Show Me The Money

Pride comes before a fall. I didn’t see the diversity issue and the reason for its existence when it was right in front of me. The problem became clear with the removal of DEI issues for schools, organizations, and corporations across America, but it came into clearer focus when Trump set the economic world on fire making people’s money fall in the stock market and the main street market.                  

DEI, diversity, equity, inclusion, was part of Trump’s core effort to change the culture. But let’s be clear DEI in Trump’s mind refers to black people. Racism comes through loud and clear as the problem in Trump’s mind. As I looked at the large crowds protesting or marching against Trump and Musk, I saw few black people. It was certainly clear to black people that DEI referred to them. I and others should have put a color on DEI to include anyone that the administration would like to silence.

This could be seen clearly in Trump’s support of antisemitism. Netanyahu was smiling away in his meeting with Trump for he was seeing protests  against Israel conflated to being antisemitic. Jewish students on campuses and rabbis themselves saw the situation for what it was which was Trump being the voice of antisemitism. It was really Jews and non jews protesting the crimes of the state of Israel.  Continuing support from Netanyahu and the right wing of the party was evident as the cries of the Palestinians were ignored.

Trump did the same thing with Zelensky and Ukraine when he talked with Putin and excluded Zelensky from talks to bring about peace. The great deal maker made the biggest mistake in mediation which is to broadcast that you are on the side of one and not the other.

But it came clear to me that Trump and others wanted a white America and not necessarily a smaller more efficient government when he announced the tariffs. Recall that I have written extensively that money seems to always trump (intentional use of that word) ethics or integrity. There has been significant research on this issue by David Callahan. When the tariffs hit and their ramifications were clear as the stock market fell and inflation rose on main street, people went crazy. Trump fooled the people again. I will make things better than ever. I will stop those two wars in a day, but it was inflation that really got him elected by most Americans. Free the criminals who participated in January 6. Bad decision and a small outcry. The same reaction when he had Musk’s brigade fire people right and left. More reaction occurred because that meant money lost as well. But still people were silent.

You know all the rest, but I must mention the Defense Department’s texting war plans which got into the hands of an editor/writer for a great magazine. They are the gang that couldn’t shoot straight or think straight.

The person who helped me see the light was Solomon Jones who wrote an article for the April 14 edition of the Inquirer titled “Why Black Folks Won’t Join Trump Protests.” 84% of black people voted for Kamala Harris. 56% of white people voted for Donald Trump.  Jones stated, “You let things go by, now you white folks fix it.” Let’s forget about DEI and just use black. No more DEI! The reaction was corporations, organizations, colleges, and school districts scrubbing their websites of any mention of those letters under the threat of federal funding being taken away.  All players just folded to Trump’s policies except for one. Harvard said “no.” Harvard responded to those demands for every department at Harvard is based in sharing diverse viewpoints. Others remained silent and wanting to keep their money, they folded. Harvard didn’t. As a Yalie and Dukie, I must just say I wish my schools had that kind of guts. Yes, I do know the endowment of Harvard and the argument that they had money to spare. What would have happened if a significant number of organizations and schools fired back to Trump and his cronies saying, “Kiss my a !”

There are all sorts of ethical systems to support why organizations and people are bending the knee to Trump, but in the end those corporations, organizations, colleges, and school boards acted on that other fear of bullying and intimidation. Just follow the money and you will see the ethics of any situation. Too many practiced the wisdom of the movie, “Jerry McQuire,” about a sport’s agent whose football player client wants more money in his contact. The player screams, “SHOW ME THE MONEY! SHOW ME THE MONEY!”

But here is something for our nation to think about. What were black people feeling as the Trump regime caused everyone to wipe DEI from their business or academic world. They saw it for what it was. The silence of response to Trump’s centerpieces, inflation and anti-woke messaging in DEI, by removing black history from all curriculums across the nation was astounding.  Silence was not golden as our nation folded. But when Trump messed with our money with his tariffs, there was no more silence as people went to the streets. Silence was now replaced with SHOW ME THE MONEY. Don’t forget that black people know how we failed them. Woke means “be awake to injustice.”  No one has said anything about the bind that our historic black colleges are in.  It’s terrible for them.

The song below from another era describes our national cultural dilemma. We can’t find predictability. We have lost our way!

For What It Is Worth by Dusty Springfield