The Godfather reference isn't a mistake. After killing someone in a car, a mobster says to his colleague, "Leave the gun, take the cannoli." Relevant for a US administration and President becoming more and more emboldened by the success of their standover/mob like tactics.

Values don’t matter when it’s easy. They matter when it’s hard. US television network ABC & its owner The Walt Disney Company showed their values when they suspended Jimmy Kimmel.

Kimmel was suspended from his late night tv show for saying, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterise this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it. In between the finger pointing there was grieving.”

Zero issue here. Agree/disagree/whatever. It is clearly not hate speech and not inciting any violence.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr disagrees. He described the comment as, “the sickest conduct possible.”

The “sickest possible conduct possible?” Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride would like a word.

After Kirk got shot and killed, Kimmel said this: “Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human? On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence.”

Yeah, he's an absolute menace, amiright?

But how does the FCC get Kimmel fired? Sorry… suspended.

Wellskies, the ABC affiliate that made a complaint about him, Nexstar Media, is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group (a delightful conservative, and very powerful distributor. They currently control about 26% of what goes to air in the US. Nextstar also own a number of ABC local stations. And Nextstar is looking to acquire another big group, Tegna. Do they need FCC approval for that, Ben? Hmm, let me che - OF COURSE THEY DO!!!

Sinclair have doubled down. They've stated that until they have talks with ABC, and Kimmel makes a donation to Charlie Kirk's family, his right wing company Turning Point USA, and makes an apology, they will not consider airing his shows. It's a little heavy handed, right? I mean, be performative, but you can go too far.

So, once again we have ABC/Disney bowing down to political pressure. Trump previously sued Disney: they settled, when legal scholars stated they had almost no chance of losing.

Paramount/CBS also got sued by Trump over the 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. Once again, no chance of losing, but… you got it: Settled! They also happened to be seeking approval for their merger from the FCC - and got it just after the settlement. What a coinkidink!

See, they made a business decision.

Ah, Values!

Last week, Fox News host Brian Kilmeade stated on a morning show in response to dealing with homeless people in the US, that we should give them an, ‘involuntarily lethal injection or something. Just kill them.” 3 days later he apologised. Sinclair, which also distributes Fox content did not seek Kilmeade's suspension, nor was he suspended by Fox.

See Fox - arses that they be imo - have the courage of their convictions! They picked a lane, and damnit, if they’re not gonna go down with the ship. And/or put their monied USD$787M settlement with Smartmatic (after making knowingly false claims about the 2020 election) where their mouth is.

Values!

We have political influence from an insecure President, impacting society, startling in the speed with which he has been able to have people bend over, bend the knee, or get on their knees. Often, all three! Just settle.

Don’t ruffle feathers. Don’t speak out. And whatever you do, don’t ridicule…

Your values are supposed to be your guide. Your beacon. If done properly and adhered to, they are supposed to tell you what to do when things are tough. Not just when things are easy.

“But what about shareholder value?”

Companies should either do away with the ‘About’ page on their websites with ‘values’ that speak to their people, customers, or society, environment, charity-giving etc or have the courage of their convictions and back those ‘values’ as the right thing to do.

Or… 3rd option… let the US government come in and take 10% equity in your publicly traded company after Trump hammers your CEO on Truth Social. Hi Intel (which is now 10% US govt owned if you didn’t know).

Every single one of Trump’s enablers are to blame for this situation. Every corporation, college, university, law firm, talking head, GOP official, private shmoe who caved has enabled this bullshit. Oh! And let’s not forget the tech billionaires who took the front row at the inauguration. I mean, if ‘fuck you’ money ain’t enough to buy these people a backbone…

And for what? At best, short term gain - maybe! But you left your values at the door, mate.

You don’t stop a bully by giving in. The bully just keeps coming for more

You can never make the bully happy because the bully is insecure and nothing is ever enough to combat insecurity. You can replace ‘bully’ with fascist dictator too if you’ve a mind. Because Trump is fast moving off his Dictatorship L plates on to his Dictatorship P’s.

To be clear, this isn’t about Kimmel as a “Free Speech Warrior.” Like him, don’t like him, whatever. BUT, he becomes a beacon for that label now because he was pulled off the air - not because ABC had a problem with his content - but because political pressure was applied. Trump has already said that Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon should be next. Meyers is definitely a critic, but Fallon has been quiet (and pretty tame). Nope. Still not enough. You kiss the ring or you’re the enemy.

America’s former values are clearly absent now. Or, they’re definitely not being shown. Your country is pitied by so many now, when once, your values, your way of life, was admired by so many. This is who you are! You have decades of work ahead of you to gain back the respect of the rest of the world. And you’ll need to demonstrate that your values are back.

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My values are do what you say, have the courage of your convictions, and (essentially), don’t be an ass! As long as you’re not that final one, the first 2 are pretty easy. But the 3rd is also super important.

A little cherry on top: Nexstar Media will be running a tribute to Charlie Kirk during Kimmel’s time slot. Now, they can run whatever they wanna run, but Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela didn’t get this kind of coverage.

Performative, much? Keep kissing the hand.

I reckon Nextstar might just get that FCC approval.

Values, eh…