Smug wokeness — but I repeat myself — might have finally caught up to Mark Cuban.
Sunday on the social media platform X, the billionaire partial owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks pontificated about the advantages of considering race and gender as part of his hiring decisions, prompting a rebuke from a federal employment commissioner and a bit of advice from a United States senator.
I’ve never hired anyone based exclusively on race, gender, religion.
I only ever hire the person that will put my business in the best position to succeed.
And yes, race and gender can be part of the equation. I view diversity as a competitive advantage
Now how would you… https://t.co/gxdtauMHtz
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) January 28, 2024
Like all woke tyrants — again, I repeat myself — Cuban defended actual discrimination. And he did it with the full sanction of his own conscience.
“I’ve never hired anyone based exclusively on race, gender, religion. I only ever hire the person that will put my business in the best position to succeed,” Cuban posted in part.
Funny how, in Cuban’s context, the word “exclusively” often precedes an admission that the reader will find reprehensible.
Sure enough, Cuban did not disappoint.
“And yes, race and gender can be part of the equation. I view diversity as a competitive advantage,” he added.
Should the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigate Mark Cuban?
How nauseatingly preachy and tone-deaf billionaires sound when they tout “diversity” as a strength.
In fact, if Cuban believes as much, why not sell his businesses and give his money to marginalized people? Why does “diversity” only apply to the masses?
Happily, the insufferable billionaire might have set the stage for his own comeuppance.
Cuban’s post caught the attention of Andrea R. Lucas, Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Lucas then corrected Cuban’s interpretation of permissible hiring practices.
“@mcuban, EEOC Commissioner here. Unfortunately you’re dead wrong on black-letter Title VII law,” she wrote.
Oops.
“As a general rule, race/sex can’t even be a ‘motivating factor’ — nor a plus factor, tie-breaker, or tipping point. It’s important employers understand the ground rules here,” she added.
@mcuban, EEOC Commissioner here. Unfortunately you’re dead wrong on black-letter Title VII law. As a general rule, race/sex can’t even be a “motivating factor”—nor a plus factor, tie-breaker, or tipping point. It’s important employers understand the ground rules here.
— Andrea R. Lucas (@andrealucasEEOC) January 29, 2024
That prompted a comment from Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri: “[C]all your lawyer.”
.@mcuban call your lawyer. https://t.co/BMbhFI22JV
— Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) January 29, 2024
It also prompted a fair amount of mockery from other prominent social media users.
For instance, ZNO — an account with more than 26,000 followers — turned the tables on the preening woke billionaire.
“Hey, @mcuban, it seems you’re in violation of federal law. What now? You racist,” ZNO posted.
Hey, @mcuban, it seems you’re in violation of federal law.
What now?
You racist 🤡.— ZNO 🇺🇸 (@therealZNO) January 29, 2024
Meanwhile, The Redheaded libertarian — an account with more than 587,000 followers — settled for visual mockery. In fact, she simply posted a GIF of the puppet Elmo with hands raised in front of a raging inferno.
— The Redheaded libertarian (@TRHLofficial) January 29, 2024
Only time will tell, of course, whether Cuban will face any repercussions for his professed hiring practices.
The most striking aspect of this entire social-media exchange, however, involves the billionaire’s total confidence in his moral position.
In short, he has swallowed the lie that placing human beings into categories based on irrelevant physical characteristics constitutes justice.
Now that the lie has become conventional wisdom in his mind, he touted it with assuredness. And he did so even to the point of possibly flaunting actual employment law.
Henceforth, perhaps he might lose a bit of that smugness.
