FAIR is a core value for me. I also believe in Business as a force for good, hence the model I developed of the new triple bottom line, putting Purpose, People and Planet as the core drivers, whilst also focussing on making a Profit so as to Scale the Impact for all society, not only shareholders.
Last week David Leonhardt of the NY Times wrote an article simply called “The Rich Really Do Pay Lower Taxes Than You“, which had in it a truly powerful infographic that tells the story of how far away from FAIR capitalism has moved.
To me a key marker in time was when, at the start of the 1980s, Reagan and Thatcher slavishly followed Milton Friedman, who simplistically told us to focus on self-interest and enriching shareholders while ignoring social impact (see my post: “Purpose and the Corporation“).
Again, I do believe in business as a force for good, and at the same time if the moving infographic below doesn’t convince you that we need radical change to our existing systems, paradigms and beliefs, perhaps recognise that we will see more and more extreme and polarised politics as things become more and more unfair.