Fidel Castro is a very happy man. The Communist revolutionary leader of Cuba declared the passage of healthcare reform in America as “a miracle” and a major victory for President Obama. However, he went on to say that something this basic was really way overdue. In a statement, Castro said, “It is really incredible that 234 years after the Declaration of Independence… the government of that country has approved medical attention for the majority of its citizens, something that Cuba was able to do half a century ago.” (Emphasis added.) Indeed, it took the Communist Castro government about ten minutes after they assumed power in Cuba to “approve” healthcare along with other “rights” for their fellow comrades. 1
The key words in Castro’s statement are “government” and “approve.” Government decides when and what rights to approve or grant its citizenry. As I explain in a prior post our rights in America do not derive from the government but from our own individual humanity, and they are guaranteed to us under the United States Constitution.
See: https://culturecrusader.wordpress.com/2010/03/20/why-you-don%e2%80%99t-have-a-right-to-healthcare/
Therefore, universal healthcare is not a right. Or at least that was the case up until now. According to the Communist-Socialist-Progressive way, your rights do in fact emanate from the government – in particular from elites within the government who know what’s best for the country and for you. In their philosophy, the government is the mechanism through which all societal ills and problems are solved and all wrongs are righted, and thereby “social justice” is accomplished. Under their rule, government goes from the protector of our rights under the Constitution, to the provider of rights independent of the Constitution. Government goes from guardian to grantor, and that which the government giveth, it can also taketh away.
But this Progressive victory notwithstanding, the Cuban leader wasn’t all sunshine and kisses for Mr. Obama. He criticized the President for his lack of leadership in other areas like immigration reform and climate change.
Oh, don’t you worry Fidel, those things are coming soon. Let’s take it one right at a time.
_________________________________
Fn. 1: Among these “rights” were also the right of the government to expropriate private property, do away with a free press, and imprison, torture and execute any and all dissenters.
For more on this topic, click to the links below:
https://culturecrusader.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/the-arrogance-of-hope-change-%e2%80%a6-or-else/
https://culturecrusader.wordpress.com/2010/03/18/fortune-favors-the-brave/
https://culturecrusader.wordpress.com/2010/03/20/why-you-don%e2%80%99t-have-a-right-to-healthcare/
https://culturecrusader.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/america-r-i-p/
https://culturecrusader.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/inconvenient-history-3/
Culture Crusader 