The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress is a particular favorite of mine because the harsh lunar environment is a catalyst for reality asserting itself faster. Commies will tell you this that and the other thing is a "right". Which inevitably proves to be false because positive rights cannot exist. On the moon, try claiming air is a human right and reality will kill you stone dead inside of 3 minutes.
+1. Even though this wasn’t his most popular or acclaimed story, was by FAR my favorite of his. Happy to find like minded individuals here on this one. Dude was about a century beyond his time on the themes of AI.
Sames
I hadn't heard the term "positive rights" before, looked it up. I mostly agree. Wiki has "right to counsel" as a positive right. It does indirectly force action by individuals (some shysters have to be public defenders) but the main thrust is to prevent action by government (the government can't try someone unless they have effective counsel). So I guess that straddles the line between positive and negative? Would like to hear your thoughts.
"Negative rights" are the only type of rights which can exist because they're the only type which can be universal. They can be universal because they forbid an action and therefore pass the coma test.
I have the right to freedom of speech. What does everyone need to do for this? Literally nothing. Leave me alone. Some guy in a coma can respect my right to freedom of speech by literally doing nothing.
"Positive rights" can't exist because they fail the coma test. If I spout that I have a "right to housing", is some guy in a coma going to provide it for me? Is some gal going to build it for me if I'm on Mars? Obviously not. Because there's no way for a positive right to be delivered for everyone, at all times, positive rights can't exist.
In terms of "right to counsel", this is clearly an impossible "positive right" because it requires an action. The government has to act to provide an attorney (from where, paid for by whom, and motivated by what magic to give a shit about your case?).
The only way to make "right to counsel" a negative right is in the format of "The government shall not infringe upon the right to counsel". Is the government mandated to act to get you a lawyer? Nope. If your right violated by some other person in a coma doing nothing but existing? Nope. Can you hire a lawyer if you want? Sure.
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