Звездный десант
Chapter 8
What‘right’tolifehasamanwhomustdieifheistosavehischildren?Ifhechoosestosavehisownlife,doeshedosoasamatterof‘right’?Iftwomenarestarvingandcannibalismistheonlyalternativetodeath,whichman’srightis‘unalienable’?Andisit‘right’?Astoliberty,theheroeswhosignedthatgreatdocumentpledgedthemselvestobuylibertywiththeirlives.Libertyisneverunalienable;itmustberedeemedregularlywiththebloodofpatriotsoritalwaysvanishes.Ofalltheso-called‘naturalhumanrights’thathaveeverbeeninvented,libertyisleastlikelytobecheapandisneverfreeofcost.
"Thethird‘right’?—the‘pursuitofhappiness’?Itisindeedunalienablebutitisnotaright;itissimplyauniversalconditionwhichtyrantscannottakeawaynorpatriotsrestore.Castmeintoadungeon,burnmeatthestake,crownmekingofkings,Ican‘pursuehappiness’aslongasmybrainlives—butneithergodsnorsaints,wisemennorsubtledrugs,caninsurethatIwillcatchit."
Mr.Duboisthenturnedtome."Itoldyouthat‘juveniledelinquent’isacontradictioninterms.‘Delinquent’means‘failinginduty.’Butdutyisanadultvirtue—indeedajuvenilebecomesanadultwhen,andonlywhen,heacquiresaknowledgeofdutyandembracesitasdearerthantheself-lovehewasbornwith.Thereneverwas,therecannotbea‘juveniledelinquent’
