What are we doing?

Did you know that DuPont, a chemical company, knowingly poisoned the water of West Virginia with a Teflon-processing aid called PFOA? Two types of cancer, 5 other illnesses. Facial deformities, birth defects.

What were they doing?

And they’re in the S&P 500. So we own part of it.

Their stock price over the last 10 years? Increased. Even during their trial. Hell, 3 years after the first public case their stock price hit an all-time high.

3535 cases, settled for $670m. 2023 revenue of $12B.

Aaaand PFOA is now believed to be in the blood of 99% of humans.

What are we doing?

I recall recently hearing that, nowadays, the deals with the devil aren’t what they used to be. Isn’t that what I’m doing by continuing to invest in the market? And if I don’t? I’m poorer. Inflation was at 10% in the UK. Best savings account? 7%. If you’re not playing the game, you lose.

It gets worse. Let’s not forget my pension account.

That’s insane.

What am I doing?

If you look, you will probably find this everywhere. We participate in it by supporting them in some way, sometimes without knowing. You can’t really avoid it unless you go become a hermit or something.

And it's not like the opposite is good. Being a hermit doesn't help humanity. So, you gotta swim the dark waters, but towards a bright shore.

Is that what you are doing?