"Liberal democracy depends on a simple but essential asymmetry: citizens are private, governments are visible. Power must be accountable; freedom must be protected. When that balance shifts, liberty diminishes. Surveillance expands under the guise of efficiency, safety, or progress, while the architecture of governance—rules, oversight, auditing—remains opaque. Without this asymmetry, citizens are reduced to compliance, and democracy becomes a performance rather than a practice."
Excellent!
An awesome paragraph:
"Liberal democracy depends on a simple but essential asymmetry: citizens are private, governments are visible. Power must be accountable; freedom must be protected. When that balance shifts, liberty diminishes. Surveillance expands under the guise of efficiency, safety, or progress, while the architecture of governance—rules, oversight, auditing—remains opaque. Without this asymmetry, citizens are reduced to compliance, and democracy becomes a performance rather than a practice."