Victor Davis Hanson on the Collapse of DEI and the Erosion of Meritocracy

The Pervasive Fraud Enabled by DEI

• 💡 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is presented as a rubric for mandated equality of result, rather than opportunity, which has enabled widespread fraud.
• 💰 Billions of dollars in fraud have been linked to communities in Minnesota and California, involving misspent homeless funds and unemployment insurance, with these groups receiving exemptions from audits.
• 🚗 Similarly, the issuance of commercial truck driving licenses to illegal aliens in California is highlighted as a dangerous consequence of these non-meritocratic practices.

The Self-Perpetuating Cycle of Victimhood

• 🎯 Individuals and groups benefiting from DEI feel compelled to continually assert their victim status to justify their positions or admissions, especially when lacking standard meritocratic qualifications.
• 🗣️ This narrative of victimhood is used to explain away failures or lack of market share, as seen in examples of media personalities claiming racism.
• 🚫 When audits and consequences are avoided due to DEI classifications, deterrence is lost, creating a self-perpetuating cycle where illegal or non-meritocratic activity continues without repercussions.

The Downfall of Meritocracy and Rise of Bureaucracy

• 📉 DEI is described as the twin of the old boy network, substituting race for money and influence, thereby undermining the principle of meritocracy.
• 🎓 The destruction of meritocracy for one group leads to demands for similar advantages from others, eroding the foundation of fair competition.
• 🏛️ The DEI apparatus has created a vast, non-productive bureaucracy similar to the Soviet commissar system, consuming resources without contributing to core functions like research or education.

The Legal and Moral Undermining of DEI

• ⚖️ The Trump administration's argument that DEI violates civil rights laws from the 1960s, coupled with a 2023 Supreme Court ruling, suggests a lack of moral and legal support for DEI.
• 📉 With a calcified and top-heavy DEI infrastructure that is no longer legally or morally justified, its collapse is anticipated.
• ✅ The hope is that this complex system will finally die on the vine, allowing for a return to merit-based principles.