A theory of measure, not of totality. So that it is not misread, here is what it expressly does not say.
A threshold: only the relevant consequence returns — slight consequences may run out.
A theory that speaks of return can easily sound as though it demanded return for everything. It does not. It draws a threshold — and describes what holds above that threshold, not below it.
Side effects, disappointments, distant impacts belong to life within orders. A duty of return arises only where a consequence acts heavily, at scale, irreversibly or covertly — not at every touch. The threshold rises with intensity, repetition, dependence and proximity to advantage; it falls with slight effect, great distance or disproportionate costs of return.
Form is not the enemy. Procedures, thresholds, standards and interfaces are what make order possible — and with it, freedom. The theory does not test whether a form exists, but whether its consequences stay reachable. A form does not become questionable by selecting, but by having its selection reach no one who can answer.
Not every consequence returns. Only the one that crosses the threshold.
Speed is not a defect. An order may be swift, may compress and automate — as long as the answer reaches the level at which the decision is made. Only when acceleration cuts off the return path does it become a problem. The question is not whether a procedure is fast, but whether an objection can still reach it in time.
The aim is not seamless surveillance, not total transparency, not maximal contestability. An order must remain capable of acting. Where full disclosure is not possible, protected forms of scrutiny suffice: independent oversight, judicial access, confidential review. It is not necessary that everyone sees everything — what is needed is a place that sees enough and can change enough.
The theory does not ask how power is prevented, but how it stays bound to the return of its consequences.