Liberty as Means, Not Idol
We live among real dangers, unequal power, and unavoidable dependence.
No system removes these. Some only hide them better.
Liberty matters because coercion so often multiplies harm.
But liberty alone does not prevent cruelty, desperation, or domination, especially where people begin from very different positions.
A decent society does not worship freedom or authority.
It treats both as tools, to be limited by their effects on suffering.
Force should be rare, restrained, and accountable.
Voluntary cooperation should be preferred, but never idealised.
Power, centralised or private, should always be treated with suspicion.
Justice is not purity or victory.
It is the ongoing work of reducing preventable harm,
without pretending that the world can be made innocent.
If this requires restraint, let it be restraint.
If it requires compromise, let it be compromise.
What it must never require is blindness to who bears the cost.
Next time someone says they have nothing to hide:
Okay, so you don't want to hide these?
• your tax file number, EIN, SSN, etc
• your full financial position (assets, debts, income, dependencies)
• your bank logins and complete transaction history
• your password manager master password
• your email account credentials (including recovery emails)
• your Bitcoin seed phrase, passphrase, and wallet history
• any other crypto keys, hardware wallets, backups, or multisig details
• your superannuation details and beneficiary arrangements
• your credit reports and loan applications
• your full medical and mental health records
• your prescription history
• any diagnoses, assessments, or notes taken out of context
• your private messages with partners, family, people you’ve had issues with, and friends
• messages written while angry, grieving, joking, or vulnerable
• your browser history and search history
• your private bookmarks, saved notes, and drafts you never intended to send
• your exact home address, floor plan, and daily routines
• times you’re usually away from home
• your children’s names, schools, schedules, and online accounts
• photos of your home interior and valuables
• your workplace, role, grievances, and internal communications
• your employment history and any conflicts with colleagues or managers
• your political views, religious beliefs, or values that differ from the norm
• opinions you’ve softened or hidden to avoid backlash
• your social circles and who influences you
• the worst mistake you’ve ever made
• the thing you’re most ashamed of
• something you said or did that could be framed badly without context
• the belief you keep quiet because it would get you socially punished
• the person you trust least — and why
• people you depend on financially or emotionally
• your fears about money, health, ageing, or losing status
• moments you were weakest, scared, exhausted, or not thinking clearly
• habits you’re trying to change
• coping mechanisms you wouldn’t want misunderstood
• anything you’d be devastated to see misquoted, archived, or resurfaced years later
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