Conventional wisdom was Bob Chapek lost his job as a result of wading into politicized cultural issues. But now Iger has doubled-down.
Let's be clear, the government is the underdog when it comes to battles with corporations. Sure, you can regulate, but never forget you need their money to operate, you can't get elected without cash, and that's who has it, the corporations, after all they're people, right?
But it gets worse than this. Who hates Disney? Talk about picking a target... You can attack homeless people. You can take money from widows and children. But you're going to try to pin the Mouse?
That's how America survives, on fantasy. Tell people the absolute truth and they'd kill themselves, or kill you. Without hope, often irrational, it's hard to keep on living.
Fantasy rules. Believe me, it wasn't that comic books were unknown back in the sixties and early seventies, it's not that they made no movies based on them, it's just that people wanted something more visceral in their films, something they could relate to. Now fantasy is king because real life is so damn hard. And people end up thinking fantasy is real, because otherwise, like I referenced above, it's just too disillusioning.
So I don't care how many people live in Florida. Many more go to Disney properties, never mind buy Disney merch or see the company's movies or subscribe to the Disney+ streaming service. Right now, Disney+ has 161.8 million subscribers. That's a worldwide number, in the U.S. it's 42 million. Florida only has 21.78 million residents. Furthermore, Disney+ may only have 42 million subscribers in the U.S., but it has 122 million VIEWERS! Think about that, Disney has its own propaganda outlet that a third of the public sees. And they pay to see it. Or at least someone in their family or a close friend does. And they're subjected to Disney products constantly, it's almost brainwashing, it's not like Iger needs to spread the company's philosophy, delineate its business challenges, the audience is just mesmerized, not only by Mickey and Minnie, but Nemo, Dory and so many more! These are the people you want to pick a fight with?
And what is the fight about? The fight isn't about Disney, it's about the company standing up for the downtrodden, the persecuted. Sure, some voters want those people put down, but they also love to go to Disney!
As for the business shenanigans...
I could walk you through the county and the taxes and the boards...but most people don't go that deep, they're only experiencing it on an emotional level. Why is the state of Florida messing with Disney? Furthermore, it wants to tax Disney residents and businesses to be messed with, someone has to pay the legal fees. How is this a winning strategy?
This is what happens when you live in a bubble. You've got no perspective. Hell, everybody should be made to spend at least an hour a day online, half on social media and half with the news, to try to get their finger on the pulse of the nation. Everybody's pontificating, but they're clueless. This is how the major new outlets missed Trump back in 2016. They were living in a echo chamber, they didn't know any blue collar people who'd lost their jobs, or white nationalists.
Kind of like Biden. Not even giving a live, in-person announcement of his decision to run in 2024? What are they hiding? No one's given so few press conferences since Reagan. And sure, Biden was gaffe-prone decades ago, but if you can't even stand up and make a speech, won't stand up and make a speech, you're making it hard for followers to defend you. This is what is happening in Israel right now. The far right has gained control, but is sacrificing the soul of the country in the process. Same deal with the right and abortion. Sure, they won the war, but at what cost?
Monomaniacal myopic quests only work in politics if you're striving for autocracy, dictatorship, because otherwise a huge chunk of the public is turned off or feels left out. And isn't that the first rule of political victory, making people feel included, so they like and vote for you?
Insiders have told us for a year that DeSantis is unlikable. Now we've got proof. Not only did he pick the wrong fight here, for no good reason other than cultural ones, not financial ones, he angered the majority of Americans. Was there ever a cost/benefit analysis?
Then again, most companies are so afraid of losing revenue, taking a hit to their image, that they back down, they've got no backbone.
Even worse is the "artists." From musicians to comedians to... They don't want to take a position for fear it'll alienate some potential customer when the truth is their careers are based on honesty and credibility, or else they're transient. Stand for nothing and there's nothing to cling to.
So this story is big everywhere. People may not know the truth about the Dominion/Fox lawsuit, but they're aware of Disney's lawsuit in Florida. Because Disney is bigger than the government. Think otherwise, but you'd be wrong.
Do you want a guy like this running the government? One so busy satiating a minority that he can't even see the needs, wants and desires of the majority?
Today DeSantis had his Muskie moment. His presidential hopes have been dashed. It's not like we didn't see it coming, it's not like this is his only misstep, but his inner circle said he was winning, when he was actually losing. In one fell swoop he showed he wasn't presidential material.
And to think that people saw DeSantis as a credible candidate.
To think it's going to be another test between Biden and Trump.
At least other Republicans have put their hats in the ring, have a running start. But the Democrats are so party loyal that they won't stand up to the inanity of running an octogenarian for president. There better not be any debates. You start early if you want to challenge the status quo, but everybody on the left is too afraid of...exactly who?
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that Biden is too old to be re-elected president.
And not only Biden, but Trump too.
How about someone who grew up with the internet, who is familiar with tech, who can get ahead of Silicon Valley instead of being behind?
Don't get your hopes up.
But surprises happen every day, that's why we live.
And DeSantis got a big one today. A knife through the heart. He lost in the battle between good and evil. Maybe he should sign up as a Disney villain. It would pay better than his future in politics.
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