For years, progressives have insisted that corporations place left-wing goals ahead of core business interests. It turns out that this pursuit of utopia produces negative results that even exceed the expected costs—and those in C-suites would do well to take note before offended customers, and shareholders, hold them to account.
It was always obvious that establishing “DEI” (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) positions for those of particular races and newly-redefined genders, prioritizing “diversity” goals over neutral tests of competence, and making cash investments with no foreseeable return were a disservice to investors. But these were expected, even demanded, by activists offering blithe assurances of miraculous benefits that would supposedly make it all worthwhile.
These demands also came, of course, with an unmistakable undertone of "Nice little business you got here. It would be a shame if something were to happen to it." It has been a massive corporate shakedown—and nothing more than that, producing near-universal harm to companies and their owners.
Consider Robert Kraft, creator of the Kraft Group and the owner who revitalized the New England Patriots. As a committed Jew, he also founded the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism in 2019, which created the hashtag #StandUpToJewishHate and the blue square logo.
Due to his sympathy for the persecuted, it is understandable that Kraft and his Patriots wanted to respond to the George Floyd protests, as well. He should, nonetheless, have seen the writing on the wall.
It was clear from the outset that the leaders of “Black Lives Matter” (BLM) organizations were viciously antisemitic, with one even claiming that humanity is “doomed” if Jews are permitted self-determination. But when the Kraft Family/Patriots Player Collaborative Fund pledged a large sum to fight “systemic racism,” it was accompanied by a tweet and video messages from the Patriots and players promoting the “Black Lives Matter” slogan and the groups behind it.
One can only imagine how Kraft felt to witness the celebratory response of these same Black Lives Matter organizations to the slaughter of Jews by Hamas terrorists last October 7. BLM Grassroots claimed to stand with the “Palestinian people” and characterized the beheading of Jewish babies as “self-defense.” One branch, BLM Chicago, even tweeted out a graphic of a Hamas paraglider, of the sort that descended upon the Nova festival to butcher the pro-peace revelers for being Jews.
Over five years ago, my colleague Rabbi Dov Fischer wrote that he had given up on the NFL. Before October 7, even before George Floyd and BLM, Colin Kaepernick was taking a knee, spitting on the American flag so valued by those financing his over $50 million in earnings. Other players soon joined him, while team owners refused to demand basic decorum and respect. That’s when the NFL lost a life-long fan in Rabbi Fischer—and likely many others who never wrote about it.
The Patriots alienated thousands of fans by supporting the players who denigrated the flag, and by supporting an antisemitic movement that rejoices in the killing of Jews. Surely Kraft regrets that now, but how is he going to repair his team’s relationship with those fans?
Or consider Patagonia, which, in pursuit of environmental causes, contributed generously to the Alliance for Global Justice (AfGP). Patagonia denied knowing that AfGP was in turn funding Samidoun, a group known to Israel as a subsidiary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terror organization. When not financing hijackings and murder in the Middle East, PFLP, through Samidoun, also helped organize the antisemitic protests and encampments now plaguing campuses across America.
So Patagonia, which declares its aversion for discrimination of any kind, helped fund the murder of Israelis and efforts to drive Jews out of American academia. How did this enhance Patagonia’s business, or its relationship with investors and consumers? Did the encampers line up to buy Patagonia sleeping bags?
And then there's Tractor Supply, a national home improvement and agriculture chain based in Tennessee. One wonders how much pressure it took before the firm agreed to emphasize “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) and fighting climate change over selling good products at a good price.
Following an entirely-predictable backlash, the company backtracked. It announced that it will eliminate all DEI positions and, notably, stop sharing data with Human Rights Campaign, a non-profit that pushes for hiring LGBTQ+ individuals regardless of qualifications. And now it finds itself targeted by its erstwhile allies.
Tractor Supply has faced extraordinary criticism because it didn’t merely bow to the left before backing away. Rather, it loudly proclaimed its allegiance to the woke agenda, declaring that failing to cut emissions or hire more DEI-approved candidates would pose a “significant threat to its business.” And then, later, it realized that its job was to “ensure our activities and giving tie directly to our business.” Agitators correctly took this as a direct repudiation of the left-wing agenda Tractor Supply once heartily endorsed, and are apoplectic that the company now acknowledges their emperor had no clothes.
The hypocrisy is blatant. Americans realize that diversity is great, but DEI, with its emphasis on dividing people into racial and ethnic boxes, is not. So Tractor Supply is staying with its new, truly race-blind approach, and companies like John Deere and even Microsoft are following suit.
The best approach, then, is to dispense with DEI, antisemitic, and anti-American policies, activities, and investments as quickly and quietly as possible. Companies should follow the model of Jonathan Isaac, instead. Despite missing nearly three full seasons due to injuries, Isaac was recently offered, and accepted, a five year contract extension with the Orlando Magic—for $84 million.
As much as he is a fantastic defender on the court, Isaac also distinguished himself by refusing to take a knee, meaning he never alienated fans like Rabbi Fischer. It turns out that fans would rather watch players they admire for more than their skills, which is why Isaac is celebrated while Kopernick made himself “toxic” to the NFL.
Corporate support for charity and opposition to discrimination are laudable, of course—when funds are given to causes all support, and the aims are truly color-blind. There are poor children that need a good meal, schools that need textbooks, and diseases that need cures. And, of course, all job candidates deserve an equal shot for hiring and promotion based upon their skills and talents alone. It’s not hard, then, for corporate offices to reject partisan, political agendas—much less for causes that many Americans find offensive, even evil—that will only harm the bottom line.
Rabbi Yaakov Menken is managing director of the Coalition for Jewish Values.