The U.S. team tied for first place with China at the 60th International Mathematical Olympiad Meritocracy and diversity, both important concepts. Which would you choose in a particular situation?
I was the Vice Commander of an Air National Guard unit in the 1990s when the military first pushed diversity. My Commander was not keen on pushing this agenda, so he gave me the job. I thought it was a reasonable idea, to place diversity in the mindset of our troops. I wrote a couple of articles on the topic and had a few posters made up. It did not really open anyone’s eyes or change anything. We already had females and ‘people of color’ (not a term then) in our unit. What we really had was the kind of diversity I do not think the personnel types or top leaders had in mind.
Our diversity was working as a team among unit members with different talents. We had technical specialists, managers, personnel experts, administration people, lawyers, doctors, you name it. Now that is diversity! But we were supposed to have diversity within our diverse talents. The idea was to give everyone a chance, a noble idea that falls apart when you don't always get the optimum results.
There used to be a TV show called 'College Bowl' that went off the air in 1987. It pitted students from various universities competing academically. I'm sure they picked their brightest. They could have been diverse in race, but that would have been a coincidence. in 2019, the US tied for first with China against other countries in a math competition. It just so happened that the US team consisted of six young men, five of whom were US born Asian-Americans. Had the US team gone all in on diversity they may not have won
The diversity in our military unit could be likened to a puzzle. Each puzzle piece was different, some pieces working together to solve the puzzle while other puzzle pieces did not fit in certain areas. You can’t force two pieces together that are not meant to be! Managed correctly, however, a 1000-piece puzzle will be solved when all one thousand pieces are used correctly. Diversity in thinking or talent is the best diversity. For example, the College Bowl contestants had four members per team, each with an academic specialty.
Certainly, diversity alone doesn’t solve anything! Just look at the waste of time called the United Nations. With 193 diverse countries, there are numerous lifestyles, religions, philosophies, types of governments, and personalities. The UN is the very icon of diversity. But it doesn’t work! Now look at the US Congress. People from different states ranging from right wing to left wing, working together supposedly, to make this a better country. But it doesn’t seem to work…given their miserably low success rate and putrid favorability rating.
Diversity can work and should be considered, but you cannot ‘make’ it work. It only works when there is a common goal with various ideas and methods to reach that goal. We must admit that diversity, while sometimes responsible for great insight and success, can also bring adversity. We must be a meritocracy to move forward at a greater speed and success. The best basketball team is not the most diverse. The fastest horse in a race will be a thoroughbred, not a Clydesdale. But a Clydesdale has its own contributions. Hitching a thoroughbred with a Clydesdale to pull a load would not be using diversity wisely.
The chant of diversity has become a symbol of political and social differences. Diversity has its place in society, but not as a cry for equity but a cry for success. Equity would be giving Clydesdale a furlong lead (I am guessing) so it could win half the races. That’s not right. Nor should a thoroughbred be expected pull the same weight as a Clydesdale. That is not what real diversity is meant to do. Real diversity is reaching success with a conglomeration of people doing what they do best as a cooperating team!
I was the Vice Commander of an Air National Guard unit in the 1990s when the military first pushed diversity. My Commander was not keen on pushing this agenda, so he gave me the job. I thought it was a reasonable idea, to place diversity in the mindset of our troops. I wrote a couple of articles on the topic and had a few posters made up. It did not really open anyone’s eyes or change anything. We already had females and ‘people of color’ (not a term then) in our unit. What we really had was the kind of diversity I do not think the personnel types or top leaders had in mind.
Our diversity was working as a team among unit members with different talents. We had technical specialists, managers, personnel experts, administration people, lawyers, doctors, you name it. Now that is diversity! But we were supposed to have diversity within our diverse talents. The idea was to give everyone a chance, a noble idea that falls apart when you don't always get the optimum results.
There used to be a TV show called 'College Bowl' that went off the air in 1987. It pitted students from various universities competing academically. I'm sure they picked their brightest. They could have been diverse in race, but that would have been a coincidence. in 2019, the US tied for first with China against other countries in a math competition. It just so happened that the US team consisted of six young men, five of whom were US born Asian-Americans. Had the US team gone all in on diversity they may not have won
The diversity in our military unit could be likened to a puzzle. Each puzzle piece was different, some pieces working together to solve the puzzle while other puzzle pieces did not fit in certain areas. You can’t force two pieces together that are not meant to be! Managed correctly, however, a 1000-piece puzzle will be solved when all one thousand pieces are used correctly. Diversity in thinking or talent is the best diversity. For example, the College Bowl contestants had four members per team, each with an academic specialty.
Certainly, diversity alone doesn’t solve anything! Just look at the waste of time called the United Nations. With 193 diverse countries, there are numerous lifestyles, religions, philosophies, types of governments, and personalities. The UN is the very icon of diversity. But it doesn’t work! Now look at the US Congress. People from different states ranging from right wing to left wing, working together supposedly, to make this a better country. But it doesn’t seem to work…given their miserably low success rate and putrid favorability rating.
Diversity can work and should be considered, but you cannot ‘make’ it work. It only works when there is a common goal with various ideas and methods to reach that goal. We must admit that diversity, while sometimes responsible for great insight and success, can also bring adversity. We must be a meritocracy to move forward at a greater speed and success. The best basketball team is not the most diverse. The fastest horse in a race will be a thoroughbred, not a Clydesdale. But a Clydesdale has its own contributions. Hitching a thoroughbred with a Clydesdale to pull a load would not be using diversity wisely.
The chant of diversity has become a symbol of political and social differences. Diversity has its place in society, but not as a cry for equity but a cry for success. Equity would be giving Clydesdale a furlong lead (I am guessing) so it could win half the races. That’s not right. Nor should a thoroughbred be expected pull the same weight as a Clydesdale. That is not what real diversity is meant to do. Real diversity is reaching success with a conglomeration of people doing what they do best as a cooperating team!
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