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While I remind myself that this may all change four years from now, today there is a wonderful sort of "Nature is healing" vibe going on.
We've been following the demise of DEI for some time now. And it's important to remember that its practitioners and advocates have not gone away, they have merely re-branded into a new branch of composite social-science known as "Organization Development."
OD is mostly just DEI by another name and with rather more subtlety in its execution, so it's not like this cancer has been cut out entirely. But corporations are at least acknowledging that while publicly flaunting the social-justice-bat-signal may placate a small but highly vocal minority, it is not actually good a business strategy.
But I never expected that the Walt Disney Company, one of the most woke brands in the world, would actually comprehend the message.
Forbes, however, presents this new perspective:
Disney Shifts Away From DEI To Return To Its Entertainment Business Mission
Pamela N. Danziger, Senior Contributor
Feb 13, 2025
The Walt Disney Company is backing away from DEI initiatives to refocus on its core entertainment business mission, according to an internal memo obtained by Reuters.
“Our businesses create entertainment, travel and consumer products, the success of which depends substantially on consumer tastes and preferences that change in often unpredictable ways,” the Walt Disney Company stated in its 2024 Annual Report.
Key Facts
• Disney’s chief human resources officer, Sonia Coleman, penned a letter to the company’s 230,000 employees explaining changes in corporate culture to more closely “align our initiatives with our business goals and company values.”
• Executive compensation, weighted 70% on reaching financial targets and 30% on other performance factors, will no longer include “Diversity & Inclusion,” as another performance factor, and will be replaced by a “Talent Strategy.”
• The company has rebranded its “Reimagine Tomorrow” website, which explained Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion positions and actions, to “MyDisneyToday” to attract the “best, most talented” people to contribute to business success.
• Disney maintains inclusion as a core value – Integrity, Creativity, Collaboration, Community, Inclusion – but the memo emphasizes belonging instead of diversity and substitutes equity by referencing to its corporate culture where “everyone can excel.”
Background
Disney joins a long list of companies that are reevaluating previous DEI practices in light of the Trump administration’s anti-DEI stance. While Disney’s statement as reflected in Coleman’s memo is nuanced – full text available here – it appears the company is responding to the change in direction of the political winds. After defeating a proxy battle by investor Nelson Pelz, that took issue among other things with Disney’s so-called “woke” agenda, CEO Bob Iger told CNBC that the company’s mission is to entertain a ”very diverse audience,” and affirmed his commitment to be more sensitive and not turn certain people off. “It’s not easy,” he said.
Tangent
Disney-owned ABC settled a defamation lawsuit brought by then President-elect Donald Trump for $15 million plus legal expenses after anchor George Stephanopoulos repeatedly said Trump had been found liable for rape during an interview with Congresswoman Nancy Mace, even after ABC producers warned him not to use the term “rape.” While some legal experts believe ABC could have prevailed at trial, the company chose to settle, helping the company stay on the right side of the President and his administration, which now includes Elon Musk heading up the Department of Government Efficiency initiative. Musk has repeatedly spoken out against Disney on X.
Crucial Quote
“Our businesses create entertainment, travel and consumer products, the success of which depends substantially on consumer tastes and preferences that change in often unpredictable ways,” the Walt Disney Company stated in its 2024 Annual Report. “Preferences of some consumers are affected by their perceptions of our position on matters of public interest, including regarding environmental and social issues.”
There is a pretty good, long thread on a gun forum I'm on that has been tracking Disney's performance over the past few years of DEI. Not too surprisingly, they are losing a lot of money. I'm guessing someone in power finally took notice and decided that was a bad thing.
The fact that the President of Mexico is threatening to sue Google for putting the name "Gulf of America" into Google Maps for users located outside of Mexico is... weird.
I can find no other word to describe this situation.
The fact that the President of Mexico is threatening to sue Google for putting the name "Gulf of America" into Google Maps for users located outside of Mexico is... weird.
I can find no other word to describe this situation.
I interpret a lot of the Left's perceived machinations of the Trump administration as nothing more than calculated distractions akin to a magician's sleight of hand tactics. "Weird" gets attention.
The fact that the President of Mexico is threatening to sue Google for putting the name "Gulf of America" into Google Maps for users located outside of Mexico is... weird.
I can find no other word to describe this situation.
A multinational company, such as Google, complying with the laws and directives of the countries in which it does business, and tailoring the information presented to users from those specific countries to comply with the applicable laws and regulations, is unremarkable.
The President of Mexico threatening to sue them for it, that is what boggles the mind.
Unrelated:
Last edited by Joe Perez; Feb 18, 2025 at 03:53 PM.
The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency led by billionaire Elon Musk has announced a series of expenditure cuts, including $21 million allocated for "voter turnout in India." In its post, the DOGE also cancelled $29 million allocated to "strengthening political landscape in Bangladesh", as well as $20 million for "fiscal federalism" in Nepal and $19 million for "biodiversity conversation" in the Himalayan nation.
A multinational company, such as Google, complying with the laws and directives of the countries in which it does business, and tailoring the information presented to users from those specific countries to comply with the applicable laws and regulations, is unremarkable.
The President of Mexico threatening to sue them for it, that is what boggles the mind.
Unrelated:
There seems to be some conciliation between and the USA and Mexico regarding drone flights over cartel spaces, as well as possible targeted strikes. Map names certainly take the eyes off the ball.
Speaking of which...
edit:
Last edited by cordycord; Feb 18, 2025 at 10:18 PM.
Mike Benz showed Joe Rogan how the CIA/USAID/DeepState searched the internet for phrases like "Vaccine Injury" to find & neutralize American voters. Then Benz played the UNO REVERSE card & searched for the phrase "Whole Of Society"... exposing the FEDS censoring free speech in The Whole Of Society.
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