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by tptacek 1207 days ago
Very few companies have DEI programs. DEI isn't a trend because it's a defense against specious discrimination suits. It's a trend because it's fashionable. The argument in your last paragraph is thus easily falsified.

A message board strategic tip: if you're going to try to make an argument about how antiracism is overreaching in our society --- which should be a layup! --- try to do it without citing an overt racist to support your argument.
1 comments
nhchris 1207 days ago
> Very few companies have DEI programs.

Please don't lie to me:

"I have surveyed the programming of every Fortune 100 company and have confirmed that all of them have now adopted so-called DEI programs." - https://www.city-journal.org/the-diversity-equity-and-inclus...

Though I'm sure if you look at all companies, including every corner store, hair salon, and taco shop, the proportion of DEI initiatives and HR departments falls.

> It's a trend because it's fashionable.

And it's fashionable in part because any company where it's not encouraged is in legal peril.

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tptacek 1207 days ago
That's obviously false. There are over 1.7MM corporations in the US and over 7MM partnerships and sole proprietorships, and you've attempted to characterize all of them by a sample of the 100 hugest of them. There are all sorts of things the F100 has that the median company doesn't, almost none of them owing to legal peril.
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AbrahamParangi 1206 days ago
Hold on, that sample is a sample of the biggest ones! That’s a fair sample! Amazon having a DEI program and mom and pop hardware store not having one do not weigh equally on the scale!
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tptacek 1206 days ago
Cite an example of any company being sued for not having a DEI program.
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AbrahamParangi 1206 days ago
Why do I need to do that to defend the specific, factual point that DEI efforts are common in American workplaces? It’s not a value judgement, it’s just a fact.
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tptacek 1206 days ago
Well, for starters, that's not what we're debating. We're debating the idea that companies have DEI programs out of legal necessity.
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nhchris 1206 days ago
They're not sued for not having a DEI program, but for vaguely and broadly defined "discrimination". Having a DEI program is a defense against such accusations.
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tptacek 1206 days ago
That's a conveniently non-falsifiable argument, isn't it?
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