Diversity Equity Inclusion (properly ordered as DIE), along with its sister Critical Race Theory and cousin creepy-crummy gender affirmation, constitute nothing more than a caustic Marxist set of constructs that need to go to the dustbin of history.
Frederick R. Smith
Words 2,003 | Read Time 10 min | Enjoy
Foreword
Many companies are rethinking their deranged-dopey diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in rapidly shifting social tectonics. Meanwhile, Costco is known as a great place to work because of its employee benefits and consumer satisfaction. At first glance, Costco’s stance on promoting inclusivity may appear admirable; however, looking deeper, one can see substantial flaws in how it defines and implements “equity.”
News reports from stinky social justice warriors like the lousy-loony Marxist left-wing Huffington Post said that “shareholders” rejected anti-DEI initiatives, a signal of a deepening divide between corporate interests and the broader societal push for merit-based policies. But stand by for a “shocker” sports fans; the loony left shareholder narrative is a ruse!
Nevertheless, this dynamic presents a fundamental question: Is Costco truly prioritizing crummy equity to benefit society, or is it simply substituting the traditional understanding of merit with an ideological approach that risks undermining the principles that foster fairness and excellence? Cogennt-minded people know the answer!
The “Shareholder” Narrative: A Misleading Shield for DEI
Proponents of DEI often claim that companies should practice societal responsibility because it allows them to play fair and include historically disenfranchised groups. Costco’s approach, which continues to emphasize DEI, invites scrutiny because it often conflates “equity” with compensating for perceived societal imbalances—essentially focusing on fluff rather than individual performance or qualification.
Costco’s loud public commitment to DEI initiatives follows the goal of developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of the broader society. By highlighting “equity” in that context, however, Costco supports a model in which the inherent worth of merit-based success gets diluted. When shareholders supposedly vote down anti-DEI proposals, they seem to approve of continuing that slimy system's fundamental contradiction: equity, which is quotas and affirmative action policies over merit-based promotion.
This tension is central to the debate surrounding Costco’s DEI policies. Should the company’s human resource decisions reflect a commitment to merit—evaluating employees based on their skills, experience, and contributions? Or should it strive to implement policies that supposedly level the playing field by redistributing opportunities based on demographics and background, potentially at the expense of individual qualifications?
Now for the non-shocker shocker: Costco’s board of directors unanimously opposed a shareholder proposal requesting a report on the financial risks associated with its DEI policies and defended its approach. Got that Huffy Post?
Feast your eyes on Costco’s own words here.
The Consequences of Equity Over Merit
Companies like Costco, in their haste to advocate for equity in the name of social justice, are in a position to squander the hard-won precepts of meritocracy as the driver of innovation and efficiency toward excellence. The principles of meritocracy have ensured that talents are recognized and rewarded, affording opportunities without background hindrances to the best-qualified persons in pursuit.
Costco’s DEI policies may undermine its workforce and conflict with its core values by prioritizing demographic outcomes over individual abilities. A merit-based system would motivate individuals to meet challenges, excel in their fields, and contribute positively to the company. When the focus shifts from rewarding merit to fulfilling equity quotas, the recognition of excellence diminishes due to the pressure to achieve demographic representation targets.
These policies often forget that equity, as defined by equal outcomes, is not always the true definition of fairness. Instead of promoting equal opportunity, this Marxist like mind mush discourages mediocrity by rewarding quota individuals who may or may not help the company grow or become successful. The question then becomes very important: How does Costco define success? Is it through individual merit or a balancing of social categories and demographics?
Challenging Costco’s DEI Narrative
The decision by Costco to shareholder disapproval of anti-DEI policies begs the question of whether it’s really about striving for a just and fairer society or whether the company is simply hopping onto a fashionable bandwagon that does not attack the roots of inequality.
By rejecting anti-DEI initiatives, Costco would show that the appearance of diversity appeals to them more than substance in the form of excellence and capability. In doing so, the company risks emphasizing demographic factors rather than the qualifications and merit of individual employees. It is essential to consider that equality is achieved when all individuals are given the same opportunity based on abilities, not just because a quota has been met or some social cause expectation was fulfilled.
In actual practice, if Costco wants to develop a level and equal playing field, it’s time to return to a rethought DEI strategy: being on top with meritocratic systems, recognizing unique individual talent and effort, with individual accomplishment as each employee may achieve according to their capabilities-no matter what walk of life they might be from. This way, Costco would go on to truly value the meaningful contribution of one’s staffing into such a system as rewards excellence without merely meeting required quotas for so-called diversity.
A Call to Action: Why I’m Writing to Costco, and Why You Should Too
The research into Costco’s current approach to DEI and its adoption of equity at the expense of merit has, quite frankly, compelled me toward an action I never considered: writing to Costco to tell them I will not renew my membership. It is a bad business decision for the company to maintain policies more toward meeting demographic quotas than creating a merit-based environment. Given my values on fairness, individual achievement, and the belief that excellence ought to be the standard, I can no longer support an institution that seems to disregard these values for ideological conformity.
As a Costco member, I have valued their value, quality, and service for many years. But what has become apparent is how much Costco sacrifices the ideal that built its success through the equity that can only dilute merit and undermine the potential for long-term growth and success. I don’t do this lightly, but as a matter of conscience and for some things in life that are worth fighting for, such as fairness based on ability, not quotas.
I encourage you, the reader, to do the same. Whether you agree or disagree with Costco’s policies, acting and voicing your concerns deeply and profoundly impacts you. A simple letter or email can have an effect. If you are like me and feel merit should be the standard of achievement in the business world, yet equity must guarantee equal opportunity without necessarily meaning equal outcomes, join me in making your feelings known to Costco’s management.
Membership in a company is not just a question of what one gets but also of supporting a business whose values align with one’s own. If Costco’s current direction does not reflect your values, now is the time to have your voice heard. A letter informing Costco of why you will not renew can be a great way to show your dissatisfaction. I know I will be sending mine.
Let us be the change we want to see as consumers and as people who believe in merit, fairness, and integrity.
The Letter
Subject: Non-Renewal of Costco Membership
Dear Costco Membership Services,
I am writing to inform you of my decision not to renew my Costco membership. As much as I have valued the benefits and convenience that Costco has afforded me over the years, I cannot in good conscience continue supporting a company whose recent actions and priorities are out of step with my values.
In particular, in light of reporting on Costco’s increased focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, I have deep concerns about it. While I appreciate that companies work in a social and dynamic cultural context, in a corporate world, at least Costco must value DEI more than its essential pursuit of selling goods and providing services at reasonable prices. I firmly believe that such efforts seldom reach their goals of being inclusive but further divide. Policies, whereby identity takes precedence, overtakes merit.
Costco's welcoming of members from all backgrounds is a cherished value. Respect, fairness, and equality can and should guide business conduct without appealing to politicized and divisive conceptual frameworks. Sadly, corporate DEI programs are too often prone to foster bureaucracy, divisiveness, and deviation from merit-based practices.
I’m primarily worried about how such efforts affect the broader Costco experience. People join Costco because they can trust the company to deliver a great product and experience at an exemplary price. Diversions in the company’s mission threaten to make people lose trust in those qualities that make Costco so different.
This decision is not based on opposition to the true goal of fairness. Instead, it stems from my belief that Costco’s approach to DEI reflects a broader societal trend that is generally destructive to society that I cannot support. I strongly encourage your leadership team to consider how members perceive these initiatives and to carefully evaluate whether they align with the values that have made Costco successful.
These concerns are sent to you in the spirit of constructive feedback. Costco has built an exceptional reputation over the years. Perhaps the company will continue to focus on its core mission of serving its members and providing value to communities.
Thank you for many years of excellent service and products. If the future bodes well, it may be worthwhile to revisit this decision if Costco refocuses its priorities on the principles that initially attracted me as a customer.
Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Membership ID (optional)]
[Your Contact Information]
Conclusion
Where for most large companies today, shifting political winds shape the corporation’s agendas, one sees Costco’s relentless DEI-Heaven raises essential questions concerning equity vs merit. While many may praise the company’s stance on inclusivity, preoccupation with demographic quotas and group identities at the expense of individual qualifications is a risk to the principles of fairness and excellence that once defined its success. In doing so, Costco’s approach dilutes the workforce by outcome versus ability considerations, and it is a model incompatible with the merit-based systems that allow for growth, innovation, and efficiency.
This essay has been a call to action, not just for the leadership of Costco to consider its DEI policies, but also a call to the customer and the individual to make their voices heard. The decision is personal, but the statement carries volumes of what we hold dear. If you are like me and find that merit should be the building block for success in business or society, I invite you to join me in a letter to Costco. If need be, express your concerns, share your thoughts, and choose to walk away. Sometimes, the most powerful thing one can do to enact change is to hold accountable those companies we support. Let us be the change we want to see in the world, starting with the decisions we make as consumers.
Parting Shot
Meanwhile, while drafting this easy, a coalition of attorneys general representing 19 Republican-led states has called on Costco to eliminate “illegal and discriminatory” DEI policies. In a January 27, 2025, letter to Costco CEO Ron Vachris, the coalition urged the wholesale giant to ditch DEI in favor of a race-neutral and discrimination-free approach to its corporate activities and policies. 📕
Anti Woke Closing
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Although I have not shopped at Costco for years, not because of DEI but I can't afford to pay $30 and come out with only three items. Besides living alone doesn't require that much to be content. My experience with the DEI policies is the way it effects real qualified people.
My grandson worked for Costco in the meat department. It was a job to get him through college. Now that he has his degree he applied for a job in corporate headquarters in marketing. Unfortunately, he doesn't meet the DEI standards set by the company,.Being a straight, white male is not on the hiring priority list.
He is appreciative of the opportunity to have had employment while in school but the meat department was not the goal.
Fortunately, his stepfather works for an auto dealership and told him of an opening in their marketing department. My grandson didn't want to rely on nepotism to get a job, if he did he'd probably would have gotten the job at Costco. But he chose to rely on his merit, character and his company loyalty when applying, not his relatives.
He did learn a big lesson though, its not what you know these days, its who you know, along with characteristics beyond your control.
You would think after the Budweiser incident and the Target debacle the writing would be on the wall, guess Costco has a hard time deciphering the outcome of those events. Truly short sighted indeed.
A key point not included here: Jeffrey H. Brotman, cofounder and chairman of Costco Wholesale Corporation, had a son named Justin. Justin Brotman created a website called Bipartisan Report and pumped no small amount of family $$$ into making it a successful shitlib site. I briefly worked for him a decade ago and collected the highest pay-per-post rates of my career. I say "briefly" because my ethics and standards were a poor fit at that website. An example to illustrate: Justin had to pay out a pile of that family $$$ to Melania Trump for amplifying the false rumor that she had been a sex worker. As important as it is to consider who you do business with, you are still basically writing a letter to the Big Box Store equivalent of Ben & Jerry's.