mtutiger

With respect to the bolded, the reporting from Status and others seem to indicate that his "bosses" at ABC are as confused as we are as to what he did that was actually wrong. He hasn't even been technically fired yet either. Not even defending their cowardice, but it lays bare that this action is 100% happening because the administration wants it to happen. As you say, no more simple or complex than that.

The state is apparently now the arbiter of what is funny or not

Oh I know... Even though collective action would probably be better for business in the long run

To this end

The academic research is interesting, but it's really just the difference between a liberal democracy and illiberal/totalitarianism... In a liberal democracy, we have the rule of law. In totalitarianism, the laws are irrelevant, what the government says is the law is the law. We aren't to the latter yet... But there is no doubt in my mind that if this administration has its way, it's where they want us to end up.

Your statement really applies beyond politics as well. The American public is more wise to this administration than the elites are... Yet the elites keep aquiescing anyway. Media, very smart pundits (ie. Ezra Klein, Yglesias, etc.) law firms, universities, corporations.

Another blast from the past lol

Among the de jure Nuremberg Laws was prohibiting Germans and Jews from marriage and intercourse. That's a terrible law that infringed upon the rights of the German population. But it was legal, so...

The Nazi Party controlled Germany and were the ultimate arbiters of what was legal and illegal within Germany until they fell from power.

Incredible stuff

Does Trump have the law behind him here? It's an open question. Either way, taken to its logical conclusion, merely disagreeing with any political action by any President makes one a child so long as it's technically legal. That's dumb and not how politics has ever worked.

Does that make Republicans children for every time they complained about something Obama or Biden did?

It's not even clear the bosses know what was problematic...

Yeah, the discussion of whether Carr, obo Trump, technically has the right to do this kinda glides past the question of whether he should do it in the first place. Or what it says about this administration and how it feels about speech it doesn't like. Either way, one thing that distinguishes this action from Colbert is that that action was more subtle... and the talking point about his shows profitability muddied the waters enough to make it seem innocuous. The smoking gun (ie. Carr's appearance on Benny Johnson) makes it is pretty clear what happened here. People shouldn't be obliged to play dumb about any of it

The FCC has the right to regulate the airways. But if it's chair uses his position to coerce ABC to fire a personality for speech it doesn't like, that's potentially a 1A case. At least per Ken White. Again, pretty straightforward.

It's also not even clear whether the state has the right to do it either, particularly if they were to fire him outright

Thats an interesting position for a Libertarian to take

Another piece of evidence post-act. Entirely government driven.

https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/jimmy-kimmel-out-abc-charlie-kirk-comments-1235430078/ Earlier on Wednesday, Trump’s Federal Communications Commission chairman, Brendan Carr, publicly called on licensed broadcasters to stop airing Kimmel’s show. “I think that it’s really sort of past time that a lot of these licensed broadcasters themselves push back on Comcast and Disney and say, ‘Listen, we are going to preempt, we are not going to run Kimmel anymore, until you straighten this out because we, we licensed broadcaster, are running the possibility of fines or license revocation from the FCC if we continue to run content that ends up being a pattern of news distortion,’” Carr said Wednesday, speaking with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr added. “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.” I'm sorry, but this is happening because he the state compelled this action. Pretty easy story to tell

While they're at it, would also like to hear why it's a big deal when Brian Kilmeade, who advocating executing the mentally ill homeless, is still on the air and employed. I'm sure we'll be waiting a while for a response.

Can't wait to see which comedians the state hand selects for us to laugh at

I don't doubt it. But it doesn't take many disillusioned folks to make a political impact either