Originally Posted By: sinij
"God given right" that you mention and Constitution are both social contracts, or do you think fear of getting smitten or getting damned to hell is what keeps people from raping and pillaging?
By strict definition of the words that can be said to be true about our constitution (except that's not what liberals mean by the phrase "social contract") but not about our rights. Our constitution is a recognition of the natural rights of man. Rights that all men are born with, not "rights" that are assigned by the government. Once you believe as you do, that rights come from the government, then there is nothing stopping them from taking them away.

What keeps people from raping and pillaging is many-fold, but some of the basics are:
I don't kill others because I don't want to be killed in retribution.
I don't kill others because I value the sanctity of human life.
I don't kill others because I respect and cherish their rights as much as I respect and cherish my own.
I don't kill others because I it violates my moral code.

Originally Posted By: sinij
If you are so sure you could succeed on your own, would you move to Somalia and try it there? Why not?

I have no desire to move to Somalia because the Somali government doesn't recognize and protect the rights of its people as our constitution does. However, while it would be incredibly difficult, I am confident that I would thrive or find a way to change my circumstances, up to and including leaving if necessary. Which, I believe you mentioned, is how you got here. I'm confident in that belief because I believe in the indomitable will of humanity, and its irrepressible desire for freedom. I do not believe that the government must take care of me or anyone else. That's MY job!

[Linked Image from i30.photobucket.com]