Identity politics creates division rather than unity. In its commitment to a neo-Marxist ethic ID politicians artificially elevate “oppressed” minority groups to special-status classification irrespective of an individual’s merit and then labels this working for “justice.” One of the most obvious ways this special classification is applied is via racial bias. A recent story from the Los Angeles Times serves to highlight this reality.

The Times reports that contractors with white ancestry received $300 million in business by claiming to be Cherokee. Elizabeth Warren, call your office. The story begins by noting that two years ago, the mayor of St. Louis announced a $311,000 contract to tear down an old factory, emphasizing that the contracted company was minority owned. The mayor wanted to tout the city’s “social justice” virtue-signaling a few years after the Michael Brown police shooting that ignited the whole Black Lives Matter movement.

The Times goes on to record several other examples of lucrative contracts being garnered with local and state governments by the company identifying as being a Native American-owned business, when in reality the owners are white. The Times then posits that “the total awarded to questionable Native American contractors is almost certainly significantly higher than $300 million.”

This story perfectly exemplifies the problem that arises from race-based identity politics. Rather than local governments seeking to award contracts based upon work quality and cost-effectiveness, artificial nonessential aspects are added that, ironically, promote racism.

And a parting thought: So much for that whole “white privilege” trope. If “white privilege” was really giving whites such an “unfair” advantage over all other minority groups, then why would white business owners be claiming racial-minority status in order to earn work contracts? Based on the whole white-privilege paradigm, these white business owners are intentionally hurting themselves by claiming minority status. Or, could it be that being born white is no more of a privilege than being born any other race? Is that not what the American Dream is all about?