Woke Wars Episode 2: DeSantis vs. Mickey Mouse — what’s a ‘woke’ corporation anyhow? | Opinion
The Republican Party traditionally has been the party of Big Business, its protector, its benefactor. And it has let Big Business go about its business however it saw fit, staying out of the way.
But, no more, at least in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis has changed the game. He has vowed to fight what he calls “woke corporations.”
The Disney Company was the first major casualty of that war, though during the pandemic, the governor initiated some skirmishes with the cruise lines.
Last year, after pressure from its employees and some public protests, Disney spoke out against the Parental Rights in Education bill, commonly — and derisively — known as ‘Don’t Say Gay.’
This year, as punishment, lawmakers in Florida handed over control of Disney’s special governing district to the governor.
In this episode of “Woke Wars,” the Miami Herald opinion team discusses the Disney drama as well as state government’s hands-on approach to private businesses, even as it coddles some of them.
The governor says that we live in the free state of Florida, yet he punishes private entities for their speech. But, we also know that corporations are becoming more vocal about their stances on politics. Should they quiet down and go back to business as usual? Or should Florida lawmakers mind their own business when it comes to private entities? We’ll wrestle with these questions on this week’s “Woke Wars.”
Woke Wars, a weekly opinion podcast by the Miami Herald Editorial Board, explores the culture wars that are dominating the Florida Legislature. Listen to new episodes every Thursday on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. Have a question? Want to share some feedback? Email heralded@miamiherald.com with the subject line WOKE WARS.
Read more perspectives on ‘woke corporations’ here:
DeSantis makes a mess, and Florida lawmakers use special session to clean up after him | Opinion
Florida’s Stop WOKE law hurts businesses like ours. That’s why we’re suing DeSantis | Opinion
This story was originally published March 16, 2023 at 5:00 AM.