In a striking display of political theater, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) has leveraged baseless anti-transgender panic during Senate hearings to attack Netflix and its proposed merger with Warner Brothers. Hawley falsely claimed that nearly half of Netflix’s children’s programming promotes a „transgender ideology,” a statistic originating from a politically motivated Heritage Foundation „study.” This performative outrage is not rooted in genuine concern over media consolidation or child welfare but serves as a smokescreen for a broader, more insidious agenda. The real goal, as outlined in the article, is to scuttle the Netflix deal to allow Trump-allied billionaire Larry Ellison to acquire Warner Brothers, CNN, and HBO, thereby advancing a plan to transform significant portions of U.S. media into a MAGA-aligned propaganda machine akin to state television in authoritarian regimes like Hungary or Russia.
The article posits that the Republican attack on Netflix serves two primary functions. First, it aims to derail the merger, clearing the path for Larry Ellison—a right-wing billionaire with close ties to Donald Trump—to purchase these major media assets. Second, even if the Netflix deal proceeds, the political pressure could force Netflix to debase itself and cater to Trumpist demands to secure regulatory approval, potentially leading to the spin-off and sale of assets like CNN to Ellison regardless. This maneuver is part of a larger pattern, likened to the recent GOP-led hijacking of TikTok, where corporate acquisitions are weaponized to consolidate media power under autocrat-friendly oligarchs. The article argues that while media megamergers are generally detrimental to labor, consumers, and quality, a Netflix acquisition of Warner Brothers might be the „least bad” option compared to Ellison’s outright purchase, especially under a Trump administration that has neutered regulatory oversight.
Ultimately, the piece frames Hawley’s transphobic fear-mongering as a cynical tactic in a much larger political war over the future of American media. By dressing up a blatant power grab as a moral stand against „wokeism” and child indoctrination, the GOP and its allied think tanks like the Heritage Foundation are working to dismantle what remains of a independent press. The end goal, the article warns, is the creation of a consolidated, 24/7 propaganda apparatus designed to protect and promote autocratic power—all under the disingenuous banner of protecting children. This episode highlights how disinformation and cultural panic are being deployed as strategic tools to achieve corporate and political consolidation, pushing the U.S. media landscape further toward state-controlled television.
Ez a cikk a Neural News AI (V1) verziójával készült.