Toxic EDI is destabilizing our democracy

Prof. Frank Dehne

As a Computer Science professor, I have been teaching fourth year Bachelor of Computer Science classes for many years. These students are graduating shortly, so at the end of the semester it is natural to ask students about their career plans after graduation.

Time and again I have heard complaints from male students that many employers will not even consider male job applicants. Those employers are hiring only female applicants in order to fulfill their EDI quotas.

From the perspective of a young male student, this is blatantly unfair and discriminatory.

The rise of Trump(ism) and other destabilizing political movements in many countries has given this a new dimension. 

A recent article in The Economist has provided some interesting analysis: "In much of the developed world, the attitudes of young men and women are polarising. ... Two decades ago there was little difference between men and women aged 18-29... But our analysis found that by 2020 the gap was 0.75 (see chart 1 ). For context, this is roughly twice the size of the gap in opinion between people with and without a degree in the same year." (The Economist, March 16, 2024)

In Canada, a 2024 Angus Reid poll came to a similar conclusion. Note that, in 2024 Pollievre strongly identified with Trump(ism) while Trudeau strongly identified with feminism and EDI quotas for women.

It is easy for established men and women in leadership positions to embrace EDI. Our young men are the ones who suffer the brunt of the consequences. 

Indeed, older men are less critical of EDI than younger men, as shown in the following statistics published in The Economist.

As outlined in The Economist, Trump and other destabilizing demagogues have exploited the impact of Toxic EDI on young men. In his election campaign, Trump has repeatedly exploited our young men's anger about the status quo and promised to improve their situation by disrupting the status quo ("Make America Great Again").

It is no coincidence that disrupting EDI (or "DEI" as it is called in the US) was one of the first priorities of the newly elected President Trump.

--- SUMMARY ---

Toxic EDI is destabilizing our democracy

• It is easy for established men and women in leadership positions to embrace EDI.

• Young men suffer the brunt of the consequences of Toxic EDI policies.

• Many young men consider the status quo blatantly unfair and discriminatory. 

• Therefore, destabilizing demagogues who promise to disrupt the status quo have become popular.

• All that preaching from the intellectual elite that being anti-EDI and disrupting the status quo is undemocratic has just the opposite effect. For many young men the message is:

Liberal Democracy = Status Quo = Toxic EDI = Unfair & Discriminatory

• It is no coincidence that disrupting EDI was one of the first priorities of the newly elected President Trump.