Commands Are Not Decisions

A command requests execution. A decision authorizes it.

Confusing the two eliminates responsibility.

I. The False Equivalence

Modern systems often treat:

commands

API calls

user actions

as decisions.

They are not.

A command says do this. A decision says this may be done.

II. Commands Carry No Legitimacy

A command contains:

intent expression

desired outcome

parameters

It does not contain:

legality

authorization

obligation

Legitimacy is not embedded in requests.

III. Decisions Apply Law

A decision:

evaluates intent

applies law

checks constraints

authorizes outcome

Decisions exist after commands, not inside them.

When commands bypass decision-making, law is bypassed.

IV. Collapsing Layers Removes Accountability

If a system treats commands as decisions:

every request becomes self-authorizing

failures are blamed on users

systems evade responsibility

Accountability requires separation.

V. Decisions Must Be Explicit and Recorded

A lawful decision must be:

explicit

versioned

immutable

time-bound

attributable to an actor and a law

Commands cannot fulfill these properties.

VI. Replay Requires Decisions

To replay an outcome, you must know:

which decision was made

under which law

in response to which command

Replaying commands alone replays requests, not authority.

VII. Audit Examines Decisions, Not Commands

Audit asks:

was this allowed?

under which rule?

with which justification?

Commands cannot answer these questions.

Only decisions can.

VIII. Final Conclusion

Commands are not decisions.

A lawful system:

treats commands as proposals

evaluates them through decision logic

records decisions as immutable facts

Anything else allows execution without authorization.