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Editor’s Commentary: One does not have to be a fan of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to appreciate what his administration is doing to Disney. They are taking away the special privileges granted to Disney all those decades ago, privileges that have empowered the woke company to stay as woke as possible.
Now that repercussions are coming, will they keep their woke agenda in play? Yes, but hopefully not as gleefully.
On today’s episode of The JD Rucker Show, I discussed what DeSantis is doing and why his model is the one all conservative governors, mayors, and legislators should adopt. The fight against the plague of corporate wokeness can only be halted if the people organize opposition. Politicians like DeSantis are making it easier by getting out of our way. Here’s the article by Charlotte Allen from our premium news partners at The Epoch Times breaking it all down…
Disney’s Florida Fiasco: The Pitfalls of ‘Woke Capitalism’
Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is moving forward with his plan to remove the special legal status that has allowed Walt Disney World to operate for more than 50 years as an autonomous government entity, free of nearly all state and local oversight and with the power to levy its own tax-free municipal bonds.
A Jan. 6 announcement on the website of Florida’s Osceola County, where part of Disney’s resort empire is located, stated that a bill pending in the Florida legislature would transfer to a state-controlled board the governance of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the Disney-controlled public entity that has run Disney World since it opened its gates as a theme park in 1971. The bill follows the Florida legislature’s overwhelming approval in April 2022 of a measure that is set to dissolve, as of June 1 of this year, the self-governing arrangement complete with tax breaks the legislature had created for Disney in 1967 as an incentive for Disney to choose central Florida for its East Coast operations.
“Disney will … live under the same laws as everyone else, will be responsible for their outstanding debts, and will pay their fair share of taxes,” a DeSantis spokesman said.
Disney seems to be paying the price—a steep one—for its fatal mistake of jumping onto what has been called the “woke capitalism” bandwagon that has captivated much of corporate America in recent years. In Disney’s case, it was Disney’s then-CEO Bob Chapek’s vow to help repeal a Florida parental-rights law enacted in March, dubbed by its opponents the “Don’t Say Gay bill,” that forbids classroom instruction or discussion about sexual orientation and gender identity for youngsters below fourth grade in public schools. Chapek pledged that Disney would donate $5 million to organizations working to undo the law or have it overturned in court.
Until not long ago, American businesses shied away from taking sides on controversial issues, especially controversial social issues such as abortion, radical feminism, and LGBT causes. They were reluctant to alienate portions of their customer base with strong feelings one way or the other.
But then, toward the end of the last decade, many companies did an abrupt about-face. It might have been an effort to appeal to Millennial and Zoomer potential customers said to be hyper-alert to progressive social-justice concerns—or to pressure from the corporations’ own woke employees. One of the frontrunners was Nike, which in 2018 launched an ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick, who, as a San Francisco 49ers quarterback, had “taken a knee” as a protest against perceived racism instead of standing during the performance of the national anthem. Sales of Nike’s sportswear jumped 31 percent, despite a threatened Nike boycott. In 2019 Gillette tried to boost its razor sales by attacking “toxic masculinity” and embracing the #MeToo movement.
Furthermore, it seemed as though corporations could—or at least were willing to—cause real economic damage to states that bucked the woke agenda.
In 2016, North Carolina enacted a “bathroom bill” that requires people to use public restrooms that correspond to their biological sex. The NBA relocated its 2017 All-Star game out of Charlotte, and major businesses such as Dow Chemical, Bank of America, and American Airlines issued condemnations. Other states considering similar restroom legislation seemed to back off.
In 2021, Georgia enacted an anti-voting fraud law requiring potential voters to present photo identification at the ballot box. After progressives denounced the law as racist, Major League Baseball moved its own All-Star game from Atlanta to Denver, while some 100 corporations, including Target, Uber, and PayPal, signed a letter of protest.
Disney’s problem in Florida is that, unlike other corporations doing business in the state, it stands to lose far more than it might have gained from Chapek’s dragging it into the political fray. During the early 1960s, Walt Disney, using dummy corporations, had bought up around 40 square miles in central Florida’s Osceola and Orange counties, much of it swampland useless even for agriculture. He offered the state a deal: Disney would provide infrastructure—roads, utilities, water, sanitation, police and fire services—for the huge tract in return for Reedy Creek’s nearly complete autonomy, which included the power to levy its own taxes and exemptions from zoning and building codes. It was an arrangement that critics over the years have decried as egregious corporate welfare unavailable to Disney’s competitors in the theme-park, resort, and cruise businesses in Florida. And it was an arrangement that the state legislature could revoke at any time—as it seems to be doing now.
Chapek, to his credit, declined to get Disney involved in the “Don’t Say Gay” controversy as the parental-rights bill moved through the legislature and to DeSantis’s desk last spring. That infuriated a large swathe of Disney employees, who signed an open letter demanding that Disney “regain the trust of the LGBTQIA+ community and employees” and staged a series of protests and walkouts. That was when Chapek capitulated, provoking DeSantis and a Republican-dominated legislature irritated at corporate interference with in-state politics to move to pull Disney’s special legal status. The new state-oversight bill announced on Jan. 6 would try to ensure that nearly $1 billion in outstanding Reedy Creek bond debt doesn’t fall on the shoulders of local taxpayers if the district is dissolved.
In November, Chapek resigned amid tumbling Disney stock prices as some of its film ventures into wokeness failed at the box office. He was replaced by his predecessor, Bob Iger, who had presided over soaring Disney profits from 2005 to 2020. Iger’s more diplomatic presence may soften relations between Disney and Florida’s Republicans—although there are no signs yet that DeSantis will backtrack.
But the real lesson of the Disney debacle may be one that other companies seem to be gradually learning: While it may make for good press among progressives and the liberal media to jump in on the woke side of high-profile social issues, interfering with localities’ efforts to solve their own political problems can exact a high cost.
When the Supreme Court issued its controversial Dobbs decision last June, returning abortion to state and local regulation, more than 90 percent of U.S. corporations and nonprofit entities declined to take a public stance, according to a Conference Board survey. This seems a healthy development: leaving politics to the people who have an actual stake in them.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
