Simon Hankinson
How have the far-left policies of the Biden administration affected American diplomacy? At a recent hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s accountability subcommittee, I had a chance to answer this question for Congress—and the news isn’t good.
Former President Biden ordered “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” staff hired, and he pushed new programs throughout the federal government. With alacrity, the State Department responded with changes to hiring and promotions at home and with increasingly ideological programs abroad.
The words sound fine, but “DEI” is worse than the sum of its parts.
Diversity is wonderful when it arises naturally from fair competition and individual choice. And no one has a problem with “inclusion,” though what it means is a bit woolly.
It’s “equity” where we run into problems. The word used to—and still should—mean fairness. Equal opportunity and equal treatment. But to the political left, it means “equal results.”
How the State Department’s Discriminatory DEI Programs Undermine U.S. Diplomacy and Betray American Values
In life, variables beyond the control of organizations result in disparate outcomes. Critical Race Theory says any disparate outcomes are caused by unseen forces like “structural bias” or “systemic racism.” For proponents of this theory, and the most recent Democratic presidential nominee was explicit about this, “equity” means ensuring equal outcomes, by whatever means necessary. They accordingly rig the system to achieve it under labels like “DEI.”
But skilled trades need standards. When we go to the doctor, we want one who got A’s in biology. We want them to have aced the MCAT and gone to a rigorous medical school. When we get on a plane, we want pilots selected because they’re good at math, spatial reasoning, and keeping calm in a crisis. When we call 911, we want a police officer who knows the law and can catch a criminal; » Read More
https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/hire-diplomats-merit-not-quotas
