As another interesting point, it's codified into American law that the rights outlined in the constitution (freedom of speech for example) are not granted by th

As another interesting point, it's codified into American law that the rights outlined in the constitution (freedom of speech for example) are not granted by the laws, but a source outside them. The constitution merely recognizes those freedoms, but has no ability to grant or remove them. This of course wouldn't stop the practical removal of said freedoms by a despotic regime, but as a philosophical point, I find it interesting, and it has mattered in court rulings in the past.