Yes, I would entirely disagree on the statement "Shelter is a human right."
A person has the right to trade to obtain shelter, or receive it from one who is willing to give, or build shelter on land she possesses. But she has no right to take or confiscate another person's shelter for her own, nor to require that person's shelter be given or shared.
On an island with two strangers, if "shelter is a human right" and one person builds a shelter, does that give the other person the right to use it? If so, then what we'd get is a society of people waiting for someone to come along and build a shelter for them.
That's not what I'm asking about at all. I'm not asking about a welfare state, I'm asking if you think shelter (whether 'built' by someone else, on land one 'possesses' or otherwise) is a necessity basic to life [and therefore a human right--assuming, of course, the right to exist/continue an existence already in place]...
I'm also not trying to imply that 'shelter' is a four-bedroom house with a two-car garage for a family of two adults and one child...
Of course, I'm aware of the problem of if it's a right, then what's the standard that says the right is being fulfilled or not, etc; let's imagine, for now at least, that that can of worms isn't there.
So long as each built their own house, or one person built both and gave one to the other as a gift or in trade. Or if they came and saw no others on the island and decided to each occupy one.
Since all the money to pay for the houses is there, and all the houses are there, and all the people needing houses are there--everyone could be provided for, but you would still force them to be homeless. It doesn't seem fair, and certainly not kind in any way
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Hmm... I'm not sure where two people on an island discovering two houses and no one else inhabiting the houses, would compare to the government buying up houses and handing them out to the homeless. I never said anything about "forcing" people to be homeless
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I don't intend to be all hippie-liberal or anything, but would you then disagree with a statement along the lines of, "shelter is a human right"?
Why?
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A person has the right to trade to obtain shelter, or receive it from one who is willing to give, or build shelter on land she possesses. But she has no right to take or confiscate another person's shelter for her own, nor to require that person's shelter be given or shared.
On an island with two strangers, if "shelter is a human right" and one person builds a shelter, does that give the other person the right to use it? If so, then what we'd get is a society of people waiting for someone to come along and build a shelter for them.
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I'm also not trying to imply that 'shelter' is a four-bedroom house with a two-car garage for a family of two adults and one child...
Of course, I'm aware of the problem of if it's a right, then what's the standard that says the right is being fulfilled or not, etc; let's imagine, for now at least, that that can of worms isn't there.
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I can't say I agree.
Since all the money to pay for the houses is there, and all the houses are there, and all the people needing houses are there--everyone could be provided for, but you would still force them to be homeless. It doesn't seem fair, and certainly not kind in any way ( ... )
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