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The machanisms may vary, but CRT / DEI workshops and diversity statements are a popular one. There's also people in charge of hiring / recruiting being able to sniff out someone with an unsanctioned worldview / insufficiently enthusiastic about the current civic religion. It's not 100% effective of course (I think "only" 90+% in case of academia) but whoever slips through the cracks can be dealt with easily.
I will say this could be an effective strategy if opposition was more more coordinated, but it's not like the regime doesn't know that, and doesn't crack down on any sign of coordination.
Everything you’re describing is:
A result of one side participating in civic institutions with the express goal of changing it from within, i.e “the long march through the institutions”. A communist in 1950’s America would have said the same thing as you, about not being allowed to ruse in the ranks. Now look at how their ideology has spread to the upper echelons of your society. Zoomed out, this is proof against your claims
Not an actual hard cap on any person rising through the ranks, just a difficulty. Again, see how the Marxists did it.
Because of 1 and 2, reversible in the long term. It requires actual work, sacrifice and ideological commitment but over the long term you can get there. Like I said, though, you won’t get there by lying down.
I'm somewhat skeptical that this is how it panned out historically. Communists now will still deny that their people have any influence in academia, so I'm not sure I how seriously I should take what they said in the past. Also, if they idea is conservatives abandoned academia in favor of business, the military, and the police, and participating in institution is supposed to keep them on your side / allow you to take them over - how did we lose business, the military, and the police?
Marxists, operated in an environment where academia was preaching free speech. The moment they took over, they (wisely) denounced that principle. It completely changed the environment, and they probably did it with specifically to avoid their tactics being used against them.
Anything is reversible in the long term, and anything worth fighting for will require actual work and sacrifice. I'm just doubtful of whether enlisting as an enthusiastic foot-soldier in the enemy's army is a viable tactic.
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I don't think Marxists is a perfect analogy, but you make some good points and I can kind of see things playing out in the way you describe.
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