Responsible Investing

Searching for the Best Ways to Fight Back Against the Deterioration of America

By Idiots & Charlatans • September 24, 2025

When the foundations of democracy feel under siege, the natural questions are: What can we do? How do we fight back? Some of us protest in the streets. Some of us arm ourselves with facts and arguments. And in the face of political violence and extremist rhetoric, we also need to think about where our money goes — because dollars are votes, too.

One way we can push back is by investing in the companies, people, and ideas that will get our world back on track. If government subsidies for clean energy and infrastructure are being slashed or politicized, then maybe citizens like us need to step in. Maybe one of the strongest ways to counter the deterioration of America is to direct our own capital toward progress.

Of course, this isn’t charity. We don’t want to only invest in what feels good or right. We want investments that both reflect our values and grow in value — because a strong return means more fuel for the fight.

Defining What “Aligned” Means

At Idiots & Charlatans, we measure everything against our eight nonnegotiables:

• ♻️ Climate Protection
• 🤝 Dignity & Inclusion
• 🌎 Global Cooperation
• ⚖️ Rule of Law
• 🗳️ Democratic Norms
• 🗽 Freedom of Expression
• 📚 Knowledge & Scientific Inquiry
• 📢 Free Press

And let’s be honest: the cavalry isn’t coming from Wall Street. Under new rules and political pressure, even the largest asset managers have dialed back their engagement on climate and equity—cutting company meetings and watering down diversity language while states pressure them to denounce ESG. That’s why we’re done outsourcing our values. If the giants are going quiet, we’ll get loud with our capital—owning democracy-aligned funds like FRDM and climate infrastructure via GRID, and holding individual companies to account with our votes and our dollars.

So we asked: which mutual funds, ETFs, and public companies really line up with these principles?

The Process: From Broad Universe to Narrow Focus

We started wide, looking at dozens of ESG, social equity, climate, and “freedom tilt” funds. Then we asked the same questions you would:

• Do they have good upside versus downside?
• Are they led by responsible management?
• Do they operate in a growth industry, not a dying one?
• Do they reflect our nonnegotiables in more than just name?

After crunching the numbers and cutting through the marketing hype, we quickly saw the pattern: most of the broad ESG funds still invested heavily in the same U.S. large-cap giants — Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia. Better than nothing, but hardly transformative.

So we refined again.

Where We Landed

We decided to focus on a smaller, sharper set:

• A couple of ETFs with strong track records against U.S. benchmarks and a clear values alignment — like GRID (clean energy infrastructure) and FRDM (companies in democratic nations, not authoritarian ones).
• A handful of companies that truly stand out for their leadership on climate, inclusion, and democratic ideals — firms like Apple, Salesforce, and NextEra Energy.

These are not just “do-gooder” stocks. They are companies and funds with proven growth potential, positioned in industries where the future is being built — clean tech, renewable energy, ethical AI, and democratic resilience.

Putting Our Money Where Our Words Are

We’re not just talking. We’re acting. At Idiots & Charlatans, we’ve already started to put our own dollars behind our ideals. On September 22, we bought shares of FRDM, GRID, CRM, and AAPL. Below is a simple, two-week snapshot of how that basket has performed against the S&P 500 (SPY), rebased to 0% on day one.

This is how we fight back: not just with words, but with capital. And we’ll keep updating this list every month, so readers can see which investments we believe are aligned with democracy, dignity, and decency — and how they’re performing.

Buy Here / Don’t Buy There

Buy Here / Don’t Buy There

By Idiots & Charlatans • September 24, 2025

Where we spend our dollars sends a message. Every purchase either strengthens the companies moving us toward climate protection, inclusion, and democracy — or props up those undermining them. This guide highlights five companies worth supporting and five to avoid, with plain-language reasons, nonnegotiables icons, and practical notes on value and alternatives.

✅ Buy Here

Company	What They Sell	Why Aligned	Nonnegotiables	Value / Movement Notes
Patagonia (incl. Worn Wear)	Outdoor apparel and gear; repairs and resale	Repair-first mindset, recycled materials, transparent supply chain; Worn Wear keeps products in use and out of landfills.	♻️ 🤝 🌎	Best value via Worn Wear (30–70% below new) and off-season promos; complements fast-fashion avoidance.
Dr. Bronner’s	Soap and body care; cleaning concentrates	Fair-trade and organic ingredients, regenerative agriculture projects, strong worker standards.	♻️ 🤝	Concentrates/bulk sizes lower cost vs. conventional; frequent supermarket promos.
Ben & Jerry’s	Ice cream (grocery + scoop shops)	Fairtrade sourcing, civil-rights advocacy, climate commitments.	🤝 ♻️ 🗳️	BOGO promos at major grocers; annual free-cone day; union-friendly outlets recommended.
Method / ECOS / Seventh Generation	Household cleaners & detergents	Plant-based formulas, lower-impact chemistries, safer worker policies.	♻️ 🤝	Refill pouches/bulk jugs bring prices near mainstream brands; recurring discounts.
Pact	Organic basics (socks, tees, underwear)	Organic cotton, Fair Trade factories; durable basics reduce waste.	♻️ 🤝	Warehouse/clearance bundles often match mass-market pricing with better durability.

❌ Don’t Buy There

Company	What They Sell	Why NOT Aligned	Nonnegotiables	Alternatives / Value Notes
SHEIN	Ultra-fast fashion	Labor exploitation allegations, opaque supply chain, extreme textile waste.	🤝 ♻️ ⚖️	Choose Pact, thrift stores, and repairs; advocacy campaigns ongoing.
ExxonMobil	Oil & gas	Long record of obstructing climate action; expanding fossil-fuel extraction.	♻️ 🗳️	Shift to public transit, e-bikes, community solar.
Nestlé	Food & beverage conglomerate	Controversies over producer treatment, palm oil, water usage.	🤝 ♻️	Pick fair-trade brands like Tony’s Chocolonely or local producers.
Volkswagen	Automotive	Emissions-cheating scandal; pollution undermined rule-of-law & climate goals.	⚖️ ♻️	Consider EV makers with stronger compliance records.
Starbucks	Coffee chain	Accused of anti-union tactics; heavy single-use waste footprint.	🤝 ♻️	Support union-friendly cafés or local shops; BYO cup discounts cut cost & waste.