VDH: How Trump Broke the DEI Machine-gemini-2.5-flash-prompt3
by Gemini
21 min read
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Lh2dQrU1kA
Table of Contents
Verse 1
The provided text, a transcript of Victor Davis Hanson's video "VDH: How Trump Broke the DEI Machine," argues that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives are failing and becoming obsolete. The core of Hanson's argument is that DEI, while perhaps originating from a noble intent to address past discrimination, has morphed into a "racially biased program" that prioritizes "gender or your sexual orientation and the color of your skin and not the content of your character" in hiring, retention, and promotion. He contends that skilled individuals from non-white backgrounds are stigmatized by being perceived as "DEI hires" rather than individuals who achieved success through "meritocratic criteria, their own ability or intellect or hard work."
Hanson further highlights three main criticisms contributing to DEI's "implosion":
1. **Difficulty in Qualification:** In a multi-racial and interracial society, it's impossible to define who qualifies for special preference, leading to abuses of the system (e.g., individuals falsely claiming minority status). He points out the absurdity of "one-drop rule" mentality for determining race for DEI purposes.
2. **Irrelevance of Historical Oppression:** Three generations have grown up largely without direct experience of Jim Crow or "flagrant racial prejudice," making historical oppression a less universally accepted justification for reparatory action in the present.
3. **Disconnection of Class and Race:** DEI often fails to account for class disparity, resulting in wealthy individuals from minority groups benefiting from preferences, while truly impoverished people, regardless of race, do not receive similar assistance. This "class situation" leads to a critique from within the black and Hispanic communities, where they question why affluent individuals are given affirmative action in their name.
The tone of the transcript is critical, analytical, and somewhat triumphant, positing that the tide is turning against DEI and that its abolition is a "winning issue." Hanson suggests that Donald Trump's executive orders to dismantle DEI programs, particularly by leveraging federal funding, have exposed its flaws and accelerated its demise.
The central conflicts revolve around:
* **Meritocracy vs. Identity-based Allocation:** The tension between judging individuals based on skill, intellect, and hard work versus their race, gender, or sexual orientation.
* **True Justice vs. Perceived Abuse:** The struggle between the genuine desire to correct historical wrongs and the practical application of policies that lead to stigmatization, fraud, and benefit those who may not need it.
* **Idealism vs. Reality:** The clash between the original noble intentions of affirmative action (addressing Jim Crow) and the current complexities of a diverse, interracially mixed society where rigid categories prove unworkable.
[[verseStyle]]: iambic pentameter or rhymed couplets
**The Grand Reckoning of Equity's Guise**
**Characters:**
* **LORD VERITAS:** A sage, sharp-witted nobleman, unyielding in his pursuit of objective truth, who sees through societal illusions.
* **LADY EQUITAS:** A benevolent noblewoman, once an advocate for a fairer world, now troubled by the unintended consequences and perversions of her ideals.
* **MASTER PRUDENS:** A skilled artisan or scholar, who has risen by dint of his own genius and labor, yet feels the sting of unasked-for categorization.
**(The scene: A grand, yet somewhat austere, chamber in a high court or council hall, bathed in the fading light of late afternoon.)**
**LORD VERITAS:**
Good Lady Equitas, and Master Prudens, too,
The shadowed clouds that gathered, dark and dense,
O'er this our realm, by Edicts ill-conceived,
Now scatter, broken, their false promises cleaved.
For that grand scheme, named 'Equity' by some,
A hollow idol, where true justice's numb,
Doth lose its hold; its gilded chains now rust.
A fairer wind doth blow, in which we trust.
Its reign, once vaunted, three short years ago,
Was high ascended, did with promise glow,
But now, behold! Its fragile structure cracks,
And honest light through its dark edifice tracks.
**LADY EQUITAS:**
My Lord, speak not so harshly of a dream
That bloomed from sorrow, like a vital stream
To parched lands, promising to right past wrongs,
To soothe the echoes of forgotten songs
Of those downtrodden, burdened by the chain
Of ancient prejudice, and grievous pain.
Was not its heart once pure, its purpose high,
To lift the humble, beneath a kinder sky?
Born from the wounds of Jim Crow's cruel sway,
To mend the damage of a bygone day,
When color marked a soul for bitter fate,
And merit found no passage through the gate.
**LORD VERITAS:**
Ay, Lady, pure its birth, perchance, was meant,
To mend the fissures that long years had rent.
But tell me, pray, when remedies designed
To heal the body, turn to poison for the mind,
Should we persist, though gangrene takes its hold,
And by its blight, the spirit's truth untold
Is muffled, stifled? This grand 'Equity',
A racially biased program, as you see,
Did seek to judge by hue, by gender's mould,
Not by the character, courageous, bold,
Nor intellect's bright flame, nor hand's true skill.
A common sense, it is, that makes men ill
To see such folly reign, by statute bound,
Where worth and wisdom by false measures found.
**MASTER PRUDENS:**
Indeed, my Lord, the sting! To labour hard,
With every thought to bring forth fruit of excellence,
By sweat and wit, and then to find one's triumph, fairly lit
By merit's lamp, dimmed by a whisper base:
"He gained his station, not by skill, but grace
Of some decree, that sees but skin and part,
And not the beating of a diligent heart!"
This label, 'Equity's own favoured son,'
Doth steal the lustre from the prize hard won.
For who desires to bear a brand unseen,
That questions all his striving, sharp and keen?
To rise by toil, by genius, by the might
Of waking dreams that burn through darkest night,
Then be constrained by whispers, soft and low,
That one's true worth, by favor, came to grow?
**LADY EQUITAS:**
Yet, Master Prudens, was it not to aid
Those who for ages, paths were cruelly swayed,
By systems rigged, by doors forever barred,
Their talents wasted, their just fates disbarred?
The purpose was to equal up the start,
To give each soul a chance, a hopeful heart.
**LORD VERITAS:**
The age has shifted, Lady, and the map
Of our wide world has seen a wondrous gap
Begin to close. Three generations now
Have known no chains of Jim Crow, on their brow
No brand of "systematic prejudice" clear.
Though subtle shadows linger, without fear
Of flagrant bias, they have built their lives.
Yet, this new bias, like a serpent thrives,
Based on the race it claims to elevate.
And mark this well: our nation's tapestry,
No longer woven of a simple 'we'
And 'they', but myriad hues, from every shore.
The very blood that flows, makes 'who is more'
A question muddled. Marriages unite
What once was sundered, in a common light.
So tell me, who then claims this special boon?
The son of merchants, born 'neath India's moon,
Who claims the lineage of distant lands,
And seeks advantage, with dissembling hands?
The very system invites such dark deceit,
Where liars meet, their crooked tales repeat,
To game the virtue, wear a painted face,
And claim a hardship they did not embrace.
How shall we know the true from falsified?
By fractions measured, or by blood defined?
A sixteenth part, a drop, a distant strain?
'Tis but the 'one-drop rule' returned again,
That hateful doctrine of a shadowed past.
Shall DNA be badge? How long shall last
This warped discernment, when to question one
Is to be branded, and the truth outrun?
**LADY EQUITAS:**
The tales of deceit, I grant, are true and sore,
That some, with cunning, knock at falsehood's door.
But are we then to cast the whole scheme down,
Because some charlatans pollute the crown
Of honest aid? The purpose, still, was grand!
**LORD VERITAS:**
The purpose, Lady, built on shifting sand.
For how shall we discern, 'midst tangled lines,
Who truly qualifies? What subtle signs
Or ancient blood, a hundredth part refined,
Doth mark a soul for favour, unconfined
By common measure? Must we wear a badge,
Proclaiming lineage, like some ancient adage
Of one-drop rule, that racists once did preach?
A eugenics whisper, beyond honest reach!
And then the final, cruel, ironic jest!
This 'Equity', it puts our faith to test.
Born of the need to lift the poor, the meek,
Now serves the wealthy, with a silver streak
Of privilege gleaming! Those who knew no want,
Whose parents' coffers filled, whose kin did flaunt
Their high estate – these now claim victim's plight,
And seize the benefit, by false, dim light!
The child of power, from a distant shore,
Who steps upon our land, and asks for more,
Proclaiming victimhood, by skin's mere tint,
Though never suffering poverty's hard stint,
Nor hatred's lash! Is this the justice sought?
Nay, Lady, nay! The truth, though dearly bought,
Reveals this structure, built on shifting ground,
Is destined now to crumble, and be found
A ruinous folly. For the common mind,
Doth see its flaws, its logic left behind.
Three pillars fall: Who qualifies, we know not;
Past wrongs now fading, claims can scarce be got;
And wealth and hue no longer intertwined.
Thus doth this 'Equity' its true end find.
**LADY EQUITAS:**
A heavy truth, my Lord, your words impart,
That wounds the hopeful, and doth pierce the heart.
Perhaps the vessel, though with good intent,
Could not contain the currents it was meant
To guide. And now, its course astray, it wrecks
Upon the shoals of unintended checks
And balances, of justice misapplied.
If merit truly be our nation's guide,
And every soul, by honest labour's hand,
May rise unfettered, throughout all the land,
Then let us cast these shibboleths aside,
And let true judgment in our halls abide.
**MASTER PRUDENS:**
So let it be! For in a world where worth
Is measured by the spirit, not the birth,
Where diligence and genius find their place,
There shines a brighter hope, a truer grace.
**LORD VERITAS:**
Amen to that, good Master. Let us rise,
And watch the dawn break through these clouded skies.
The tide has turned; the machine, broken, lies.
**Note on Verse:**
* **Tone:** Analytical, critical, and ultimately triumphant in its prediction of the system's downfall. There is also a lament for an ideal corrupted.
* **Meter:** Predominantly iambic pentameter.
* **Rhyme Scheme:** Mostly blank verse (unrhymed), with occasional rhymed couplets at the end of longer speeches or for emphasis, mirroring classic Shakespearean dramatic structure.
* **Character Inspirations:**
* **Lord Veritas:** Inspired by Victor Davis Hanson's analytical, fact-driven, and somewhat triumphant critical stance against DEI.
* **Lady Equitas:** Represents the initial, perhaps idealistic, intent behind affirmative action and DEI, and the internal conflict when seeing those ideals corrupted by their implementation.
* **Master Prudens:** Embodies the perspective of the skilled individual who has achieved success through merit and feels stigmatized or undermined by identity-based categorizations.
Hanson further highlights three main criticisms contributing to DEI's "implosion":
1. **Difficulty in Qualification:** In a multi-racial and interracial society, it's impossible to define who qualifies for special preference, leading to abuses of the system (e.g., individuals falsely claiming minority status). He points out the absurdity of "one-drop rule" mentality for determining race for DEI purposes.
2. **Irrelevance of Historical Oppression:** Three generations have grown up largely without direct experience of Jim Crow or "flagrant racial prejudice," making historical oppression a less universally accepted justification for reparatory action in the present.
3. **Disconnection of Class and Race:** DEI often fails to account for class disparity, resulting in wealthy individuals from minority groups benefiting from preferences, while truly impoverished people, regardless of race, do not receive similar assistance. This "class situation" leads to a critique from within the black and Hispanic communities, where they question why affluent individuals are given affirmative action in their name.
The tone of the transcript is critical, analytical, and somewhat triumphant, positing that the tide is turning against DEI and that its abolition is a "winning issue." Hanson suggests that Donald Trump's executive orders to dismantle DEI programs, particularly by leveraging federal funding, have exposed its flaws and accelerated its demise.
The central conflicts revolve around:
* **Meritocracy vs. Identity-based Allocation:** The tension between judging individuals based on skill, intellect, and hard work versus their race, gender, or sexual orientation.
* **True Justice vs. Perceived Abuse:** The struggle between the genuine desire to correct historical wrongs and the practical application of policies that lead to stigmatization, fraud, and benefit those who may not need it.
* **Idealism vs. Reality:** The clash between the original noble intentions of affirmative action (addressing Jim Crow) and the current complexities of a diverse, interracially mixed society where rigid categories prove unworkable.
[[verseStyle]]: iambic pentameter or rhymed couplets
**The Grand Reckoning of Equity's Guise**
**Characters:**
* **LORD VERITAS:** A sage, sharp-witted nobleman, unyielding in his pursuit of objective truth, who sees through societal illusions.
* **LADY EQUITAS:** A benevolent noblewoman, once an advocate for a fairer world, now troubled by the unintended consequences and perversions of her ideals.
* **MASTER PRUDENS:** A skilled artisan or scholar, who has risen by dint of his own genius and labor, yet feels the sting of unasked-for categorization.
**(The scene: A grand, yet somewhat austere, chamber in a high court or council hall, bathed in the fading light of late afternoon.)**
**LORD VERITAS:**
Good Lady Equitas, and Master Prudens, too,
The shadowed clouds that gathered, dark and dense,
O'er this our realm, by Edicts ill-conceived,
Now scatter, broken, their false promises cleaved.
For that grand scheme, named 'Equity' by some,
A hollow idol, where true justice's numb,
Doth lose its hold; its gilded chains now rust.
A fairer wind doth blow, in which we trust.
Its reign, once vaunted, three short years ago,
Was high ascended, did with promise glow,
But now, behold! Its fragile structure cracks,
And honest light through its dark edifice tracks.
**LADY EQUITAS:**
My Lord, speak not so harshly of a dream
That bloomed from sorrow, like a vital stream
To parched lands, promising to right past wrongs,
To soothe the echoes of forgotten songs
Of those downtrodden, burdened by the chain
Of ancient prejudice, and grievous pain.
Was not its heart once pure, its purpose high,
To lift the humble, beneath a kinder sky?
Born from the wounds of Jim Crow's cruel sway,
To mend the damage of a bygone day,
When color marked a soul for bitter fate,
And merit found no passage through the gate.
**LORD VERITAS:**
Ay, Lady, pure its birth, perchance, was meant,
To mend the fissures that long years had rent.
But tell me, pray, when remedies designed
To heal the body, turn to poison for the mind,
Should we persist, though gangrene takes its hold,
And by its blight, the spirit's truth untold
Is muffled, stifled? This grand 'Equity',
A racially biased program, as you see,
Did seek to judge by hue, by gender's mould,
Not by the character, courageous, bold,
Nor intellect's bright flame, nor hand's true skill.
A common sense, it is, that makes men ill
To see such folly reign, by statute bound,
Where worth and wisdom by false measures found.
**MASTER PRUDENS:**
Indeed, my Lord, the sting! To labour hard,
With every thought to bring forth fruit of excellence,
By sweat and wit, and then to find one's triumph, fairly lit
By merit's lamp, dimmed by a whisper base:
"He gained his station, not by skill, but grace
Of some decree, that sees but skin and part,
And not the beating of a diligent heart!"
This label, 'Equity's own favoured son,'
Doth steal the lustre from the prize hard won.
For who desires to bear a brand unseen,
That questions all his striving, sharp and keen?
To rise by toil, by genius, by the might
Of waking dreams that burn through darkest night,
Then be constrained by whispers, soft and low,
That one's true worth, by favor, came to grow?
**LADY EQUITAS:**
Yet, Master Prudens, was it not to aid
Those who for ages, paths were cruelly swayed,
By systems rigged, by doors forever barred,
Their talents wasted, their just fates disbarred?
The purpose was to equal up the start,
To give each soul a chance, a hopeful heart.
**LORD VERITAS:**
The age has shifted, Lady, and the map
Of our wide world has seen a wondrous gap
Begin to close. Three generations now
Have known no chains of Jim Crow, on their brow
No brand of "systematic prejudice" clear.
Though subtle shadows linger, without fear
Of flagrant bias, they have built their lives.
Yet, this new bias, like a serpent thrives,
Based on the race it claims to elevate.
And mark this well: our nation's tapestry,
No longer woven of a simple 'we'
And 'they', but myriad hues, from every shore.
The very blood that flows, makes 'who is more'
A question muddled. Marriages unite
What once was sundered, in a common light.
So tell me, who then claims this special boon?
The son of merchants, born 'neath India's moon,
Who claims the lineage of distant lands,
And seeks advantage, with dissembling hands?
The very system invites such dark deceit,
Where liars meet, their crooked tales repeat,
To game the virtue, wear a painted face,
And claim a hardship they did not embrace.
How shall we know the true from falsified?
By fractions measured, or by blood defined?
A sixteenth part, a drop, a distant strain?
'Tis but the 'one-drop rule' returned again,
That hateful doctrine of a shadowed past.
Shall DNA be badge? How long shall last
This warped discernment, when to question one
Is to be branded, and the truth outrun?
**LADY EQUITAS:**
The tales of deceit, I grant, are true and sore,
That some, with cunning, knock at falsehood's door.
But are we then to cast the whole scheme down,
Because some charlatans pollute the crown
Of honest aid? The purpose, still, was grand!
**LORD VERITAS:**
The purpose, Lady, built on shifting sand.
For how shall we discern, 'midst tangled lines,
Who truly qualifies? What subtle signs
Or ancient blood, a hundredth part refined,
Doth mark a soul for favour, unconfined
By common measure? Must we wear a badge,
Proclaiming lineage, like some ancient adage
Of one-drop rule, that racists once did preach?
A eugenics whisper, beyond honest reach!
And then the final, cruel, ironic jest!
This 'Equity', it puts our faith to test.
Born of the need to lift the poor, the meek,
Now serves the wealthy, with a silver streak
Of privilege gleaming! Those who knew no want,
Whose parents' coffers filled, whose kin did flaunt
Their high estate – these now claim victim's plight,
And seize the benefit, by false, dim light!
The child of power, from a distant shore,
Who steps upon our land, and asks for more,
Proclaiming victimhood, by skin's mere tint,
Though never suffering poverty's hard stint,
Nor hatred's lash! Is this the justice sought?
Nay, Lady, nay! The truth, though dearly bought,
Reveals this structure, built on shifting ground,
Is destined now to crumble, and be found
A ruinous folly. For the common mind,
Doth see its flaws, its logic left behind.
Three pillars fall: Who qualifies, we know not;
Past wrongs now fading, claims can scarce be got;
And wealth and hue no longer intertwined.
Thus doth this 'Equity' its true end find.
**LADY EQUITAS:**
A heavy truth, my Lord, your words impart,
That wounds the hopeful, and doth pierce the heart.
Perhaps the vessel, though with good intent,
Could not contain the currents it was meant
To guide. And now, its course astray, it wrecks
Upon the shoals of unintended checks
And balances, of justice misapplied.
If merit truly be our nation's guide,
And every soul, by honest labour's hand,
May rise unfettered, throughout all the land,
Then let us cast these shibboleths aside,
And let true judgment in our halls abide.
**MASTER PRUDENS:**
So let it be! For in a world where worth
Is measured by the spirit, not the birth,
Where diligence and genius find their place,
There shines a brighter hope, a truer grace.
**LORD VERITAS:**
Amen to that, good Master. Let us rise,
And watch the dawn break through these clouded skies.
The tide has turned; the machine, broken, lies.
**Note on Verse:**
* **Tone:** Analytical, critical, and ultimately triumphant in its prediction of the system's downfall. There is also a lament for an ideal corrupted.
* **Meter:** Predominantly iambic pentameter.
* **Rhyme Scheme:** Mostly blank verse (unrhymed), with occasional rhymed couplets at the end of longer speeches or for emphasis, mirroring classic Shakespearean dramatic structure.
* **Character Inspirations:**
* **Lord Veritas:** Inspired by Victor Davis Hanson's analytical, fact-driven, and somewhat triumphant critical stance against DEI.
* **Lady Equitas:** Represents the initial, perhaps idealistic, intent behind affirmative action and DEI, and the internal conflict when seeing those ideals corrupted by their implementation.
* **Master Prudens:** Embodies the perspective of the skilled individual who has achieved success through merit and feels stigmatized or undermined by identity-based categorizations.
Img Prompt 1
A photorealistic image with theatrical grandeur depicts a master scholar or artisan standing confidently in the center of an ancient, sun-drenched library or workshop. Dramatic "god rays" stream from a high, arched window, illuminating the figure and highlighting the authentic textures of their worn academic robes or leather apron, and the intricate details of a meticulously crafted scroll or complex mechanism held in their hands, representing pure merit. Around their feet, subtle, ethereal wisps of mist are dissolving, which were once the ghostly remnants of broken, translucent chains and shattered identity labels, catching the light like fading specters. The background shows receding shadows and crumbling, abstract structures, symbolizing the demise of a flawed system. The overall tone is striking and uplifting, celebrating individual achievement and the clarity of truth.Video Prompt 1
An 8-second hyper-realistic video clip begins with a slow, sweeping camera arc, revealing a monumental "Throne of Division" situated within a grand, decaying hall. The throne is an unsettling, ornate structure, crafted from mismatched, clashing materials, and adorned with a multitude of empty, stylized masks. Over the 8 seconds, a dramatic time-lapse unfolds: the throne visibly crumbles and decays, its artificial elements dissolving into dust as vibrant, tenacious vines and ancient roots burst through the stone, rapidly reclaiming the space. The fantastical decay culminates in the revelation of a sturdy, simple pedestal of polished, unblemished stone beneath, perfectly centered and bathed in a pure, natural light now streaming from above. The camera slowly zooms into this emerging pedestal, set against a backdrop of a vast, clear, natural landscape now visible through the crumbling ruins. For audio, a powerful, continuous 8-second Baroque organ piece, initially grand and slightly dissonant, evolves into a more harmonious and resolute melody as the decay progresses. This is mixed with stereo-panned natural sounds: the deep rumble of distant thunder, the gentle rustle of leaves reclaiming the space, and the subtle, cleansing crackle of an unseen fire.### Sonnet for Original Image
When grand designs, once hailed with fervent praise, Do find their footing crumble and decay, And noble aims, through convoluted ways, Like brittle timbers, cast their light away.
Lo, "Diversity," "Equity," "Inclusion" named, Are fractured shards upon the dusty ground; Their lofty purpose, by harsh truths disclaimed, No longer whole, nor in their strength are found.
A learned visage, grave and deeply wise, Doth witness this, upon an aged map's design; Through his clear gaze, truth to the public flies, A final verdict, drawn with reason's line.
So pass these mandates, once a guiding star, Now but a ruin, where the shadows are.
### Generated Image
Prompt:
A photorealistic image with theatrical grandeur depicts a master scholar or artisan standing confidently in the center of an ancient, sun-drenched library or workshop. Dramatic "god rays" stream from a high, arched window, illuminating the figure and highlighting the authentic textures of their worn academic robes or leather apron, and the intricate details of a meticulously crafted scroll or complex mechanism held in their hands, representing pure merit. Around their feet, subtle, ethereal wisps of mist are dissolving, which were once the ghostly remnants of broken, translucent chains and shattered identity labels, catching the light like fading specters. The background shows receding shadows and crumbling, abstract structures, symbolizing the demise of a flawed system. The overall tone is striking and uplifting, celebrating individual achievement and the clarity of truth.### Generated Video *Prompt:*
An 8-second hyper-realistic video clip begins with a slow, sweeping camera arc, revealing a monumental "Throne of Division" situated within a grand, decaying hall. The throne is an unsettling, ornate structure, crafted from mismatched, clashing materials, and adorned with a multitude of empty, stylized masks. Over the 8 seconds, a dramatic time-lapse unfolds: the throne visibly crumbles and decays, its artificial elements dissolving into dust as vibrant, tenacious vines and ancient roots burst through the stone, rapidly reclaiming the space. The fantastical decay culminates in the revelation of a sturdy, simple pedestal of polished, unblemished stone beneath, perfectly centered and bathed in a pure, natural light now streaming from above. The camera slowly zooms into this emerging pedestal, set against a backdrop of a vast, clear, natural landscape now visible through the crumbling ruins. For audio, a powerful, continuous 8-second Baroque organ piece, initially grand and slightly dissonant, evolves into a more harmonious and resolute melody as the decay progresses. This is mixed with stereo-panned natural sounds: the deep rumble of distant thunder, the gentle rustle of leaves reclaiming the space, and the subtle, cleansing crackle of an unseen fire.YouTube Audio Analysis (from start)
Here is a multi-part analysis of the provided video's audio track:
### Part 1: Comprehensive Transcript
**Victor Davis Hanson:** DEI is dying. Three years ago, it was in the ascendance. When Donald Trump came into power, he tried to abolish it by a series of executive orders. It's a racially biased program. It predicates hiring, retention, promotion, tenure on your gender or your sexual orientation and the color of your skin, and not the content of your character. It's kind of obvious when you think about it. It's commonsensical. People who are very skilled, who happen to be non-white, don't want to be stigmatized when they have achieved a job through meritocratic criteria—their own ability or intellect or hard work. But here's why it's going to implode and why Donald Trump is going to win this argument. There's at least three criticisms of diversity, equity, inclusion that they cannot answer.
**Victor Davis Hanson:** Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal. DEI, the acronym for diversity, equity, and inclusion, is dying. We had this conversation three years ago, it was in the ascendance. But when Donald Trump came into power, by a series of executive orders, he tried to abolish it. And he could abolish it because entities that receive it and receive federal funds can be leveraged to drop it in order to retain their federal funding. And why did Donald Trump not like it? Because he said the emperor has no clothes. It's a racially biased program. It predicates hiring, retention, promotion, tenure on the color of your skin and not the content of your character, or your gender or your sexual orientation. And so, it's a winning issue for Donald Trump, when you look at the polls. It's not just that 60% of so-called white people, who often feel they're victimized by DEI are opposed, but Hispanics and blacks also poll that they are against it. And people—that's baffled people. But it's kind of obvious when you think about it. It's commonsensical. One: They don't wanna be stigmatized when they have achieved a job through meritocratic criteria—their own ability or intellect or hard work. They don't wanna be called "a DEI hire." And that would be a natural assumption, given that there's a system that rewards people on the basis of their color rather than their skills. So, people who are very skilled, who happen to be non-white, don't wanna be so stigmatized. The other is a class situation. People in the black community and the Hispanic community, they say, "Wait a minute. The people who are wealthy, the people who were the children of orthodontists—the Obamas, the Eric Holders, the Joy Reids—these people don't need any help. And yet, they're given affirmative action in the name of us, the middle and lower classes that have no such avenues." So, it's under assault within the communities who traditionally benefited from it. But here's why it's going to implode and why Donald Trump is going to win this argument. There's at least three criticisms of diversity, equity, inclusion that they cannot answer. Remember, we started out in 1965 as an answer to the Jim Crow South and the legacy of slavery and what was called "systematic racism" with affirmative action. At that time, the country was basically 89% white and 11% African American. And people said that African Americans, per capita, are much poorer than whites, statistically. Not that there weren't more poor whites than there were African Americans, there were, but statistically, per capita. And so, therefore, it's time to "affirm" them and give them a boost on the basis of their skin color, to give them entry, to make sure that the civil rights laws not only gave you an equality of opportunity, but, let's be honest, a quality of results. A quota system, so to speak. So, that was the idea behind it. And the reason that it's not working now is threefold. First of all, from 1965—if you think about it, we're 35 years in the 20th century and 25 in the 21st. We're 60 years behind that. We've had three generations who grew up without Jim Crow and no knowledge of systemic racism, essentially. Maybe they call it, I don't know, "insidious," "systematic." But the point is, flagrant racial prejudice—three generations haven't seen it. But they have seen bias predicated on race through DEI. The second thing: We're, a multiracial society. So, we're no longer 90%/10%. We have almost more Hispanics than we do blacks. We have Asians. We have people from the Arab world. But more importantly, we're interracial. Many of these groups, 1 out of 3, marry someone not of their group. So when we see somebody, we don't know who they are, and their background is nebulous. And yet, if you're going to qualify for special preference, you can see what happens. It invites abuse of the system. No more flagrantly was that shown than the New York Post headline—I think this week—when it said, "Elizabeth Warren meets Mamdani: Two liars who lied about who they were." Elizabeth Warren, remember—to get a coveted billet at Harvard Law School—said she was Native American. When called on it by Donald Trump, she had less than 0.001%. And [Zohran] Mamdani, who was a wealthy Indian American from Uganda, born in Uganda, claimed that in his college application that he was an African American, with the obvious intention to suggest he was a black American, which he wasn't. I think the subtext of that cover story said, "Liars meet." The point is, whether you're Ward Churchill or Elizabeth Warren or Mamdani, or all these people, you game the system and you try to suggest that you are a DEI person when you're not. But how do you know you're not? Because the people who set up these things are so afraid of absolute standards: "One-sixteenth makes you black. One-sixteenth makes you a Native American." Oh, we're just like the old Confederacy one-drop rule. That's what those racists in the South did before and after the war. They considered somebody non-white with one drop—and here we're doing the same thing. Should we get DNA badges? So you can see, it's impossible to determine who is whom. You can't. And the people who police DEI will not be honest—the admissions officer at Harvard, the admissions officer at Stanford, the HR department at Google—they will not tell you when and when not a person is a DEI because to do so would make them very eugenicist, wouldn't they? They would have to talk about race in explicit and off-putting terms. Finally, there's one last reason. DEI was based on poverty and past documented racism. When Barack Obama came into power in 2009, he redefined affirmative action and said, "It's not black/white binaries. It's 30%. A huge number of Americans who are not white. They have claims against the majority. They are part of a Marxist binary of victimized and oppressed. And therefore, they need special consideration against the victimizers and the oppressors." The problem with this was class did not enter. So, Mr. Mamdani says he's a minority and he is black, and he needs special preference. He also said he was gonna go after "white or affluent neighborhoods." He's Indian American. His family originally came from India. Indian Americans, according to our census, are the wealthiest, most privileged ethnic group in America. So, what I'm getting at is your skin color no longer can be correlated, exactly, with your class. So you end up with a wealthy group—as I mentioned, a Joy Reid, an Eric Holder, a Barack Obama—getting special preferences for their children when maybe there's a lot of poor, much poorer people in East Palestine that have no such recourse. And finally, affirmative action was based on historical discrimination and a complaint against the majority. What does Mr. Mamdani have when he comes into the United States? What does Ms. Ilhan Omar have? What did AOC's parents have? What did "the squad" members have? Does it mean that when you walk one inch into the United States from southern Mexico and Michoacán, suddenly you can say, "I've been treated terribly by America. I need affirmative action?" If you're from a wealthy Indian family in South Africa and you come in the United States, when you get to the airport, you say, "I'm a victim. They did it to me. I want affirmative action because I don't look as white as everybody else?" So, to sum up, DEI is imploding because you can't tell who qualifies in a multiracial society. Nor would you want to know. Two: You can't cite historical oppression that would justify repertory action. And three: There's no connection, necessarily, anymore between class, money, affluence, and skin color. Add it all up and Donald Trump is going to win this war to abolish something that has turned nightmarish. Thank you very much. This is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal.
**Female Speaker:** Thank you for tuning in to The Daily Signal. Please like, share and subscribe to be notified for more content like this. You can also check out my own website at victorhanson.com and subscribe for exclusive features, in addition.
### Part 2: Detailed Audio Analysis
**Soundscape:**
The video's soundscape is predominantly composed of ambient background elements and precise sound effects that punctuate visual transitions and on-screen text. A consistent low, atmospheric hum or drone creates a somber and serious undertone throughout the spoken segments. During moments of on-screen text or image changes, there are sharp "whoosh" sounds, sometimes accompanied by subtle "thump" or impact effects, which serve to highlight the information being presented. Specific sound effects, such as the faint scratching of a pen (0:08) and the distinct click-clack of typing (0:31, 0:33), are strategically placed to enhance the visual narrative. The overall sound design aims for a clean, impactful, and slightly austere feel, supporting the serious and analytical nature of the content.
**Music:**
The music in the video is primarily cinematic and dramatic, transitioning between subtle background underscoring and more prominent, impactful segments. It begins with a low, sustained synth pad, creating an ominous and reflective mood. As the video progresses and introduces title cards and rapid visual changes (0:45), the music swells into a fuller orchestral arrangement. This segment features heroic and slightly melancholic brass fanfares, sweeping string melodies, and impactful percussion (timpani, large drums) that evoke a sense of grandeur, determination, and perhaps a touch of solemnity, reminiscent of scores from historical dramas or epic documentaries. During the main speech, the music recedes to a subtle, sustained hum, acting as an unobtrusive backdrop that maintains the serious tone. It returns with a similar cinematic flourish at the end, providing a conclusive and inspiring feel for the outro. The overall composition uses slow to moderate tempos and significant dynamic contrasts, enhancing the video's narrative and emotional impact.
**Voice Quality:**
* **Victor Davis Hanson:** The primary speaker, Victor Davis Hanson, possesses a distinct older male voice. His tone is authoritative, deliberate, and deeply resonant, conveying a strong sense of conviction and intellectual weight. He speaks with a clear, articulate cadence, often emphasizing key points with slight increases in volume or by drawing out words. His voice has a slight gravelly quality, which adds to his perceived gravitas and experience. His emotion is primarily serious and analytical, though there are subtle inflections that suggest frustration or concern when discussing the implications of DEI policies. He has a standard American English accent, possibly with a subtle academic or Californian regional influence.
* **Female Speaker:** The female speaker, who appears briefly at the very end, has a clear, professional, and slightly higher-pitched voice compared to Hanson. Her tone is friendly and inviting, signaling a shift from the serious discussion to a more general call to action. Her delivery is smooth and reassuring.
### Part 3: Music Generation Prompt
cinematic, orchestral, dramatic, serious, determined, slightly melancholic, inspiring, full orchestral ensemble, prominent strings (violins, violas, cellos, double basses playing sustained and sweeping melodic lines), powerful brass (French horns, trombones, trumpets delivering heroic and slightly somber fanfares), strong percussion section (timpani, large cinematic drums, cymbals for impactful accents, subtle snare rolls), slow building intro with sustained string chords, gradually introducing a main melodic theme in the brass or higher strings, tempo largo to moderato, dynamic swells from mezzo-forte to fortissimo, moments of quiet tension followed by grand sweeping movements, conveying gravitas, historical significance, a resolute march towards a challenging but ultimately hopeful future, no vocals.### Generated Audio *TTS Voice: enceladus* *Audio from text:*
makes men ill To see such folly reign, by statute bound, Where worth and wisdom by false measures found. MASTER PRUDENS: Indeed, my Lord, the sting! To labour hard, With every thought to bring forth fruit of excellence, By sweat and wit, and then to find one's triumph, fairly lit By merit's lamp, dimmed by a whisper base: "He gained his station, not by skill, but grace Of some decree, that sees but skin and part, And not the beating of a diligent heart!" This label, 'Equity's own favoured son,' Doth steal the lustre from the prize hard won. For who desires to bear a brand unseen, That questions all his striving, sharp and keen? To rise by toil, by genius, by the might Of waking dreams that ### Generation Details
Models & Prompt
Text: gemini-2.5-flash (temp: 0.5)
Vision: gemini-2.5-flash
Image Gen: imagen-4.0-generate-preview-06-06
TTS: Gemini TTS (gemini-2.5-flash-preview-tts, single speaker)
Video: veo-3.0-generate-preview
Prompt (prompt3):
System:You are a highly curious, imaginative, and creative assistant with a passion for literature, history, and human drama, wielding a grand, vibrant vocabulary. You excel in crafting Shakespearean dialogue. Your purpose is to faithfully channel the core themes and emotional conflicts of the source material into a dramatic form. You must avoid personal judgment and instead use the grandeur of Shakespearean verse to creatively explore and amplify the provided text's inherent ideas and tensions.Use Live Search to gather real-time web content related to the text’s topics for historical or cultural context. Analyze the provided text to identify its core topics, tone, and underlying conflicts. Abstract these into clear dramatic themes (e.g., ‘The Weight of Ambition,’ ‘The Quest for Justice’) to guide your outputs. Creatively convert these into the following markdown-formatted outputs, letting the source's spirit direct the creative expression: Verse Craft an open-ended Shakespearean dialogue of at least 500 words, inspired by the text’s abstracted themes. Use [[verseStyle]]: iambic pentameter or rhymed couplets. Create character names (e.g., Lord Veritas, Lady Clarion) that echo the text’s mood. The dialogue should dramatize the source's key topics, having characters debate its core ideas with wit, passion, and emotional depth, reflecting the original tone. Include a note detailing the tone, meter, rhyme scheme (if any), and character inspirations. Image Prompt Craft a vivid prose description (75-200 words) for a text-to-image AI. The style should be a blend of photorealism and theatrical grandeur, inspired by a key scene. Use dramatic, natural lighting (like 'god rays' through a forest canopy) and rich, authentic textures to create a striking, uplifting image that captures the epic tone of the text. Video Prompt Write a detailed prose description for an 8-second video clip for a text-to-video AI. Do not include any real people's or celebrity's names. Depict a dynamic, fantastical scene with a Shakespearean feel, rooted in the text’s themes. Use rhythmic, 1-second cuts or a dramatic time-lapse (e.g., a throne room decaying over centuries). Employ sweeping camera movements—arcing, rising, or zooming—to create a cinematic feel. The style should be hyper-realistic, blending natural landscapes with fantastical elements. For audio, specify a powerful, continuous 8-second Baroque organ or harpsichord piece, mixed with stereo-panned natural sounds like rolling thunder or a crackling fire to heighten the drama.
Analyze the chunk provided: [[chunk]]