Posted on 04/26/2022 6:40:11 AM PDT by Kaslin
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill passed by the Republican-majority legislature that revokes a special tax exemption and other privileges for Walt Disney World in Orlando. This was in response to the company's current leadership and some of its employees who have protested another bill signed by the governor that prohibits the teaching of gender issues in kindergarten through third grade. Activists and the media have mislabeled it the "Don't Say Gay" bill, though the word "gay" appears nowhere in the legislation.
Walt Disney World was given tax breaks and was extended other privileges nearly 50 years ago because lawmakers then believed it would create jobs, attract tourists, and produce sales tax revenue. It has been a roaring success, bringing $5 billion annually to the state.
Until recently, the Disney organization stayed out of the culture wars and politics, preferring to maintain the vision founder Walt Disney had for what came to be known as "family entertainment."
What would Walt Disney, who died in 1966, think of his company today?
In Neal Gabler's biography "Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination," we learn that while Walt was sometimes opinionated, especially when it came to his anti-communism beliefs, he wanted to keep Disneyland, Disney World and his animated characters free of politics, preferring fantasy and storytelling.
Gabler writes: "...Walt hadn't really been a conservative or a Republican or much of anything else for the better part of his adult life. ... He had voted for Roosevelt in 1936 ... and though he had supported Republican Wendell Willkie in 1940 ... he declined a request from the Willkie campaign for an endorsement, writing, '(A) long time ago I found out that I knew nothing whatsoever about the game of politics and since then I've preferred to keep silent about the entire matter rather than see my name attached to any statement that was not my own.'"
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill passed by the Republican-majority legislature that revokes a special tax exemption and other privileges for Walt Disney World in Orlando. This was in response to the company's current leadership and some of its employees who have protested another bill signed by the governor that prohibits the teaching of gender issues in kindergarten through third grade. Activists and the media have mislabeled it the "Don't Say Gay" bill, though the word "gay" appears nowhere in the legislation.
Walt Disney World was given tax breaks and was extended other privileges nearly 50 years ago because lawmakers then believed it would create jobs, attract tourists, and produce sales tax revenue. It has been a roaring success, bringing $5 billion annually to the state.
Until recently, the Disney organization stayed out of the culture wars and politics, preferring to maintain the vision founder Walt Disney had for what came to be known as "family entertainment."
What would Walt Disney, who died in 1966, think of his company today?
In Neal Gabler's biography "Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination," we learn that while Walt was sometimes opinionated, especially when it came to his anti-communism beliefs, he wanted to keep Disneyland, Disney World and his animated characters free of politics, preferring fantasy and storytelling.
Gabler writes: "...Walt hadn't really been a conservative or a Republican or much of anything else for the better part of his adult life. ... He had voted for Roosevelt in 1936 ... and though he had supported Republican Wendell Willkie in 1940 ... he declined a request from the Willkie campaign for an endorsement, writing, '(A) long time ago I found out that I knew nothing whatsoever about the game of politics and since then I've preferred to keep silent about the entire matter rather than see my name attached to any statement that was not my own.'"
Walt also endorsed Thomas Dewey in the 1944 presidential campaign, writes Gabler, allowing a Dewey rally on the studio grounds. He also delivered a speech for the candidate at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
Despite these instances and Walt's association with what Gabler calls "red baiters," he deliberately kept politics out of his films and theme parks. As Gabler writes, "In effect, despite his Republicanism, Walt Disney belonged to everyone."
It is a pattern the current Disney leadership has not followed and why it is now suffering what should have been predictable consequences. The Disney organization should follow the vision and example of its founder and not engage in statements and actions that can only undermine his vision and the company's success. If they don't reverse course, it could lead to an irreparable tarnishing of the Disney brand and what has long been considered a "magic kingdom."
I suspect Walt’s heart would be broken into a million pieces.
Cal Thomas: Always good enough to post twice!
;-)
Thanks Kaslin
Walt and Roy were privately Republicans.
But, they kept their political views away from business.
Why do you repeat the column? Why do you repeat the column?
Too late.
Walt would have been duly impressed by the business acumen of the executives that were brought in to grow and expand the company he started. However he no doubt inherently understood the values that were the foundation of his company. If he were really perspective he would have also realized that despite their business skills, most of those executives did not believe in those traditional values, has bizarre psychological of their own and had to be watched carefully. Such people often end up destroying what they were entrusted to manage.
Leftism, like cancer, destroys everything it touches. EVERYTHING.
I think Walt would be far from Happy probably Grumpy, about how Dopey his heirs are, call Doc Bashful Sneezy and ask for something to make him Sleepy.
Walt would be thinking “ get me out of this grave!”
We conservatives shouldn't adopt the Left's (slanted / deceptive) terminology. We should call this bill what it is: The "Don't Encourage Cornholing" Bill!
Regards,
“ We conservatives shouldn’t adopt the Left’s (slanted / deceptive) terminology.”
The alternative title is the “anti child grooming bill”. They really hate the term grooming. We should use it often.
Take another look at Disney's early work. The sexualization has been there a very long time.
Disney had his dishonorable discharge framed behind his desk. It is always out of focus and blurred. If you look for the witchcraft you will find many disturbing things.
This points out the danger of the managerial elite gaining control of corporations after the entrepreneurs.
Don’t quit your day job bro. :^]
Walt was never in the military, per se, he was too young and joined the Red Cross ambulance corp as a driver. He left his truck, against orders, after being stranded for three days. He was discharged from the Red Cross ambulance corp for that infraction.
“Walt was sometimes opinionated, especially when it came to his anti-communism beliefs”
Being anti-communist is not a flaw.
“Until recently, the Disney organization stayed out of the culture wars and politics...”
False. They may have not openly joined in the culture wars, but they have been taking part in them for decades now, by insinuating leftist propaganda into their productions.
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