I don’t think political reporting has caught up with how thoroughly QAnonized the G.O.P.
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If this seems crazy - which it is - it’s also increasingly the Republican norm.
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Florida’s lieutenant governor went on Newsmax to accuse Disney of “indoctrinating” and “sexualizing children” with its “not secret agenda.” But the attack on Disney has gone far beyond financial reprisal: Suddenly, Mickey Mouse is part of a vast conspiracy. Not long ago, using state power to impose financial penalties on corporations for expressing political views you dislike would have been considered beyond the pale. The Republican response has been extreme - but then, these days it always is. finally declared that his company opposed it. So late in the day - after the bill had already passed the Legislature - Disney’s C.E.O. issues than it used to be: Approval for same-sex marriage rose from 27 percent in 1996 to 70 percent last year. And American society as a whole has become far more open-minded on L.G.B.T.Q. But an entertainment company whose business depends in part on its public image can’t seem too far out of line with prevailing social mores. The state’s leisure and hospitality industry is huge, and Disney World is one important reason.Īll of this was, however, put in jeopardy when Florida passed its “ Don’t Say Gay” bill that not only restricted what schools can say about gender but also severely limited their ability to counsel troubled students without parental consent and opened the door to lawsuits by parents claiming violations of vaguely defined rules.ĭisney had nothing to say about this legislation as it was being rammed through. And less tangibly, Disney World has surely contributed to Florida’s image as a desirable place to visit and live. Last week, however, DeSantis signed legislation eliminating that district, which will leave local taxpayers on the hook - and also, reportedly, saddle them with more than $1 billion in debt.īeyond that, the resort, in addition to employing large numbers of people itself, draws millions of visitors each year - visitors who spend money that boosts the Florida economy in general. Most directly, Disney World is in a 25,000-acre “special district” within which the company provides basic public services even while paying local property taxes. On the economics: Just a few months ago The Tallahassee Democrat, a local newspaper, published an article titled “ The Mouse That Need Not Roar,” arguing that Disney World’s huge role in Florida’s economy gave it almost unchallengeable political influence. from a normal political party into a radical movement built around conspiracy theories and intimidation. What we’re seeing instead are symptoms of the transformation of the G.O.P.
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Ron DeSantis and his allies are up to has nothing to do with policy or even politics in the conventional sense. The attacks by Florida Republicans on the entertainment giant will hurt the state’s economy, possibly severely they reflect a sudden lurch toward intolerance in a nation that seemed to be growing ever more tolerant and the allegations against Disney are, in a word, insane.īut what’s happening in Florida makes sense once you realize that what Gov. Until recently the current confrontation between Disney and the State of Florida would have seemed inconceivable.