A society that emphasizes the rights of the individual is a highly cooperative one, with a preponderance of altruism. A society of selfish people will never be able to maintain a social order that affords individual rights.
>>Personally I would rather have less rights and be less rich than to see the less-fortunate continue to suffer.
That's not inconsistent with believing in individual rights. If you have a right to self-autonomy, then you also have a right to give up your own rights to help the needy.
It's only if you deem your will as more worthy than that of others, and would like to use coercive means to compel others to make the same trade-off, that you no longer believe in individual rights.
>>Personally I would rather have less rights and be less rich than to see the less-fortunate continue to suffer.
That's not inconsistent with believing in individual rights. If you have a right to self-autonomy, then you also have a right to give up your own rights to help the needy.
It's only if you deem your will as more worthy than that of others, and would like to use coercive means to compel others to make the same trade-off, that you no longer believe in individual rights.