Culture War

Why Conservatives Are Wrong To Punish Disney

Plus: the ethics of civil disobedience

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In the latest Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Nick Gillespie discuss the broad implications of the unfolding DeSantis vs. Disney saga.

1:26: DeSantis vs. Disney continues. 

33:39: Weekly Listener Question: I'm wondering when it becomes ethical and even required under one's belief in liberty to begin enacting civil disobedience? In this case, I was thinking about riding the U-Bahn maskless, as a forty-something man publicly disobeying the most visible of the restrictions might invite others to question the wisdom of the policy. It's relatively low-risk as I'm triple-vaxxed, as is 75 percent of Hamburg, so I wouldn't be unnecessarily risking others' health, and they can wear a mask anyway. It's also a 40-euro fine, but I'd be willing to eat that cost for the statement of principle.

I acknowledge that state power is strongest in a time of emergency, but we're two years in at this point and have had vaccines for almost a year. And I realize that I could cause myself visa headaches. But, aside from that, is there any ethical reason not to begin a personal campaign of civil disobedience if I object strongly enough to the rules that look like they'll never go away or, at least, that the people in charge hope will never go away?

44:51: Media recommendations for the week.

This week's links: 

"Rethinking the Social Responsibility of Business" by Milton Friedman, John Mackey, and T.J. Rodgers

"DeSantis Calls for End of Walt Disney World's Self-Rule" by Scott Shackford

"DeSantis Understands the Best Defense Is a Good Offense" by Jon Gabriel

Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.

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Audio production by Ian Keyser

Assistant production by Hunt Beaty

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve