Why are Python's 'private' methods not actually private?

Question

Python gives us the ability to create \'private\' methods and variables within a class by prepending double underscores to the name, like this: __myPrivateMethod()

Answer 1

It's not like you absolutly can't get around privateness of members in any language (pointer arithmetics in C++, Reflections in .NET/Java).

The point is that you get an error if you try to call the private method by accident. But if you want to shoot yourself in the foot, go ahead and do it.

Edit: You don't try to secure your stuff by OO-encapsulation, do you?