Freedom-Preserving Governance
Freedom-Preserving Governance is the OMXUS approach to collective decision-making that maintains absolute protection for individual freedom.
The Core Principle
From Principles:
Collective decisions govern collective resources. No vote can constrain what you do with your own body, time, relationships, or property.
This is non-negotiable. It is the first and highest principle in the hierarchy.
What Can Be Decided Collectively
Votes CAN determine:
Public Infrastructure
- Where to build roads, parks, utilities
- How to maintain shared spaces
- What public facilities to create
- How to allocate construction resources
Community Resources
- How shared funds are spent
- What services the community provides
- Priorities for collective investment
- Distribution of common goods
- Building codes for new construction
- Environmental standards for shared resources
- Safety requirements in public spaces
- Quality standards for community services
Collective Responses
- Emergency protocols
- Disaster preparation
- Community celebrations
- Shared defense
What Cannot Be Decided Collectively
Votes CANNOT:
Restrict Consumption
- What you eat or drink
- What substances you use
- What media you consume
- What you buy or sell privately
Mandate Beliefs
- Religious observance
- Political affiliation
- Personal values
- Lifestyle choices
Control Relationships
- Who you associate with
- How you raise your children
- Your family structure
- Your friendships
Surveil Individuals
- No targeted monitoring
- No behavioral tracking
- No predictive profiling
- (See Telemetry for Humans for the distinction)
Punish Choices
- No fines for legal behavior
- No imprisonment for non-violent actions
- No social credit penalties
- No exclusion from participation
The Boundary
The boundary between collective and individual is clear:
| Collective Domain | Individual Domain |
|---|---|
| Shared resources | Personal property |
| Public spaces | Private spaces |
| Community infrastructure | Personal choices |
| Collective defense | Individual lifestyle |
| Common goods | Private goods |
When in doubt, individual freedom prevails.
How This Differs from Current Systems
| Current System | OMXUS |
|---|---|
| Drug laws restrict consumption | Your consumption is your choice |
| Zoning restricts housing choices | Only shared infrastructure is voted on |
| Mandatory schooling | Education is individual choice |
| Lifestyle regulations | No regulation of private behavior |
| Surveillance for "safety" | No surveillance of individuals |
Implementation
Technical Enforcement
The system is designed so that:
- Proposals affecting individual freedom cannot be submitted
- Votes on invalid proposals are rejected
- No mechanism exists to enforce individual restrictions
- Architecture prevents overreach
Social Enforcement
The community maintains the boundary through:
- Shared understanding of principles
- Rejection of overreaching proposals
- Cultural commitment to freedom
- Calling out boundary violations
Amendment Impossibility
This principle cannot be amended:
- It is definitional to OMXUS
- Removing it means the system is no longer OMXUS
- No supermajority can override it
- It is protected by architecture, not just policy
Why This Matters
Historical Lesson
Democracies have voted for tyranny:
- Nazi Germany was elected
- Segregation was popular
- Prohibition was voted in
- Privacy erosion is politically supported
Majority rule without limits destroys freedom.
Structural Protection
OMXUS prevents tyranny by:
- Making certain actions impossible, not just illegal
- Removing the tools of oppression from the system
- Creating architecture that protects minorities
- Ensuring no vote can harm individuals
Connection to Other Principles
This principle enables:
- Non-Maleficence: Can't harm if can't restrict
- Justice = Prevention Only: No punishment mechanism
- Telemetry for Humans: Data serves you, can't be used against you
It is the foundation on which the other principles rest.