The speaker highlights a shift towards an ideology that values identity markers like class, race, gender, and minority status over individual merits. This shift is seen as reminiscent of a Soviet atmosphere, where identity defines an individual rather than their merits. The speaker notes a perceived bias against white working-class males in elite institutions, leading to a crisis of morale and a sense of the American dream transforming into a progressive ideology-driven nightmare. The comparison is drawn between the current situation and the fundamental values upon which the United States was supposed to be based, emphasizing equality before the law and equal opportunity for all based on individual merit and hard work.