That's not "the entire premise" of the U.S., of course - but I take your point that the Founders argued their case for liberty by an appeal to natural rights, and they certainly believed in them.

I think that was more to avoid saying "god-given" rights. Because they went to great pains to NOT mention god, or religion, except to say
that government should not entangle itself in it. I give you the title that Thomas Paine used for his book that was -arguably- the basis for the entire thinking of our Founders: Common Sense. The Founders then constructed a document that reflected the attitudes and concerns of the 1780s, which did not include (among other things) women's suffrage. Women got the right to vote because of the 19th Amendment, not because of any "natural" right.

Our rights are granted by the government which as authority over us. You don't have the right to criticize Xi in China, I cannot criticize the Canadian government in Canada, etc. But I can criticize my government all I like in the USA because that is a [government] protected right, where that isn't the case in Canada.

US Policy FAQ

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