This post is actually quite instructive, and highlights the difference between "merit" as most people see it, and "merit" how the quota crowd sees it.  Diversity is merit - an end in itself, not a means to an end.  Not something I agree with personally, but nice and clear, which I appreciate.

By the way, there is no "standard" white male.  This is employment equity mythology, designed to obscure the diversity in the so-called "white" population and support discriminatory hiring practices.