DEI Is Poisoning America

Bari Weiss says it better than anyone I've read lately. This is from Tabletmag, a Jewish intellectual website.


End DEI

It’s not about diversity, equity, or inclusion. It is about arrogating power to a movement that threatens not just Jews—but America itself.

BY BARI WEISS
NOVEMBER 07, 2023


Twenty years ago, when I was a college student, I started writing about a then-nameless, niche ideology that seemed to contradict everything I had been taught since I was a child.

It is possible I would not have perceived the nature of this ideology—or rather, I would have been able to avoid seeing its true nature—had I not been a Jew. But I was. I am. And in noticing the way I had been written out of the equation, I started to notice that it wasn’t just me, but that the whole system rested on an illusion.

What I saw was a worldview that replaced basic ideas of good and evil with a new rubric: the powerless (good) and the powerful (bad). It replaced lots of things. Colorblindness with race-obsession. Ideas with identity. Debate with denunciation. Persuasion with public shaming. The rule of law with the fury of the mob.

People were to be given authority in this new order not in recognition of their gifts, hard work, accomplishments, or contributions to society, but in inverse proportion to the disadvantages their group had suffered, as defined by radical ideologues. According to them, as Jamie Kirchick concisely put it in these pages: “Muslim > gay, Black > female, and everybody > the Jews.”

I was an undergraduate back then, but you didn’t need a Ph.D. to see where this could go. And so I watched, in horror, sounding alarms as loudly as I could. I was told by most Jewish leaders that, yes, it wasn’t great, but not to be so hysterical. Campuses were always hotbeds of radicalism, they said. This ideology, they promised, would surely dissipate as young people made their way in the world.

It did not.

Over the past two decades, I saw this inverting worldview swallow all of the crucial sense-making institutions of American life. It started with the universities. Then it moved on to cultural institutions—including some I knew well, like The New York Times—as well as every major museum, philanthropy, and media company. Then on to our medical schools and our law schools. It’s taken root at nearly every major corporation. It’s inside our high schools and even our elementary schools. The takeover is so comprehensive that it’s now almost hard to notice it—because it is everywhere.

Including in the Jewish community.

Some of the most important Jewish communal organizations transformed themselves in order to prop up this ideology. Or at the very least, they contorted themselves to signal that they could be good allies in the fight for equal rights—even as those rights are no longer presumed inalienable or equal, and are handed out rather than protected.

For Jews, there are obvious and glaring dangers in a worldview that measures fairness by equality of outcome rather than opportunity. If under-representation is the inevitable outcome of systemic bias, then over-representation—and Jews are 2% of the American population—suggests not talent or hard work, but unearned privilege. This conspiratorial conclusion is not that far removed from the hateful portrait of a small group of Jews divvying up the ill-gotten spoils of an exploited world.

It isn’t only Jews who suffer from the suggestion that merit and excellence are dirty words. It is strivers of every race, ethnicity, and class. That is why Asian American success, for example, is suspicious. The percentages are off. The scores are too high. From whom did you steal all that success?

Of course this new ideology doesn’t come right out and say all that. It doesn’t even like to be named. Some call it wokeness or anti-racism or progressivism or safetyism or critical social justice or identity-Marxism. But whatever term you use, what’s clear is that it has gained power in a conceptual instrument called “diversity, equity and inclusion,” or DEI.

In theory, all three of these words represent noble causes. They are in fact all causes to which American Jews in particular have long been devoted, both individually and collectively. But in reality, these words are now metaphors for an ideological movement bent on recategorizing every American not as an individual, but as an avatar of an identity group, his or her behavior prejudged accordingly, setting all of us up in a kind of zero-sum game.

We have been seeing for several years now the damage this ideology has done: DEI, and its cadres of enforcers, undermine the central missions of the institutions that adopt it. But nothing has made the dangers of DEI more clear than what’s happening these days on our college campuses—the places where our future leaders are nurtured.

It is there that professors are compelled to pledge fidelity to DEI in order to get hired, promoted, or tenured. (For more on this, please read John Sailer’s Free Press piece: "How DEI Is Supplanting Truth as the Mission of American Universities.”) And it is there that the hideousness of this worldview has been on full display over the past few weeks: We see students and professors, immersed not in facts, knowledge, and history, but in a dehumanizing ideology that has led them to celebrate or justify terrorism.

Jews, who understand that being made in the image of God bestows inviolate sanctity on every human life, must not stand by as that principle, so central to the promise of this country and its hard won freedoms, is erased.

For Jews, there are obvious and glaring dangers in a worldview that measures fairness by equality of outcome rather than opportunity.

What we must do is reverse this.

The answer is not for the Jewish community to plead its cause before the intersectional coalition, or beg for a higher ranking in the new ladder of victimhood. That is a losing strategy—not just for Jewish dignity, but for the values we hold as Jews and as Americans.

The Jewish commitment to justice—and the American Jewish community’s powerful and historic opposition to racism—is a source of tremendous pride. That should never waver. Nor should our commitment to stand by our friends, especially when they need our support as we now need theirs.

But “DEI” is not about the words it uses as camouflage. DEI is about arrogating power.

And the movement that is gathering all this power does not like America or liberalism. It does not believe that America is a good country—at least no better than China or Iran. It calls itself progressive, but it does not believe in progress; it is explicitly anti-growth. It claims to promote “equity,” but its answer to the challenge of teaching math or reading to disadvantaged children is to eliminate math and reading tests. It demonizes hard work, merit, family, and the dignity of the individual.

An ideology that pathologizes these fundamental human virtues is one that seeks to undermine what makes America exceptional.

It is time to end DEI for good. No more standing by as people are encouraged to segregate themselves. No more forced declarations that you will prioritize identity over excellence. No more compelled speech. No more going along with little lies for the sake of being polite.

The Jewish people have outlived every single regime and ideology that has sought our elimination. We will persist, one way or another. But DEI is undermining America, and that for which it stands—including the principles that have made it a place of unparalleled opportunity, safety, and freedom for so many. Fighting it is the least we owe this country.

https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/n...ari-weiss-jews

the irony of DEI is that it is a latin word meaning GOD.

sigh....

the irony of DEI is that it is a latin word meaning GOD.

sigh.... Originally Posted by dilbert firestorm

Very ironic. Especially since most of its promoters are godless.

SNICK

Such an expert on Jewish people!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

I am all-in for equality of opportunity. Everyone/everyone should be given the chance to show what they can do. . . .but you have to be abl to actually do it.

I am deeply committed to the concept of meritocrascy. Noone would say that a short slow guy with poor eyesight should get a celebrity mega million-dollar contract as a wide receiver in the MFL . . . .unless he can actually catch the ball and run with it.

The same should be true in the workplace and education with regards to those skills critical to each field.
.

SNICK

Such an expert on Jewish people!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

Yes, she is.

"In 2019, The Jerusalem Post named Weiss the seventh most influential Jew in the world.[81]"

She's also a yinzer from Pittsburgh.

Jealous much?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bari_Weiss#Works

Are things really all that different now? DEI is just another way of saying affirmation action, which has been around since the 60s. I think in general, it's a focus on gender correcting the way affirmative action was for evening out of things like enrollment and employment for blacks and minorities in whole, where now it's inclusive towards women and other under represented classes. Not sure why it's demonized in the press but understand that there will always be those who feel disenfranchised about losing a position to a person who fits a demographic class vs strictly about skills and experience. Understandaby that is upsetting, but in a company or government that has statistically and more typically hired only ppl of a "same status", there will never be any change overall.

I've seen previous statements such as the strength of America is due to our diversity and welcoming of all nations and countries. It's even on the Statue of Liberty. But it seems those folks being displaced are now crying over the same things that made our country so strong - diversity.

Now I do think that over- correcting has likely happened as it always seems to happen, but I also think everyone is on board with a new idea, till it ends up affecting someone personally. What bothers me about diversity hires just for the sake of diversity is that it usually ends in a hire that is not of the same capabilities or skills.

And just to add one last comment about the source of the OP. Just because it's in a Jewish sponsored publication doesn't mean the person is reflecting those same qualities that all Jewish ppl believe. Hopefully Israel gets all the fucking problems sorted out before this war drags more ppl and countries into it.

Well put

Diversity of origine is one thing. I grew up in the "Melting Pot " concept of cultural assimilation. I was born here in the USA, but most of my adul relatives were born somewhere in Europe. My mother's father never went to school in Italy or later on, in his adopted homeland of Brooklyn New York. AMy FSther was sent here in 1935 as a teen to escape Nazi persecution. For him, English was not a second language, it was his forth or so.

I saw both men embrace the language and culture of this country as it existed on their arrival.

All this diversity for the sake of being different is crap. We acn all retain portions of our birth language and culture, but we cannot make America into permanent islands of where we came from.

DEI: The second part of the DEEI movement is Equity. Proponents of DEI that I have spoken with expand that into "Equity of Outcome". They do not mean equality od opportunity, which was the initial goal of the Civil /rights Movement and the original focus of the concept of Affirmative Action.

As near as I can understand them, DEI proponents mean that everyone should get what everyone else has in terms of grades in school or job titles and compensation in the . . . . regardless of one's ability. to perform in the classroom or at work.

In horse racing, it has long been known that one horse can run faster than another. No one expects that they will all cross the finish line together. Yet the Equity of Outcome paradigm would rig the race so that all the horses would "win". Imagine the outcry in the sporting world if the NBA lowered the basket so that even short players could dunk.

Equality of opportunity has merit in our society. Equity of Outcome does not.

Equity in DEI doesn't NOT mean equity of outcome. It means equity of voice and input. It's to drive towards outcomes that are not exclusive to the status quo, but to drive discussions that are inclusive of ALL VOICES. I've sat in numerous meetings that have been improved by creating a forum where perspectives from groups who were not part of planning or satisfaction surveys prior, are now heard and the outcomes were surprising. When ppl feel heard, job satisfaction goes up. Where ppl are allowed to participate in processes and changes, job satisfaction goes up. When ppl are seeing that segments of a normally uncountered or even heard from group have been promoted or given an opportunity, (workplace equality) morale goes up.

This whole nonsense of woke organizations going downhill or giving jobs to ppl who don't deserve them is a ruse from mostly conservative news outlets. Having worked in 3 fortune 200 companies, and seeing with my own eyes and ears the outcome of DEI, is not easy for ppl who expect the status quo, but see something change in the decisions based on having a voice in the process isnt always easy. But generally I'd say the companies were better for it afterwards.

Do voices change outcomes?

Of course they do, imagine how our democracy would work without a voice from the other side (or sides.)

DEIs focus is to ensure that all voices are heard ina process vs just creating a different outcome for the sake of diversity numbers only. When done correctly, it is to ensure that promotions, hires and opportunities are to include a mixture of candidates, interviewers, and all this equally, we still hire the best candidate and if there is no difference between a diverse candidate and a non-diverse candidate in job performance, then that is where Diversity Hires occur.

Giving those roles to anyone in a leadership or manager role can change an entire company's operation expertise and employee satisfaction more than 99% of other things.

The echo chamber of woke, DEI, and anti-change politics from the right is simply the response of a mostly white majority who think changing the status quo is very scary, damaging and wrong. Scared little boys mostly, and small minded ones at that.

Lustylad,


That sure seems to be accurate. They are definitely trying to rewrite history into something that is not even close to being the truth.

Equity in DEI doesn't NOT mean equity of outcome. It means equity of voice and input. Originally Posted by eyecu2

Wrong. Unequal outcomes is the PRIMARY evidence used for enforcing racial quotas. If ethnic minorities don't graduate in the same numbers as Whites, that's evidence of systemic RAYCISS! If ethnic minorities go to prison in higher rates than Whites, that's evidence of systemic RAYCISS!

Equity of outcomes is what the DEI marxists want because they know it's not possible, thus ensuring an ongoing grift for those not capable of performing to standard on their own.


Anyone that has kids realizes that although raised in the same home by the same parents with the same DNA, they still will have unequal outcomes.

BUT BUT we can fix it says the Marxists... just give them the chance.

LOL. Only fools vote for liberals.

Wrong. Unequal outcomes is the PRIMARY evidence used for enforcing racial quotas.


Equity of outcomes is what the DEI marxists want because they know it's not possible, thus ensuring an ongoing grift for those not capable of performing to standard on their own.

LOL. Only fools vote for liberals. Originally Posted by texassapper

I chopped out the word salad you provided and will ask you to cite any professional organization that in DEI "Equity means enforcing racial Quotas."

I bet you can't- and the reason is simply that has never been a focus; but I'll let you see if you can find anyone besides garbage rags like "the HILL" or the GOP flying monkeys screaming in the trees like Hannity or his buddies on Fox that say that.

Generally it means:

The goal for equity is to promote justice, impartiality and fairness within the procedures, processes, and distribution of resources within our workplace. Equity means all persons are paid commensurate with their job duties and performance regardless of their race, sex, age or other personal factors.

I chopped out the word salad you provided and will ask you to cite any professional organization that in DEI "Equity means enforcing racial Quotas."

I bet you can't- and the reason is simply that has never been a focus; but I'll let you see if you can find anyone besides garbage rags like "the HILL" or the GOP flying monkeys screaming in the trees like Hannity or his buddies on Fox that say that.

Generally it means:

The goal for equity is to promote justice, impartiality and fairness within the procedures, processes, and distribution of resources within our workplace. Equity means all persons are paid commensurate with their job duties and performance regardless of their race, sex, age or other personal factors. Originally Posted by eyecu2

LOL... and the ONLY way to achieve that is making sure straight, male, Whitey doesn't get the job, scholarship, promotion, slot etc... Find me a DEI program that does not discriminate against said straight white male.


Goal statements aren't worth the paper they are printed on...