Apple asks investors to block proposal to scrap diversity programmes
Apple’s move to urge investors to reject a shareholder proposal scrapping its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs triggers a broader argument over what DEI actually does in hiring and promotion. Critics claim it lowers standards and discriminates against white men, pointing to cases like lesbian fire department leaders as evidence of identity-based selection, while supporters counter that DEI is meant to widen access, counter historic bias and still rely on merit. Commenters also debate whether DEI has fueled a political backlash and rightward shift, how much it is genuine versus performative corporate branding, and whether it has any measurable impact on organizational performance.
What DEI Is (and Isn’t)
- Multiple, conflicting definitions:
- For critics: DEI = lowering standards to favor minorities / women over “more qualified” white men; or an ideological “commissar” system.
- For supporters: DEI = examining bias in hiring and promotion to ensure equal opportunity and broader outreach, not quotas.
- Some argue DEI is inherently discriminatory and “racist”; others say it is a response to historic discrimination and aims at fair participation.
Merit, Standards, and Safety-Critical Roles
- Firefighting and policing come up repeatedly:
- Critics stress physical differences between sexes and say pushing women into these roles harms safety and capability.
- Supporters give concrete examples of competent women in police, military, and firefighting, and argue technique/teamwork can offset brute strength.
- Disagreement over whether being able to individually carry a heavy adult out of a fire is a core, non-negotiable requirement.
- Debate over statistical outliers vs population averages; some see all-female or lesbian leadership clusters as near-proof of DEI bias, others attribute them to networks, mentorship, or coincidence.
Meritocracy, Nepotism, and Identity
- One line of discussion frames a triangle: meritocracy, nepotism, DEI—each a different, biased selection mechanism.
- Several argue real-world hiring is already non-meritocratic (nepotism, “vibes,” networks), so DEI is just another distortion.
- Others maintain that identity (race, gender, sexuality) is irrelevant to job duties and should never be a selection factor.
Politics, Culture, and Corporate Behavior
- Some claim DEI backlash has pushed Western politics to the right; others say economic pain, not DEI, explains recent electoral outcomes.
- Disagreement over whether DEI is a genuine corporate belief, a response to political/regulatory pressure, or pure virtue signaling.
- One view: rapid corporate shifts away from DEI show it doesn’t clearly help profits; another points to Apple’s continued defense of DEI as a counterexample.
Implementation, Evidence, and Enforcement
- Critics cite anecdotes and a few public cases (e.g., tech hiring quotas, FAA lawsuit) as evidence of explicit anti–white male discrimination.
- Others ask for broader, documented corporate evidence and argue most hiring is noisy and subjective regardless.
- Some worry that backlash is sweeping away genuinely helpful inclusion efforts (e.g., veterans, disabled) along with more controversial DEI programs.