This topic is a very debatable one because, in my opinion, there is no perfect solution. For a democratic government to protect either only individual rights or only collective rights would be wrong so there definitely has to be a line drawn somewhere across this equation. My opinion tends to lean more towards protecting the collective rights of citizens though. I believe in fairness and equality so it seems like more of a viable option from my point of view. There will always be flaws in the system with perfectly functioning people that decide to stay at home and not work while getting money from the government but as said before, there is no perfect solution, just one that would be better overall. As Dahl said in his book, “the issue is not whether a government can design all its laws so that none ever injures the interests of any citizen ... [It is] to do less harm to the fundamental rights and interests of its citizens” (Dahl, p.48). That being said, having a program that promotes fairness and equality might not be perfect for everyone, but it is definitely the less harmful and better option overall. I do not think that the more fortunate should have to pay an incredible amount of taxes to compensate for the ones who are capable of working hard and decide not to but I do believe that the wealthier should hold a certain responsibility towards their fellow citizens. A fair chance of succeeding has to be given to both the person born in a wealthy family and the person born in harder conditions that would have much less of a chance in a non collective focused government. Everyone should have the same right to get an education, to healthcare, and all other necessities that are mostly provided for us here in Quebec. The child born in a less fortunate neighbourhood did not decide upon his faith before being born therefore should not have a lesser chance to succeed than anyone else. Chances are that with a decent level of education and having basic needs fulfilled, this person will one day be a contributing member to the country. I completely agree will Rawls’ point of view on this topic, stating “ ... No one knows his place in society, his class position or social status, nor does any one know his fortunes in the distribution of natural assets and abilities, his intelligence, strength, and the like” (Rawls, p.238). When making decisions for the population the government should take into account the well being of the population in general and of the less fortunate. This is the only way to stay fair to every citizen and to make sure that everyone living here has the right to all of the basic needs of survival. In the United States, the government tends to protect more individual rights and they are having very big problems. If you cannot afford the expensive health insurance you cannot go see a doctor when something is wrong, especially not if it is a serious illness. Another aspect of their system is how expensive education is. Many people are not able to afford a decent education for their kids, which put them at big disadvantages over the wealthier part of the population right off the bat. This is not fair to many of the citizens and could eventually cause major problems in the future.
Lastly, I have to admit that I disagree with Rousseau in The Origin of Civil Society. He feels that: “Nothing is more certain than that a man born into a condition of slavery is a slave by nature (Rousseau, p. 61).” This statement was first presented by Aristotle and Rousseau says he agrees with it. I could not disagree more with that because I feel that a government who has the power to protect and help the ones born in misery has the responsibility to do so.
It is the responsibility of every citizen to pitch in their share in order to resolve as many problems as possible. Yes, taxes might be more expensive here than in many places but we do get some great benefits in return also. We have a healthcare system that treats everyone in need, we have a good justice system that keeps the population safe, we have a good education system (which is where it all starts from), and we have very good programs to help the less privileged youth and cultures as well. There will never be a perfect system but I truly think that a collective system of fairness and equality put in place by the government is the way to go and the best option at the moment.