Right to Government-provided needs

Food, water, and shelter. These three things are generally viewed as our primary needs. We certainly have a right to these things. Does that mean that government-provided food, water, and shelter is a right?


If you have been reading this series, you should already know my answer to that question. Rights are more about what the government should not take rather than what they provide. We can certainly live decent lives if we obtain our needs through means other than government intervention, and the government's involvement clearly falls short of qualifying as a right.

When it comes to needs, there is another issue when the government feels obligated to take responsibility. Do we really want our needs to be controlled by the government? There are many ways such power can be abused, including establishment of constraints and increased dependence on government for our everyday lives. If we care about freedom, granting the government that kind of power would be an enormous mistake.