We continue our analysis.
Today, we turn to two of the most sensitive questions for any free society: where the boundary lies between a citizen’s private life and a public official’s professional responsibilities, and how a republic can defend itself without turning into a military barracks.
These issues are addressed rather sharply in the Palantir Manifesto. Our task is to preserve the delicate balance between security and human dignity.
Part 3
A Glass House for Government, A Free Heart for National Defense
During my recent visit to Washington, I had several discussions with colleagues about why public institutions lose citizens’ trust. The answer proved surprisingly simple: people stop believing in what they cannot see.
In a true republic, government is not a secret order. It is a public service operating under the watchful eye of its ultimate owner—the citizen.
Let us consider Alex Karp’s next propositions.
Point 17
“Transparency versus efficiency: excessive public scrutiny of officials’ private lives discourages talented people from entering public service.”
This concern is understandable on a human level. Everyone deserves privacy.
However, as someone who has spent many years in public service, I would offer a different perspective.
The Problem
Where does the individual end and the public function begin?
Too often, inefficiency or abuse hides behind the curtain of “confidentiality.” Once an official begins making decisions about public resources, that person no longer acts solely as a private citizen.
The Ideal Solution
These two spheres must be clearly separated.
Public officials deserve complete privacy regarding their family life, hobbies, and personal preferences.
At the same time, their professional activities should resemble a glass house—every signature, every public expenditure, every official decision should be fully transparent and traceable.
An Alternative Approach
Rather than shielding officials from public oversight, we should employ modern digital tools—including blockchain-based reporting systems—that permanently record professional actions while leaving personal lives untouched.
This should become the fundamental standard: personal privacy must be protected, while public responsibilities remain fully transparent.
The next point in the Manifesto addresses national defense.
Point 9
“Mandatory national service: citizens should once again experience their connection to the state through universal national or military service.”
This subject naturally evokes strong emotions in Ukraine. We know better than anyone the price of freedom.
Yet, as someone who deeply values republican traditions, I believe this proposal moves us away from the ideal of the free individual.
Evaluation Criteria
Is service an expression of free will—or merely another form of obligation?
In the classical republican tradition, defending one’s country was never intended to be a burden imposed on some citizens. It was considered one of the highest privileges of ownership and citizenship.
The Future Belongs to the Bold
The societies that will prevail in the emerging world order are those willing to innovate even in their most fundamental institutions.
Ukraine should build a system based on motivated service rather than compulsory service.
Military service should become an honorable path that grants citizens greater participation in public life.
History reminds us that, in many republics, the right to vote and the right to bear arms were inseparable.
Citizens defend their constitutional order, their freedom, and their property because doing so reflects their own rational interests as co-owners of the Republic.
Such motivation creates a far stronger foundation than coercion ever could.
Stakeholders and Allies
Our natural allies are young people seeking meaning in public service and professional soldiers who wish to serve alongside motivated citizens rather than reluctant conscripts.
They are united by one conviction: free societies are defended by free people.
Opponents and Obstacles
The principal obstacle remains the old Soviet mentality that treats individuals as interchangeable components within a state machine.
Its central belief is that fear motivates people more effectively than freedom.
History repeatedly demonstrates the opposite.
A Realistic Outlook
If Ukraine succeeds in combining radical government transparency with a defense system built upon free and responsible citizens, we will create one of the most resilient republican models of the twenty-first century.
Government will become more effective because it will remain accountable.
National defense will become stronger because it will rely on personal conviction rather than coercion.
A Question for the Reader
Should the right to participate in governing a republic be earned through a meaningful contribution to its defense or development?
And are we ready to replace coercion with the conscious civic responsibility of free citizens?
Your thoughts and comments help us shape a vision of the Republic we aspire to build.
I invite you to follow my social media pages and Telegram channel, where we continue developing a practical roadmap for Ukraine’s democratic future.