The West
DEI Is Destroying Nations — Trump Just Declared War on It
From blackouts in South Africa to oil collapse in Venezuela, DEI-style policies are leaving destruction in their wake. Trump’s executive orders just declared war on this trend.
History proves that when race-based and ideological hiring replace merit, society collapses. Just look at South Africa and Venezuela: two stark warnings of what happens when DEI policies go unchecked.
The Issues with DEI
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies may sound good at first, but in practice, they've lowered standards, fueled division, and prioritized political agendas over excellence and talent.
In the Military: DEI initiatives undermine cohesion by prioritizing identity-based policies over combat preparedness, raising questions about their long-term impact on the strength and unity of the U.S. military.
In Education: Schools and universities scrapped entrance exams to promote equity, resulting in lower academic standards. The outcome? A generation that’s unprepared, unqualified, and unable to compete in the real world. Reverse discrimination and forced equality of outcomes have completely undermined merit-based systems.
President Trump’s policies aim to restore merit-based hiring, promotions and to remove ideological activism from institutions. To truly understand why this is so crucial, we need to look at extreme examples of what happens when DEI is taken too far.
South Africa: How DEI Collapsed a Nation
If there’s a glaring example of how DEI policies can destroy an economy, it’s South Africa. After the fall of Apartheid, the government introduced Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE), which was meant to uplift black South Africans and right the wrongs of history. Instead, it became a system that fostered corruption, racial discrimination, and economic decline.
Corruption Reigns: Major state contracts are frequently linked to patronage networks, nepotism, and corruption scandals, raising concerns that deals are too often awarded based on connections or kickbacks rather than merit.
The system has contributed to widespread job losses among skilled white South Africans, many of whom have struggled to find new opportunities. This represents a situation where skin color became a determining factor rather than ability or expertise.
(Photo: Matt Tobaccos - Photojournalist and Multimedia producer)
As a result, South Africans, particularly those in rural areas, are left with expensive and unreliable internet options or mobile data. At the same time, neighboring countries like Zimbabwe and Zambia enjoy the benefits of Starlink.
South Africa, a nation prosperous in potential, is now grappling with a broken infrastructure, soaring unemployment, violent crime rates worse than active war zones, and an endless cycle of corruption. All of these issues are exacerbated by DEI policies that place skin color above competence. Under the current leadership, South Africa is spiraling down a dangerous path.
Venezuela: How Equity Over Merit Led to Catastrophe
Nationalization of industries: Chávez handed over businesses to “underrepresented” groups, despite their lack of training and expertise.
DEI policies at PDVSA: The state-run oil company was gutted by DEI hiring, resulting in the destruction of one of the world’s most successful oil industries.
Meritocracy dismantled: Venezuela’s most skilled professionals - engineers, doctors, and business owners - fled the country, leaving an unqualified workforce behind.
DEI Sounds Nice - Until It's Not
President Trump’s fight against DEI is not about rejecting diversity; it’s about restoring fairness and preventing America from following the disastrous paths of South Africa and Venezuela.
Diversity should emerge naturally through merit, not by quotas or force. When hiring and promotion are dictated by ideology instead of ability, the result is incompetence, resentment, and, eventually, national decline. The damaging effects of DEI are already taking hold in America, leaving behind some irreversible scars.
When meritocracy is tossed aside in favor of appeasing a certain demographic, the consequences ripple across every sector, weakening the nation as a whole.
