The Dominion-Post’s columnist Virginia Fallon has revealed yet another hitherto unknown human right to add to the lengthy list of such fictions.
Her’s in a recent column is “having a home is a human right”.
To repeat; there are no such things as natural human rights. There are legal rights albeit that’s no safe-guard against their breach. The lengthy list of fictitious natural human rights claims are in fact no more than a wish-list.
That same day in the New Zealand Herald, a correspondent, Alan Kemp, added to the list, writing of the fundamental right of every home-owner for his property never to be subject to a zoning change. That’s certainly an original one although the give-away is use of “fundamental”. As far back as 1929 commentators have noted that whenever “fundamental” is used as a prefix, the author is talking nonsense.
Virginia and Alan should get together. It could be a marriage made in heaven.
Mind you, I’m not guiltless. I’ve long claimed a fundamental human right to receive breakfast in bed and for the past four decades the various women in my life have all duly delivered.
4 Comments
Is this use of ‘fundamental’ as a prefix defensible? ‘Fallen and Kemp are talking out of their fundamental orifices.’
Cripes! Where do you find these women? The ones that do breakfast in bed I mean …
Also, shouldn’t we, as the people of our country, have the right to be told the truth by politicians? Is that a ‘fundamental’ right? Is it something that MP’s swear to as they are inducted into office? If not, it should be, in the vain hope that that they have a belief to swear on in the first place and then believe that they ‘Have to Tell The Truth’. Take me back to 1960-70’s New Zealand – I don’t think anyone lied back then? Having a home isn’t a right, it’s something to aspire to, to work towards and strive for through good times and bad. I recall working three jobs just to stave off 19% mortgage interest rates and rampant inflation. Mad you feel alive if you and your family made it to the next month with a coin to call your own!
Lucky you!!!
So many rights and no obligations to go with them… hmmmm what could possibly go wrong?