By Peter Lemiska

Democrats and the Left are a fickle lot. It’s clear they’re determined to keep the country divided using the politics of victimization, but they can’t seem to decide where next to plant their seeds of discontent.

It was only a few years ago that the #MeToo movement was in full swing. Democrats seized on a few high-profile cases of abused women, and the movement began. It quickly became a veritable war between the sexes, and at its height, Democrats were demanding that we “believe all women.” Today, they can’t even define what a woman is.

Then, in a series of unfortunate incidents, several young men died during confrontations with police. Their deaths would have gone virtually unnoticed if the parties involved were of the same race. But in those particular cases, the police were white and the men who died were black. Black Lives Matter was created, widespread rioting ensued, and Democrats saw another opportunity. They encouraged the riots, calling them peaceful protests, while issuing demands to “defund the police.” Today, they’re trying to claim that it’s Republicans who are anti-police.

Now they’ve found a new victim group, a new crusade, and a new battle cry: DEI — diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ostensibly, it’s supposed to protect all alleged victims of society, including the LGBQT community, from discrimination.

Their demands for diversity aren’t new. They’re a throwback to the controversial affirmative action initiatives that already diversified our country years ago. They also evoke one of those many vacuous liberal axioms: “Our strength is in our diversity.”

That sentiment may sound noble, even inspirational. But no one has ever really explained exactly how diversity strengthens anything. It’s true that fresh ideas coming from diverse minds often spark creativity and solutions to thorny problems. But that’s not what liberals are talking about. In fact, they adamantly reject the notion of diverse ideas. They’re talking about a regimented assortment of skin color, nationality, gender, sexual preference, and, now, gender identity.

The fact is, most Americans openly accept diversity in the workforce, in schools, and in government. But when diversity becomes the primary objective, failure is inevitable. How can any organization realize its full potential when bureaucratic beancounters and liberal activists tell them who to appoint, hire, and promote?

Joe Biden is one man consumed by DEI ideology. His administration is filled with history-making appointees who have proven themselves to be utterly incompetent — or worse.

Take, for example, Sam Brinton, a flamboyant bisexual and trans activist who was somehow appointed to a covetous high-level position in Biden’s Department of Energy. That appointment prompted one DOE employee to submit a written complaint to the inspector general’s office. It questioned Brinton’s qualifications for the position and alleged that the appointment came via “undue political influence.” But it was Brinton’s penchant for women’s clothing, not the complaint, that brought him down. Facing three separate charges of luggage theft, the DOE had no option but to terminate him. Brinton’s brief experience with the DOE can only be attributed to another experiment in diversity.

And Deb Haaland became the very first Native American to serve in a cabinet position when Biden appointed her for secretary of the interior. She had absolutely no qualifying experience, and her recent congressional testimony exposed her utter lack of knowledge and suitability for the job.

Biden told us where he stood on the issue from the very beginning. By vowing to choose a black female as his running mate, he admitted that, to him, diversity was more important than merit.

It should be obvious that the best way for any organization to flourish is simply by hiring, promoting, and retaining the best of the best.

The second part of DEI is equity. It sounds reasonable. After all, the concept of equal opportunity for everyone is one of the hallmarks of the American Dream. Ah, but they’re not talking about equal opportunity — the idea that, with hard work, all American citizens have the same opportunity to succeed.

No, to them, equity means equal outcomes. That’s the socialist/communist principle that takes from those who produce and gives to those who don’t. DEI is intended to ensure that those who work hard wind up in exactly the same place as those who don’t. Kamala Harris expressed her vision of America in those exact words: “Equitable treatment means we all end up at the same place.”

What about inclusion? That sounds like it should be an American value, a basic right. It means that all those individuals who got to where they are through diversity programs also have a right to feel welcomed and included. The problem is, under DEI, the Left gets to choose which individuals to include. It’s decided that men should be included in women’s sports events and that drag queens should be included in children’s educational curriculum. But it’s absolutely determined to exclude conservative speakers from college campuses.

Sad to say, the DEI agenda seems to be catching on, especially with our young people. It may appear, on the surface, to represent American values. But DEI is a lie, intended to perpetuate racism, promote socialism/communism, normalize abnormal behavior, and keep our country divided.