Too often when we hear the words ‘put it in writing’ we think about some form of legal document that most likely restricts the rights of the common person. The ‘writing’ is usually in favor of the institution requiring us to sign away some of our rights in order to use their service or product. Seems we must have every agreement drawn up by an attorney and notarized, all for a not-so-nominal fee.
I won’t invite you over to sit down on a rocking chair on my front porch and offer you a glass of cool iced tea then tell you how we used to do business with a handshake. That’s quite romanticized and the social contract – or handshake deal – probably only ever really existed in relatively rare situations. This isn’t a piece rallying against legal documents. It is quite literally the opposite. What if the same tactic of documentation was used to hold institutions accountable for ideas and concepts that could further the cause of equity and justice?
There is a tremendous amount of ambiguity in the world. We can have a hard time actually standing up for basic human rights and justice because we aren’t really sure if those are even indeed collective values. We seem to live in a society of double-speak. We say one thing, but actually value it’s opposite. If we put things in writing, like the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which is back in the news and linked below, then we can build policy around an agreed upon set of values. Hopefully a set of values that more aligns with what we say we value in the 21st century, and what we need to value should we have hope of getting to the 22nd century.
We can say we value everyone equally, but we know that some people and organizations base their existence and stature on the opposite of that value – even if they claim to be a person or institution of virtue. When we blatantly state what our values are then we can work unabashedly towards policy that aligns with those agreed upon values. It also makes it easier to call a person or an organization out for their hypocrisy when they run afoul of their own plainly stated code.
It seems very obvious, but perhaps the solutions of the 21st century are just paradigm shifts that aren’t overly complex. Simply pointing out and very plainly and explicitly explaining the misunderstood concepts that we’ve never noticed enough to question. If a company values the environment then it should have that stated somewhere plainly in its bylaws or code of ethics. We aren’t to assume that everyone has the best intentions in mind. Given the state of the environment and the way we treat the most vulnerable of our society, how could one assume our intentions are anything but self-serving?
Words also matter. When words are used to purposefully mislead the general public we are only pushing ourselves further away from the cohesive front we need in order to address our modern problems. We need to say things bluntly and use the right words. When things are labeled as Citizens United, Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice, Taxation is Theft, etc. We are left with a confusing narrative on what the issues of our time really mean. And when we can’t define the actual problem then finding a solution is quite literally impossible.
Citizens United is the name of a Supreme Court decision that changed the campaign finance rules in favor of big business and the ruling class. It made campaign contributions harder to track and took a cap off the amount allowed to be contributed. It in essence changed the rules to disadvantage average citizens though it is named in a way that seems beneficial to the average citizen. Often those that oppose abortion favor war and the death penalty so ‘pro-life’ is misleading. Those that defend abortion are often in favor of limiting certain freedoms and choices deemed harmful to society so the moniker ‘pro-choice’ seems misleading.
There is a sect of society that sees taxation as theft, but what if we reframed our understanding of the tax system simply by referring to it as Tax Justice. A simple change in words and the idea of taxation moves away from something seen as criminal and towards a dutiful obligation that provides for a just and highly functioning society.
When taxation is framed as theft then it almost gives a pass to the people and corporations that hide their money in tax havens. It makes it seem as though they are in the right to hide their resources so they that won’t get stolen. But when we call it Tax Justice we are remedying that misconception just by changing a few words. Taxes are necessary to fund the systems of modern society that we all rely on. Who could be against a system that levies and collects taxes according to the ideal of ‘Justice’?
Another way this concept is framed is with the phrase public spending. Spending makes it sound wasteful and as if our collective dollars are frivolously being thrown away. Our hard-earned – and taxed – dollars are being misappropriated by politicians. When we shift the term ‘spending’ to ‘investment’ then we see the allocation of the money in a new light. We are ‘investing’ in something that will provide for us in the future. A child spends money for something they want while an adult invests money for things that they need. A simple changing of a single word makes all the difference.
The words we use when referencing ourselves is just as important. Are we ‘citizens’ or ‘consumers’? Each carries a very different connotation and can affect the way that we view ourselves and operate in society. Over the past century the word consumer has usurped citizen in the media when referencing the general population. When we consider ourselves consumers we tend to favor our self-interests over those of the community. When we consider ourselves citizens we feel we are part of a community and operate with a higher sense of altruism.
Defining what is valued is perhaps most crucial in the business world. The business of most businesses is usually solely to maximize profits. What if instead of simply a goal of profit the companies put in writing a ‘living purpose’ or a reason for existence outside of mere profit. Put in writing that the company not only intends to turn a profit but also is committed to neutralizing its environmental impact or providing an equitable existence for everyone in their supply and distribution chain.
When a company puts something like that in writing they are allowing those values to dictate every decision at every level of their organization. It safeguards the company ideals against a future change in leadership that may try to drift more towards a strictly profit based system. Also, this forces the hand of business competitors to define their purpose. We can assume those without a specific ‘living purpose’ statement value profit above all else. By defining what we want out of our businesses or the companies we work for we are giving ourselves permission to unabashedly pursue those values.
I know that this can all sound unnecessary or even obtuse, but when things aren’t strictly defined in writing then we tend to default to our simplest and laziest modes, or worse, conform to the standard practices of everyone else. We are currently living in an era where systemic change is necessary to save the planet and possibly decent society. So acquiescing to the current standard practices will not suffice.
Bold action is needed and there are many bold people ready to join the charge into 21st century society. By putting the goals and values of this reformative era in writing we can give those people permission to change the way business, government, and community are perceived and operate. The future requires a strong and ethical drive in each of those three areas. It also requires cooperation between those three areas. Defining what we expect will not only contribute to possibly saving our planet and civilization, but also help create our best possible existence.
Thanks for reading.
Links for a few things referenced above. Albeit lazy ones.
The Equal Rights Amendment – Explanation and News
Citizens United Supreme Court Decision – Explanation
For a novel take on the future of economics and how we frame current existence, along with a solid outlining of the problems and potential solutions of our 21st century world check out Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth. It’s not about actual doughnuts.
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