Most people understand “rationing” in terms of withholding. Yet, correctly understood rationing amounts to a limited willingness to give away items of fixed quantity and quality below market clearing prices (prices as may emerge from free competitive contracting). Using the more adequate concept of rationing, even the provision of basic citizens’ rights may be described in terms of service rations. It also prevents the common mistake of confusing theoretical demands that there should be rights with the actual presence of rights. For, “reasons for wishing there were such things as rights, are not rights; – a reason for wishing that a certain right were established, is not that right – want is not supply – hunger is not bread”.[1] To assume otherwise is, indeed an “Anarchical  Fallacy” in Bentham’s sense. Taking “rights as rations” it becomes obvious, too, that any state – including the most minimal one – is a welfare state. – As far as more extended rationing is concerned health care guarantees are a particular instructive case in point and will form the springboard for discussing other aspects of “the rationing society”. 

[1]Jeremy Bentham: “Anarchical fallacies” vol. 2 of Bowring (ed.), Works, 1843, Article 2.