[exodus]

I've always considered a belief in the concept of Rights to be a defining tenet of libertarian philosophy.

You're the first libertarian I've met who claimed the title of libertarian while saying there is no such thing as a Right. Usually folks who say Rights don't exist are socialists who support full government sovereignty over an individual's life.

[JohnGalt]

There are no Rights in the abstract sense.

I may respect (and I do) your right to own a firearm of your choice, or I might respect your right (and I do) to injest substances of your choosing, but that does not mean the 'state' does. Thus if a right only has abstract meaning, it for all practical purposes has no meaning.

The question becomes, how does one get their culture to respect certain rights that you and I hold dear? Patrick Henry argued it was through institutions, Jefferson seemed to believe a revolution every now and then, and still others like Lincoln, believed total war committed against civilians was how rights were preserved-- you see how perverse it gets.