One of the remaining questions is: how can I act responsibly knowing everyone else doesn't? Great question. You just have to start act responsibly for your own doings and choices, you just have to do that. You must be proud to put your name on every decision you make on behalf of yourself and others. It doesn't matter if everyone else does not, yet. Choices made by others should never concern you. Personal choices are just that, personal.
Let's say your are responsible for purchases in a large grocery chain. You could prefer buying from responsible suppliers. Those supplying verifiable and traceable origins for all their ingredients and processes. They do exist, and need to be exposed for what they are: responsible product suppliers and/or manufacturers. You should be proud that the products you are selling are the best possible, that they can be safely consumed by anyone, that they promote health and provide lifelong extended benefits to the Living.
What about cheaters and liars? What about competitors who claim to have better products and processes but really don't? Just let them be. People valuing responsible actions and products will sure end up finding you, while cheaters and liars cater to some totally different people: those who act irresponsibly. Of course, this is all absolutely unfair. But what is? The fairest thing of all is to let everyone make its own choices, according to one own values. You value your own personal responsibility over anything else? It will be known.
Most importantly, people acting irresponsibly need to be left alone, literally. Avoid them like the pest. Don't encourage any of their ventures. Let them sink in their lies and deceptions, until they decide otherwise. You will recognize these people very easily, because they use obfuscation, subterfuges and deception for being able to do what they do best: trump everyone and themselves equally. They use marketing, propaganda, ruses and strategies. They lie as they breathe. And they reject all personal responsibility, as they hide behind armies of representatives and subsidized cronies.
You, on the other hand, as you simplify and rearrange your business in accordance to personal responsibility, will always get what you deserve: praises and good reputation. And if you are mistaken or end up loosing your way in the process, you'll always gain more admitting your errors and taking responsibility than you'll do offering reparation and trying to mitigate bad outcomes. I did wrong, I'm fully aware of my actions, I'll make sure this get fix. I'm putting my reputation on the line. That's all that is needed. No excuses, no repenting, no reparation are ever needed. Just truthfulness, honesty, and over all else, total personal responsibility.
You end up killing someone? Same thing. Let it be known. Tell your truth. Take full responsibility for your actions. Never wait to do so. Just assume all consequences. See where it leads you. The outcome may surprise you. You are witnessing a crime? You are victim of a felony? You can chose giving the one person responsible all the space needed for admitting its own fault, and you may take full personal responsibility for one's actions you know you may have committed yourself. Then you may realize that in a community where everyone is assuming group responsibility, revenge is unnecessary. Or course, what applies to individuals also apply to groups or communities. Responsibility needs to be taken, and shared, always.
Irresponsible groups should be considered just like irresponsible individuals: they need to be left alone. Truly alone. You don't need to correct them or any of their failures. Let them own all of it. They don't need to be policed, nor do they need to be struct by justice. You just need to have nothing to do with them, unless they change their ways. I know this could be difficult to conceive in modern human societies as we know them now. It may seem totally unpractical. But it is. And many people all around the world already live personally responsible lives, the best they can. And many groups and businesses already do so too. Lives are slowly evolving everywhere on the planet. Just not fast enough. Because marketing and propaganda, the art of having people do things they would never do on their own volition, is gaining traction.
One way of never succumbing to marketers and their easy to succumb to irresistible and irresponsible temptations, is to not listen to what they say. There are ways to isolate yourself from their manipulation: stop using anything that has advertising built-in. Stop buying any food that is made with ingredients you can't comprehend. Use tools that are durable. Learn how to fix them when they brake. Make your own food and your own stuff as much as possible. Avoid complexity at any cost. Live simply. Assume total responsibility for your own choices. Blame no one for doing what's contrary to your own values. Don't advertise your doings. Give and share as much as you can.
These precepts are really close to the very basic messages that are shared by most religions and laws around the world, throughout human history. The only added difference is the strong explicit focus on personal and group responsibility, as well as the avoidance of reprisal and revenge. According to me, this is what freedom should be, as I'm taking full responsibility for anything written by me, on this blog or elsewhere. Cheers to that!