest for Cosmic Justice: “Nobody should be happy with cosmic injustices. The real questions are: 1) What should we do about them — and at what cost? 2) What should we do collectively about them — and how much should be left up to individuals themselves?” Hope it gets him thinking. Your essay is a keeper.

Lonalee on September 3, 2009 at 10:49 PM

I got that same FB post from my cousin. Now I see those exact same words here. Must have been some leftist primer that was sent out to alert the masses on their talking points of moral equivalence.

By: Al in St. Lou

Al in St. Lou — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:11:34 +0000

Khun Joe on September 3, 2009 at 9:15 PM

+100

By: dhunter

dhunter — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:03:06 +0000

Dr. Zero’s essay should be read aloud to the school children following Pinnochio’s address this Sept. 8th for a real learning experience.
It should be the rebuttal to the Teachers Union Indoctrination of our Children that will follow Pinnochios’ speech!

Perhaps even a teacher or two would learn something useful that day!

By: CriticalUpdate

CriticalUpdate — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:54:01 +0000

Zero is awesome. He/she/it seems to be able to grasp and put into words thoughts and feelings most of us feel, but seem to struggle to identify and explain with any clarity. Its hard to say no to the needy, the dis advantaged. But, the more you trample one class of peoples rights in order to fullfill a governments “created” right, in my opinion, you will erode the donor class gradually, and eventually we would all become dependant on the governmnet to just print, as we would cease to individually create wealth. Quashing our rights to retain that which we have earned will destroy our incentive not only to work harder, take risks, and create wealth and jobs, it will also create one giant population of dependants competing for government cheese. They just dont get it. When I see Harry Reid give up his property, Nancy Pelosi her Winerys, Edwards his mansion, Kerry his wifes Ketchup factory, and yes, Bush his oil, then I will believe them. You see what they are doing? All of them, are making it harder and harder for the little guy to open up a ketchup factory, a winery, buy land, etc… in essence guaranteeing themselves and their heirs a sustained future with no new competition. They are locking us out by changing the rules that they had to build their fortunes.
These hacks never talk about people being taxed out of their homes. Taxed into bankruptcy, Taxed into poverty. They always blame business owners, CEOs, etc, but only in professions that they are far separated from. They do not lead by example.

By: Rights vs. Wants redux » Cold Fury

Rights vs. Wants redux » Cold Fury — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:53:54 +0000

[...] Rights vs. Wants redux Posted in The Almighty State by Mike Sep 04 2009 TrackBack Address. Doc Zero has it: Advocates of the Democrats’ socialized medicine program often speak of the “right” to health [...]

By: david kumbera

david kumbera — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:35:35 +0000

Dr Zero, I think not. This is number 1 as far as understanding the thinking of our founding Fathers.
Thanks

By: rbj

rbj — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:14:33 +0000

Bravo.
And it is why the UN Declaration of Rights is such utter nonsense. As is FDR’s “Four Freedoms.” Freedom of Speech and of Religion cannot be squared with Freedom from Want or Freedom from Fear. The first two are aoubt your own personal liberty, the last two are impositions on others for your benefit. Not to mention idiocy. I want a Nintendo Wii, so someone is obliged to give it to me? And if I had a nightmare, whom do I sue over the fear.

By: RuffledRaven

RuffledRaven — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:00:20 +0000

Bravo..Brilliant once more…

I plan to share this with as many people as I possibly can

By: Badger40

Badger40 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:58:36 +0000

Browncoatone on September 4, 2009 at 2:20 AM

What you wrote, IMHO, was just as good as what Dr Zero wrote.
Amen!

By: jistincase

jistincase — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:54:00 +0000

I think Dr. Zero is actually Mark Levin. While it is a great piece it almost sounds like it was pasted right out of Liberty and Tyranny.

By: mbs

mbs — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:45:24 +0000

I really do think there are 2 types of people in the world. One will say, what good is freedom if people are hungry? And the other type will say, what good is a full belly if I live under tyranny?

By: N. O'Brain

N. O'Brain — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:39:54 +0000

Where did this gut COME from?

By: One Against Many

One Against Many — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:39:26 +0000

Plus, as we all know, the most fundamental “rights” are not rights at all: they are freedoms.

Freedom of speech, religion, association, assembly, movement and from persecution.

Whatever rights we then enjoy spring from these freedoms.

Doc. Zero – a worthwhile postscript to your excellent piece might be to look at Barry’s support for the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Should he get the Senate to ratify this treaty, then all of the socialist “rights” under the sun will instantaneously become state obligations here in the US.

By: Tantor

Tantor — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:38:49 +0000

Whenever you give up the free market in favor of socialism, you give up freedom of choice for compulsion. A free market can operate with minimal compulsion to ensure everyone’s rights to their property. A socialist system operates with maximum compulsion to deny rights to property.

By: reaganaut

reaganaut — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:34:59 +0000

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

It’s so simple. Give the the liberty to pursue my own happiness. Part of that pursuit may very well be failure.

My happiness depends on the journey as much as it does the end result. I’d rather fail miserably (because it’s only temporary) than be guaranteed mediocrity.

By: One Against Many

One Against Many — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:30:02 +0000

It’s not unthinkable that proposals under the Democrats could extend to doing away with salaries altogether.

Just think: our remuneration would go straight into a government controlled account, and we would be provided with government services in return.

It does away with freedom of choice, gets rid of market competition (and thus losers), imposes equality from above and, best of all, gets rid of those pesky middle-men: you and I.

By: Puddleglum

Puddleglum — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:17:22 +0000

This notion of rights bestowed by government…is an argument that conservatives must never grow weary of having, because there will never come a day when it’s unnecessary to make it.

This, to me, is the ultimate summing up of this most excellent analysis. Doc, I don’t know if you’re a physician or a PhD in another discipline, but if your talents in that field are anywhere close to your rhetorical gifts you are indeed a double blessing.

By: amex

amex — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:17:02 +0000

Another Standing “O”.

By: Fletch54

Fletch54 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:09:37 +0000

Forgot to add- this is a keeper and worthy of re-distribution to as many Americans as possible. Great work, Dr Z!

By: Required reading for all citizens of the USA « Smash Mouth Politics

Required reading for all citizens of the USA « Smash Mouth Politics — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:46:05 +0000

[...] again. Liberalism would be seen by all as what it is: pure evil, disguised as good. “The Right to Everything.” (Only a couple of pages long, but pure [...]

By: Wanderlust

Wanderlust — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:22:01 +0000

Excellent, as always. Thanks for sharing

By: Murf76

Murf76 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:17:14 +0000

Great post. I never do get tired of the discussion of unalienable rights, and you’re exactly correct Doc… the negative and positive cannot coexist. One must naturally cancel out the other.

That’s the frustrating part of dealing with people who THINK they can have it all without giving anything up. They don’t fully understand the cost of getting what they want.

By: publiuspen

publiuspen — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:05:50 +0000

Not to muddy the discussion, but does not the inherent right of the individual to life necessarily precede all others?

By: sclemens

sclemens — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:03:15 +0000

I believe Obama committed a gaff when he acknowledged the truth that 80% of health care costs are end-of-life costs. If this debate is truly about reducing costs, he would spend his time trying to convince us how denying this care is the moral thing to do. But since that is a “third-rail” issue, they have artificially inflated the number of uninsured to make that their battle cry.

By: Cinday Blackburn

Cinday Blackburn — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:02:17 +0000

While we still can……as Americans……….while we still can share thoughts and concepts and ideals……..it is wonderful to read the Doctor’s words……….I don’t think it will be long before that too is taken away by Team Obama…

By: clorensen

clorensen — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:57:47 +0000

Excellent post. And terrifying:

Socialism always turns ugly, as the screams of competing dependents turn blood-curdling, and the State manages scarce resources by deciding whose rights to violate first.

By: MainelyRight

MainelyRight — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:57:16 +0000

Keep these great pieces coming Dr. Zero. Frankly, you can’t write them fast enough. You always make a powerful case. Thanks.

By: Lockstein13

Lockstein13 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:24:48 +0000

on this topic.