The so-called "right to be forgotten" opens a dangerous avenue for moral evasion, one that encourages individuals to shirk responsibility for their actions. By allowing individuals to erase their misdeeds from public memory, it removes the natural consequence of accountability—the judgment of one’s peers based on the truth. This creates a moral hazard, fostering a culture where people are emboldened to act in ways they otherwise might not, knowing they can later demand that society forgets their transgressions.
When history can be rewritten to suit personal convenience, the incentives to act ethically and with integrity diminish. What need is there to weigh the consequences of one’s actions if those consequences can simply be erased? The result is a society riddled with deception, fraud, and manipulation. A businessman who can demand the erasure of bankruptcy records may defraud creditors again. A public official who can obscure their history of corruption will find fewer barriers to continuing their schemes. Even in personal relationships, the ability to selectively erase past indiscretions fosters a foundation of mistrust, where the truth itself is no longer a certainty.
This erosion of accountability does not merely create opportunities for fraud; it actively rewards it. The very individuals most likely to invoke the "right to be forgotten" are often those who have the most to hide. Honest individuals have no need to erase their past; their actions speak for themselves. But the dishonest, the duplicitous, and the corrupt will seize this legal mechanism as a tool for evasion. They will use it to silence criticism, suppress evidence, and whitewash their reputations—all at the expense of truth and justice.
The societal cost of this principle is staggering. The institutions that rely on transparency—courts, markets, journalism—are all undermined when the truth can be erased at will. Fraud proliferates in a system where records are not immutable, where the memory of society can be manipulated by legal decree. The law becomes an accomplice to deception, rather than a defender of integrity.
Moreover, this principle exacts a profound psychological and cultural toll. When people are encouraged to erase their pasts, they lose the opportunity for growth and redemption. Mistakes, failures, and even misdeeds are a part of the human experience; they are the crucible through which character is forged. By erasing these events, individuals deny themselves the chance to confront their errors, to learn from them, and to rebuild their lives on a foundation of earned respect. A society that permits such evasion stunts the moral development of its people, prioritising comfort over character.
The "right to be forgotten" is not just a flawed concept; it is a fundamentally dangerous one. It undermines accountability, fosters fraud, and robs individuals of the moral strength that comes from confronting their past. Its cost is paid not only in the dishonesty it enables but in the erosion of trust and integrity upon which any free and rational society depends. The truth cannot be forgotten, nor should it be. A society that values freedom, justice, and progress must hold fast to this principle, no matter the discomfort it may cause.
2/2
S. Tominaga AKA CSW
Nov 24, 2024
https://x.com/CsTominaga/status/1860590344116801704
https://t.me/S_Tominaga/2143
When history can be rewritten to suit personal convenience, the incentives to act ethically and with integrity diminish. What need is there to weigh the consequences of one’s actions if those consequences can simply be erased? The result is a society riddled with deception, fraud, and manipulation. A businessman who can demand the erasure of bankruptcy records may defraud creditors again. A public official who can obscure their history of corruption will find fewer barriers to continuing their schemes. Even in personal relationships, the ability to selectively erase past indiscretions fosters a foundation of mistrust, where the truth itself is no longer a certainty.
This erosion of accountability does not merely create opportunities for fraud; it actively rewards it. The very individuals most likely to invoke the "right to be forgotten" are often those who have the most to hide. Honest individuals have no need to erase their past; their actions speak for themselves. But the dishonest, the duplicitous, and the corrupt will seize this legal mechanism as a tool for evasion. They will use it to silence criticism, suppress evidence, and whitewash their reputations—all at the expense of truth and justice.
The societal cost of this principle is staggering. The institutions that rely on transparency—courts, markets, journalism—are all undermined when the truth can be erased at will. Fraud proliferates in a system where records are not immutable, where the memory of society can be manipulated by legal decree. The law becomes an accomplice to deception, rather than a defender of integrity.
Moreover, this principle exacts a profound psychological and cultural toll. When people are encouraged to erase their pasts, they lose the opportunity for growth and redemption. Mistakes, failures, and even misdeeds are a part of the human experience; they are the crucible through which character is forged. By erasing these events, individuals deny themselves the chance to confront their errors, to learn from them, and to rebuild their lives on a foundation of earned respect. A society that permits such evasion stunts the moral development of its people, prioritising comfort over character.
The "right to be forgotten" is not just a flawed concept; it is a fundamentally dangerous one. It undermines accountability, fosters fraud, and robs individuals of the moral strength that comes from confronting their past. Its cost is paid not only in the dishonesty it enables but in the erosion of trust and integrity upon which any free and rational society depends. The truth cannot be forgotten, nor should it be. A society that values freedom, justice, and progress must hold fast to this principle, no matter the discomfort it may cause.
2/2
S. Tominaga AKA CSW
Nov 24, 2024
https://x.com/CsTominaga/status/1860590344116801704
https://t.me/S_Tominaga/2143
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