by Barry A. Liebling
For several years DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) enthusiasts and policies have been a dominant, overbearing, and toxic force in America. The largest business establishments, professional societies, educational institutions, and government agencies have had DEI experts demanding that people behave and speak according to the woke playbook.
But the tide has shifted in 2024 where some of the most famous businesses announced that they are disbanding their DEI departments and are discontinuing programs that are based on DEI principles.
Note that this was occurring before the results of the presidential election was known, but the incoming Trump team is expected to be hostile to DEI initiatives. There is no question that Trump-inspired government officials will take actions intended to thwart DEI. So the woke retreat, which was already occurring, is being energized by the new administration.
How should this retreat on the part of top business executives be interpreted? First consider a brief review of the philosophical essence of DEI. The system fallaciously insists that collectivism is proper and that humanity consists of multiple groups that are perpetually in conflict with one another. The “oppressed and marginalized groups” (defined by the Neo-Marxist racialist elite) deserve unconditional sympathy and rewards, while the oppressors (the Neo-Marxist clerisy decides who they are) should be punished, tamped down, and shamed. Businesses that embrace DEI take steps to further these woke objectives in dealing with their employees, their suppliers, and their customers.
So why are business leaders who were enthusiastically supporting DEI now abandoning it? The executives who are retreating are not homogeneous.
Certainly a lot of them are classic conformists. They are not philosophical. They are not inclined to engage in careful thinking, and they have no deep or systematic convictions. If the cultural elite endorses DEI and the Democrats are in power these executives will go along. They want their companies to succeed, and they fear being on the wrong side of those who can make life difficult for them. To conformists DEI is a fad to be followed as long as it seems to be in fashion.
The conformists carefully avoid getting into any legal jeopardy. They pay attention to what their peers are doing, and they believe the safe move is to emulate the most visible players in business. So these executives who habitually comply with the latest trends are now concluding that DEI is passe. Be aware that if and when the cultural and political climate changes back to extreme leftism, these business bosses will be eager to jump on board again.
Consider another type of top executives. They are committed leftist progressives and are all-in with the DEI putsch. They embrace collectivism and relish a world of conflict where multiple groups perpetually despise one another. And these true believers see that the power structure in America has changed. So they take what they regard as a pragmatic route. Get rid of DEI programs. Disband the DEI experts, and announce that the business is being managed differently. Then proclaim that there will be a new program – some companies call it “belonging.” And the new policy will have the same objectives as DEI. In essence they calculate they can continue their mischief by renaming it. Watch them wink at one another as they pretend to change.
Note that many years ago some businesses had ethnic quotas. They had to fix what they regarded as a problem – too many people from groups they do not like and not enough people from groups they want to boost. When this was regarded as objectionable the firms changed the term to affirmative action. Later when affirmative action was harshly criticized it morphed into DEI. Do you see a pattern?
There is a third type of executive who is turning away from DEI. To their credit, some business leaders have thought carefully about the basis and implications of DEI. At one point in time they accepted it, but they now realize they were mistaken. Upon reflection they recognize that DEI – which is a pernicious flavor of racialist collectivism – is wrong-headed and will always lead to disaster. Once they understand this they will never support DEI or other programs that resemble it.
Go back and examine the companies that are now rejecting the DEI they used to support. Do the senior executives have integrity and understand what is right and wrong? Are they leaving for the right reasons, and are they now immune to this type of folly?
Alternatively, are they blindly reacting to the latest trend? Is it their policy to always follow the herd? If so, whatever they say or do can be severely discounted.
Of course, there are dedicated Neo-Marxists who regard their behavior as a tactical retreat. They will not give up their ambitions, and you can be certain that they will look for other ways to pursue their long march.
Here is the take-away. The retreat from DEI is certainly good, but the motivations of business professionals are mixed. And the way to obtain the best possible outcome is to persuade more executives to think carefully and embrace policies that promote human flourishing via individualism.
See other entries at AlertMindPublishing.com in “Monthly Columns.”