Senator Rand Paul says the obligation of society to care for its less-well-off population is a form of servitude and government overreach.
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) equated government programs that prevent people from dying of starvation with slavery in a new profile of his medical practice published today, revealing himself to hold a view of the role of government so limited as to nearly define the state out of existence. [...]
“As humans, yeah, we do have an obligation to give people water, to give people food, to give people health care,” Paul allowed, “but it’s not a right because once you conscript people and say, ‘Oh, it’s a right,’ then really you’re in charge, it’s servitude, you’re in charge of me and I’m supposed to do whatever you tell me to do.”
If you’re such a rugged individualist that you view humane society as a burden or form of servitude, I don’t believe you have any business serving as a member of Congress or even the city mayor. And this call to free ourselves from the chains of the SNAP and Medicaid programs comes in the form of a pitch for his medical practice which, I’m guessing, probably relies on customers receiving some form of government aide to stay in business.
If you can get over your contempt for Rand Paul for a moment, a feat I struggle with, you may realize this is somewhat amusing in that a man who may be a Republican presidential contender in the near future believes access to food and water are not a right.
I could see today’s Republican base running away with that idea, but I don’t think the party establishment will like the results at the ballot box.