Our Credo
Our credo is our guiding vision. It’s our hope for the future. Our credo is a living breathing, dynamic document. It is most definitely a work in progress. The following at least, is a good start. We therefore believe and strive for the following:
1. That Life Is An Epic Gift Of The Highest Order.
The meaning of life is to try our best to live our lives, in a manner that honors the epic gift we have all been given! This is the key to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
2. That Everyone Is, Indeed, Created Equal (in one very important way)
In the sanctity of our existence, each of us has been bestowed with the hallowed gift of life! It is in this way that we are all, indeed, created equal.
In the midst of our individual struggles, we all toil to extract the utmost happiness from the the gift of life we have all been given. It is in this way that we are all, indeed, created equal.
It is imperative, then, that we collectively pay homage to these undeniable truths. To transgress upon the sanctity of another's life, to undermine their journey, to dishonor their gift, is an egregious violation of the very essence of existence. Such an act constitutes the gravest offense against the sanctity of life and living.
This does not mean we must all love another. Indeed, let us relinquish the notion of an all-encompassing universal love, recognizing it for the illusion it is. To entertain such an idea is to indulge in a form of naivety, a sentiment too simplistic and, perhaps, even bordering on the absurd. Understandably, thankfully, genuine affection is not universally distributed. Attempting to force such a sentiment is to debase and dilute the purity of love—a bond held in sacred regard.
However…
What we can and must embrace - with open hearts - is the acknowledgment that every soul is bestowed with the monumental gift of existence. It is our solemn duty to readily accept, with humility, this profound truth - that each individual is graced with the epic gift of life. To inflict harm, dishonor, or, heaven forbid, to deprive someone of this precious gift is to perpetrate an unparalleled affront, a true crime against the sanctity of life at its loftiest order.
3. That all humans are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights including the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
We reassert this extraordinary and awe-inspiring concept, articulated by our venerable Founding Fathers nearly two and a half centuries ago. The signatories of the American Declaration of Independence possessed profound insight. The preamble of the declaration, drafted almost a quarter-century ago, endures as a luminous and enlightened testament to this very day.
4. That we hold a steadfast “Pay It Forward” conviction - that the present generation bears an inherent duty to bequeath a more enriched legacy for those yet to come.
For well over a century and a half, extending from the advent of the industrial age and the globalization of capitalism, there persisted a prevailing sentiment among people - a conviction - that the fortunes of our children and our children’s children, would inevitably improve beyond our own.
Yet, one must ponder: Does this conviction endure in contemporary hearts?
A transformative shift is imperative. Our parents steadfastly toiled aspiring to furnish lives for us that were better than their own. We, in turn, must undertake the same noble endeavor for our offspring. This is the quintessence of 'paying it forward. Let it be the collective aspiration of society to bequeath a more auspicious world to our children, and lo and behold, this aspiration shall materialize.
5. That we maintain the conviction that life's essence transcends the mere pursuit of maximizing "shareholder's risk-adjusted rates of return..
The relentless pursuit of maximizing shareholder return has been enshrined as humanity's solitary Key Performance Indicator. In the course of the past century and a half, the elevation of shareholder value to such a revered stature has cast a profound shadow, eclipsing all other considerations. I submit, beneath the banner of The Root Cause, that the very core of our present predicament—the fundamental origin—resides in society's – and our governments’ - all-encompassing fixation on optimizing risk-adjusted shareholder rates of returns, to the neglect of every other concern and constituency. How vacuous is such a pursuit? How patronizing? How dismissive of our endowed Gift…
The unyielding pursuit of maximizing shareholder returns has transfigured into an imperative, a deeply ingrained preoccupation, a metastasizing cancer that supersedes all competing considerations. This solitary pursuit has assumed the character of an immutable natural law, ruthlessly enforced by the titans of Wall Street, legal institutions, the judiciary, and investors alike. As The Root Cause community delves into the profound understanding of why numerous aspects are trending astray, the root cause will invariably crystallize. It will become apparent to most that our fixation on shareholders - and the maximization of their returns on investment - to the detriment of all else, is the root cause!
It is our duty to recognize and rectify this prevailing paradigm. Amongst all of humanity's constituencies…
• our communities,
• our collective humanity,
• our planet,
• our artistic expressions,
• the futures of our children, and
• living our lives in a manner that allows us to embrace and honor the miraculous gift divinely bestowed upon us all,
…it becomes glaringly apparent that catering to the insatiable desires of this one tiny, particular cohort is, indeed, irrational, if not insane.
6. That as between our humanity and profits, people come first!
The primacy of people is an undeniable truth! Without question. Labor, workers, or whatever appellation one chooses to employ, fundamentally, they are people! A noteworthy fact: across nearly every European nation, employees possess a voice in the governance of corporations. In many European jurisdictions, workers are granted representation in the governing echelons of companies and hold the entitlement to be apprised of corporate deliberations. Regrettably, such is not the situation in the United States, where both corporate and governmental authorities castigate "labor" and endeavor to outright prohibit labor unions!
It is imperative that people secure their rightful place at the table!
7. We believe as between our communities and shareholder return, our communities come first!
We firmly hold the belief that when considering the welfare of our communities and the pursuit of shareholder return, our allegiance unequivocally lies with prioritizing the well-being of our communities. Our communities are of paramount significance! The vitality and safety of our communities far surpass the importance of shareholder returns. Each of our communities, and the individuals dwelling therein, should be endowed with access to education, healthcare, public spaces, and the enriching aspects of art and beauty. Taking pride in our places of residence holds extraordinary importance in nurturing individual happiness and fostering a sense of well-being.
8. That as between our climate and planet, and shareholder return, our climate and planet come first!
Our climate and planet serve as the very sustenance of our existence. The harm inflicted by human economic endeavors upon our environment yields dire consequences for individuals and the well-being of our communities. Safeguarding our climate and planet transcends mere moral duty; it is a imperative for the preservation of our own interests. Consequently, the pursuit of shareholder return must yield precedence to the imperative of preserving our climate and planet. Our duty extends beyond the present moment; we must bequeath to posterity a planet endowed with greater health and vitality.
9. That as between our health and well-being and shareholder return, our health and well being come first!
The cornerstone of happiness, well-being, and productivity lies in good health. Our ability to engage in work, acquire knowledge, and contribute meaningfully to our communities hinges upon our state of well-being. Conversely, in times of illness or injury, these vital pursuits are hindered. Access to healthcare, therefore, must be acknowledged as a fundamental human right. Each individual, irrespective of income or employment status, deserves unfettered access to high-quality healthcare. This right stands supreme, eclipsing the imperatives of shareholder profits.
10. That as between our democracy and shareholder return, our democracy most assuredly comes first!
The long term compatibility of democracy and capitalism is a perplexing puzzle. We've got to mull over how our political and economic systems operate, grapple with the levels of inequality in play, and gauge the resilience of our democratic frameworks.
Our present strain of capitalism, fixated on maximizing returns for a tiny cohort, shareholders, is inherently at odds with the very tenets of democracy. Any democratic government "of the people, by the people, and for the people," that is committed to the belief that every individual is equal and possesses unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, cannot simultaneously cater to the insatiable desires of a minuscule faction, the smallest of minorities, the shareholders. These principles clash, creating dissonance and opposition, for they are diametric.
Free markets are truly remarkable. Humanity’s insatiable curiosity and transformative capabilities stand as some of our greatest gifts. I stand on the side that still believes that well-regulated capitalism and democracy can thrive together (these beliefs align with the intentions of Adam Smith, not the distortions inflicted by Milton Friedman). Yet, let's make it abundantly clear: when faced with the choice between a government devoted to the people or one that merely enriches the wealthy, we wholeheartedly embrace democracy!
About Our Credo
Our credo is 2B's most important document! It's our vision statement. It's our North Star. It's our objective. It's how we analyze and critique our perspective and policy propositions. It's the rubric by which we evaluate and analyze everything. And our credo is defined by our community! It's a living, breathing, dynamic document, that is intended to grow, improve, and evolve contemporaneously with the growth and evolution of our society! While we appreciate history and tradition, we reject the notion the centuries old ideas and philosophies must be dogmatically adhered to no matter what!
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