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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRand Paul: Food Stamps Are Just Like Slavery
Pauls philosophical excursus is buried in the midst of the too-friendly-for-parody article (it ends with a patient waxing poetic about how Paul loves people), but the words are unmistakably Randian. As humans, yeah, we do have an obligation to give people water, to give people food, to give people health care, Paul allowed, but its not a right because once you conscript people and say, Oh, its a right, then really youre in charge, its servitude, youre in charge of me and Im supposed to do whatever you tell me to do.
The comments are an echo of his 2011 claim that accepting a human right to health care means you believe in slavery, but the Senators new variation on the theme is notable because it puts the reasoning behind the crazy in stark relief. Particularly, this line: You dont have a right to anyone elses labor. Foods pretty important, do you have a right to the labor of the farmer?
The basic idea is that if slavery means forcing people to do things, and saying people have a right to food means the government should require farmers to provide it to them, then a right to food means the enslavement of farmers. A moderately bright high school student could spot the leap of logic here: no ones forcing anyone to farm against their will. In a democratic-capitalist economy, people have a right to choose their career and, as it turns out, enough people end up being farmers that theres generally enough food to go around. A socially-accepted right to food merely means the government should pay for the provision of food to those who cant afford it. No stealing, and definitely no slavery.
JustAnotherGen
(31,823 posts)Keep talking?
hobbit709
(41,694 posts)JustAnotherGen
(31,823 posts)Warpy
(111,261 posts)Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)rustydog
(9,186 posts)Your hypocrisy is stunning. your self-serving sermons sicken the strongest of hypocrites...
Historic NY
(37,449 posts)hobbit709
(41,694 posts)Outside of that point, he's still a total ass.
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)If by "admire" you mean "agree with on some policy".
mick063
(2,424 posts)Throwing red meat to the same crowd that Cruz does.
Both are ideological slave masters, appealing to people that genetically believe in slavery, representing states that historically fought a bloody civil war to retain slavery. Both would rather that the descendants of slaves be disenfranchised to participate in the political process, and both come from a political party that represents that view.
When taking on the topic of slavery, Rand Paul's face takes on the appearance of a Mandrill's rainbow colored ass and all that emerges from it is ape shit.
hobbit709
(41,694 posts)Response to hobbit709 (Reply #7)
mick063 This message was self-deleted by its author.
Blue Owl
(50,373 posts)You get what you give, motherfucker.
Lasher
(27,597 posts)He thinks it's a terrible thing for the government to be in charge. He thinks people born into money and privilege should be the ones in charge. People just like him.
What an ass!
leftstreet
(36,108 posts)Do they just like to talk about slavery?
CAG
(1,820 posts)its disgusting, racist, and highly inaccurate
hobbit709
(41,694 posts)G_j
(40,367 posts)depicting what a "Libertarian" America would look like. No national parks, rivers poisoned, air thick with pollution.
No food safety. No regulations on anything.
If the poison Chinese dog food bothered people, just think we could poison our animals with food manufactured right here in the good ole USA! Now that's freedom!
Incitatus
(5,317 posts)There's the problem with a lot of Republicans.
neverforget
(9,436 posts)MFrohike
(1,980 posts)Sometimes, I just don't know what to say. On its face, it's just loony. Not eccentric loony, the kind of loony that makes you wish for forcible civil commitment both for his good and ours. Dig a bit deeper and it lets a lot of Dixiecrats claim they're finally opposing slavery, if only 150 years late.
The really funny part is applying his own logic to his own profession. Rand should be out decrying the government monopoly of medical licensing because it forces people to use only government approved providers rather than any old snake-oil salesman they can find. He should be decrying government intervention in the free market and noting that bad providers will be disciplined by the invisible hand. What a fucking jackass.