In America, if enviornmental, social, and governance (ESG) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mandates are accepted in their current form, capitalism will most likely be destroyed.
The widespread acceptance of ESG and DEI by American business giants is as concerning as it is eye-rolling. Large corporations routinely play games to attract stock buyers’ interest, but this is different. This is not a game. Many aspects of ESG and DEI eschew business and economic fundamentals, and challenge rational thinking by replacing fundamentals with dogmatic doctrines.
To make matters worse, the cult thinkers who monitor ESG and DEI scores want as much power as the credit-rating agencies, such as Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s. These obsessed “change makers” have passed off ESG and DEI as liberal progress, but, in reality, it is something far more sinister.
In America at least, ESG and DEI are not liberal, or centrist, political initiatives. Rather, they are well-capitalized leftist experiments.
What Is ESG and DEI?
While ESG and DEI began as separate components, since 2020 they have become more and more interrelated. If you are wondering what ESG and DEI are, “E” stands for the environment, and environmental welfare. Carbon emissions are the biggest target, but there are far more obvious solutions to combat environmental welfare than picking, and choosing, where carbon is to be reduced.
Habitat restoration is one of them; so is protecting the ocean and fisheries. On the contrary, however, Norway is considering opening up its waters to deep-sea mining, all in the name of independence from fossil fuels.
What about wind turbines? The rush for wind turbines has led to shoddy workmanship, including instances where 700-foot turbines have literally fallen over. Wind farms have also been placed in the middle of bird migratory flight paths, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of birds.
Yet the ESG change makers rarely discuss such anomalies. When they do, it is hidden in discussions about the “rapid innovation” green technology is experiencing. It seems innovation is so rapid, they are unable to avoid destruction and crucial mistakes.
The “S” in ESG stands for social. The social aspect in ESG is literally double dipping when you factor in DEI. More on that soon. The “G” is for governance, and this is one category the change makers have the most trouble with. When you take a closer look at governance policies, let’s look at the simple metric of how many boards can a director sit on.
According to BlackRock, an asset management firm, that number is a maximum of four boards, but BlackRock breaks its own rules. They have an Ivy league dean on 69 boards, while another one of Blackrock’s directors sits on 71 boards.
What About Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity?
On the surface, it seems harmless to incentivize corporations, and markets to hire people from diverse backgrounds, and to employ people with disabilities. However, much like ESG, the mandates and guidance behind DEI is far different than it suggests.
DEI is really just an extension of CRT (critical race theory), and because of DEI, CRT is now being taught in K-12 schools through a program known as social and emotional learning (SEL).
Proponents of SEL will disagree with my statement, but SEL is no longer as “neutral” as it used to be. In recent years, SEL has become more and more a tool of the left. To better explain, think of CRT as the ideology, DEI as the marketing gimmick, and SEL as the vehicle in which this is delivered. Teaching this at the K-12 level is a dangerous development that must be overturned.
The ‘E” in DEI means equity—not equality—which means equal outcome. In other words, tearing down the free market and forcing a redistribution of wealth. Yet there’s no such thing as equality of outcome in the free market. The “I” means inclusivity. I am at a loss for words with inclusivity, because I question what “social” and “diversity” means, if it doesn’t already check the box of “inclusivity.”
How Can America Stop the ESG–DEI Industrial Complex?
How can America stop this? Citizens can lobby their representatives to pass laws to prevent money managers from influencing theories that usurp our nation’s economic system. They can pass laws that prevent collusion. Remember separation of church and state? Now we need the separation of ideological cult thinking from business and education.
Congress and state legislators can put forth legislation to break up the asset management quasi-monopolies that exist (Vanguard and BlackRock, for example, control just shy of $20 trillion in assets). There should be a law preventing money managers from choosing ideological theories and aligning themselves with certain ideologies unless the client expressively demands so.
Congress and state legislators can also continue to push laws that limit ESG and DEI interference in that state. America has plenty of intelligent adults. We need more of them to speak against totalitarian agendas.
All Americans need to see that these top-down instructions from unelected theorists are not doing anything for the environment, for society, or for diversity, apart from creating a larger cultural divide.
Article cross-posted from our premium news partners at The Epoch Times.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
