Positive rights are the right to shelter, the right to education, the right to health care, the right to a living wage. These things are - these are, I would call them, more properly, political rights rather than positive rights. And they are extremely tricky, because now we are dealing with things that are zero sum.

In this quote, P. J. O'Rourke, an American political satirist, is discussing the concept of positive rights, which he defines as the right to essential resources like shelter, education, health care, and a living wage. He acknowledges that these rights are vital for individual well-being and societal stability, but he reframes them as political rights rather than positive rights, implying that they are not inherent or natural but granted through governmental and political systems.

O'Rourke points out that these political rights are particularly tricky because they often involve zero-sum scenarios. In a zero-sum game, the gain of one party comes at the expense of another. This means that the provision of these rights—like health care or education—often requires the redistribution of resources, which can create conflicts over how to allocate limited public resources. O'Rourke suggests that these debates are complex and contentious because they involve the balancing of individual needs with collective responsibility.

By characterizing these rights as zero-sum, O'Rourke underscores the difficulty in providing for everyone's needs without impacting someone else’s access to resources. For example, providing a living wage for some may raise the costs for businesses or taxpayers, creating potential tensions between different groups within society. O'Rourke implies that political debates about these rights are inherently divisive because of the competing interests involved.

In essence, O'Rourke’s quote critiques the concept of positive rights by recognizing their importance but also highlighting the challenges and complexities of fulfilling them in a political system. He emphasizes that while these rights are necessary for a just society, they often require difficult trade-offs and can spark political conflict due to the zero-sum nature of their implementation.