This DEI rhetoric, while obviously racist and sexist, I think has deeper resonance than just the immediate backlash to Harris’ campaign. The escalation of racial and identity battles in the US today snacks of the rhetoric used in early 30s Germany to limit political access to both Jews and anyone else the Nazis were suspect of (basically any non-‘Aryan’ - whatever definition they chose to take that to mean). The law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service granted them the power to remove anyone from political or civil roles if deemed “unfit”. Basically an anti-DEI bill.
We already know Trump has sworn vengeance, and we know the Republicans are not above cruel and discriminatory laws. I worry this renewed focus on DEI is priming their voter base to accept not just authoritarianism, but a power structure that openly persecutes groups they have defined as ‘the other’ (I recognize this is already happening at both federal and state levels, I’m just worried it becomes official, unbridled policy).
This DEI rhetoric, while obviously racist and sexist, I think has deeper resonance than just the immediate backlash to Harris’ campaign. The escalation of racial and identity battles in the US today snacks of the rhetoric used in early 30s Germany to limit political access to both Jews and anyone else the Nazis were suspect of (basically any non-‘Aryan’ - whatever definition they chose to take that to mean). The law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service granted them the power to remove anyone from political or civil roles if deemed “unfit”. Basically an anti-DEI bill. We already know Trump has sworn vengeance, and we know the Republicans are not above cruel and discriminatory laws. I worry this renewed focus on DEI is priming their voter base to accept not just authoritarianism, but a power structure that openly persecutes groups they have defined as ‘the other’ (I recognize this is already happening at both federal and state levels, I’m just worried it becomes official, unbridled policy).