Kerfluffle? Let's figure out what a right is first.

Over on Spiked this week, they have a neat article, about the new proposed British bill of rights. Basically, they claim that if a bill of rights isn't made by popular sentiment, and is passed instead by the establishment, then it will have the effect of limiting rights by circumscribng them instead of expanding them to previously unrecognized areas. It's an interesting idea. I'm still working out whther I beleive in the concept of "rights" in the first place - not that I'm opposed to human rights. (For instance, we have this over at Mother Jones. It's important to notice that people are refusing to help others conceive, which they have no obligation to do. Do doctors have an obligation to spend every waking second saving lives? If you want people to be doctors, that is't a good plan. The libertarian in me says to hell with the public good, but the moralist in me says that not helping when you can is evil.) I'll post about my ideas when I've thought it through and have free time to write it up.