RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES

No one has a right to anything.  Since there is no God, there can be no God-given rights.  They have been developed by men for the benefit of men.  There are no inherent rights to live, to be free, to try to be happy, or to own property.  Without laws that are enforced, whoever is the most powerful has the greatest likelihood of obtaining and keeping land, goods, and services.

Conferred rights create order out of anarchy.  They are the hallmark of any civilization.  Rights are privileges bestowed on the citizens of an orderly society.  They are not necessarily fair or equitable.  A monarch or despotic ruler may have the right to enforce his will on the people, impose high taxes, or keep a harem or large numbers of slaves.  As long as he is not deposed by a revolution, his word is law and accepted by his subjects.  Despite the uneven division of wealth which inevitably prevails under these circumstances, rules of behavior are established that provide limited privileges to each subject.

Monarchs typically invoke the powers of a deity to strengthen their hold on their subjects.  In historic times, they have actually claimed to be descended from some supreme being.  Currently, while rulers no longer try to prove that they are the recipients of a divine heritage, many assert that their decisions are directed by God.  Since the populations of a number of countries on Earth continue to harbor religious feelings, the rulings and pronouncements of the leaders of these countries are accepted with less objections than would otherwise be the case.

In autocratic societies, rights to own certain things or behave in certain ways are bestowed upon an elite group of underlings completely subservient and loyal to their ruler.  These individuals have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo of their societal structure.  Even though they may not question the strictures that have been established by their ruler, they frequently have a high degree of latitude to exercise their own power over those subjects who are lower in rank than they are.

Such inflexible systems of governance rely on the acceptance of the masses to be ruled in this manner.  Church and state typically work hand in hand to enforce the edicts of the ruling class.  Recalcitrant members of such societies are imprisoned or put to death.  If the rules imposed on citizens become unbearable, however, they may decide to try to overthrow their masters.