Complex Systems Won’t Survive

The article argues that America's complex systems are slowly collapsing because the promotion of diversity over competence has weakened institutions' ability to manage them. It traces the shift to civil rights-era laws, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which it says put meritocracy and protected-group diversity on a collision course. Employers then reportedly shifted from direct ability testing to degree requirements from selective universities, and diversity policies spread through firms via HR, Harvard Business Review and McKinsey's "best practices" lists. The author's conclusion is that selection for competence must return or America will face devolution and loss of geopolitical power.