mtutiger

So much for the "he pissed off the bosses" spin lol

Given their track record getting convictions in DC/LA during their occupations, it's definitely a possibility.

Exactly - she shows contempt for Kimmel, but knows how it looks to the broader public.

You know the regime screwed up when they have Bari Weiss disagreeing with them lol

Cannot wait to see what the President hand selects for all of us to be entertained with

I don't think it gives them any cover.... hence why this has become a much larger deal than Colbert ever was.

With respect to the bolded, the reporting from Status and others seem to indicate that his "bosses" at ABC are as confused as we are as to what he did that was actually wrong. He hasn't even been technically fired yet either. Not even defending their cowardice, but it lays bare that this action is 100% happening because the administration wants it to happen. As you say, no more simple or complex than that.

The state is apparently now the arbiter of what is funny or not

Oh I know... Even though collective action would probably be better for business in the long run

To this end

The academic research is interesting, but it's really just the difference between a liberal democracy and illiberal/totalitarianism... In a liberal democracy, we have the rule of law. In totalitarianism, the laws are irrelevant, what the government says is the law is the law. We aren't to the latter yet... But there is no doubt in my mind that if this administration has its way, it's where they want us to end up.

Your statement really applies beyond politics as well. The American public is more wise to this administration than the elites are... Yet the elites keep aquiescing anyway. Media, very smart pundits (ie. Ezra Klein, Yglesias, etc.) law firms, universities, corporations.

Another blast from the past lol

Among the de jure Nuremberg Laws was prohibiting Germans and Jews from marriage and intercourse. That's a terrible law that infringed upon the rights of the German population. But it was legal, so...

The Nazi Party controlled Germany and were the ultimate arbiters of what was legal and illegal within Germany until they fell from power.

Incredible stuff

Does Trump have the law behind him here? It's an open question. Either way, taken to its logical conclusion, merely disagreeing with any political action by any President makes one a child so long as it's technically legal. That's dumb and not how politics has ever worked.

Does that make Republicans children for every time they complained about something Obama or Biden did?

It's not even clear the bosses know what was problematic...

Yeah, the discussion of whether Carr, obo Trump, technically has the right to do this kinda glides past the question of whether he should do it in the first place. Or what it says about this administration and how it feels about speech it doesn't like. Either way, one thing that distinguishes this action from Colbert is that that action was more subtle... and the talking point about his shows profitability muddied the waters enough to make it seem innocuous. The smoking gun (ie. Carr's appearance on Benny Johnson) makes it is pretty clear what happened here. People shouldn't be obliged to play dumb about any of it