I think his intention wasn&#x27;t so much to say this is a positive thing but rather to cynically (and humorously) point out that &quot;rights&quot; are a human construct and susceptible to all of the associated weaknesses in practice.<p>You can claim a right to something and if you can get enough people to agree with you, you can enforce someone&#x27;s claim on the right to something.  But it&#x27;s not like there&#x27;s a natural force that ensures, compels, or mandates these rights.<p>I guess my point is that taken less cynically, rights (as we understand them) only exist in practice as long as you can demand them and have sufficient power (whether through numbers or threat of force) to keep them.  The sad reality is that without the continual effort to maintain these rights, they can and will be taken away.