Why is DEI DOA?
And how can something that was so 'good' suddenly be 'bad?'
DEI was once all the rage. After all, who could be opposed to diversity in the workplace, in education and in government?
But lately, DEI has been taking a hit. Even before Donald Trump was elected again as president, many in the business world were pulling back on their DEI programs or folding their DEI tents altogether.
Several states enacted anti-DEI legislation or regulations. Among them, Florida, Texas, Utah, Alabama, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee and Wyoming.
Now, the final stake is being put through the heart of DEI on the federal level. As President Trump directs all federal diversity, equity and inclusion staff be put on paid leave and eventually be laid off.
Why such a change in public policy?
THE CASE FOR DEI
DEI enhances innovation and creativity.
It broadens input by introducing perspectives that may have not been previously voiced.
It gives previously marginalized people a sense of belonging and encourages their participation in decision making.
It helps enhance an organization's reputation as being inclusive.
SO WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?
Many people say DEI is the poster child for "wokism" - a phrase that I've repeatedly expressed dismay over because it doesn't really communicate anything to me. I often comment that, to me, woke refers to what I did after I was finished sleeping.
Many people consider DEI "reverse discrimination."
Some argue that people are given positions as a token measure; not based on their abilities.
There's also the question of how to measure the success, or lack thereof, of DEI programs. Opponents note that the programs can be expensive and argue that because there's seemingly no metrics on their effectiveness, they should be dismissed as wasteful.
Still, it's interesting how the body politic in the nation can switch so rapidly. Not too long ago, businesses, institutions and governments were touting their DEI programs. Today, many of those same organizations are broadcasting that they are dismantling them.
So, to put it in the simplest of terms, how can something that recently was touted as good for an organization and society so quickly be considered the opposite?
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The views expressed are mine alone.
The idea of Social or even societal gaslighting is an interesting phenomenon that has been the subject of some significant scientific study and even the expose. Take for example, the Ponzi scheme, a financial form of gaslighting. When finally exposed there would be financial shock and loss. The long running musical on Broadway entitled “the music man,“ told the story of a con artist who took a whole town for a ride. In darker terms, there is the holocaust where an entire nation convinced the world that extermination was a solution. Recall for example, the response of the United States to the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan in 1941, an action which combined international gaslighting in military conquest.
In the postmodern - even post Information Age social and societal gaslighting opportunities abound-Kevin the easy access to mass communications. DEI could be cited as an example of the ladder, where it mixes in industrial age, cultural Marxism and shame based instigations with democratic ideological frames that transpose ideas like equality with Equity. Like any gaslighting scheme, the underlying purpose is secretive, the attempt to gain personal, financial or political power.
The response of the victim of gaslighting can be shockingly swift. Recall president Roosevelt speech before Congress declaring Pearl Harbor as a day of infamy as he asked America to declare war. So too, is today’s response to the gaslighting of America by proponents of DEI.
That one gets when they suddenly realize they have been gaslighted.