The Law of Unintended Consequences

The most interesting thing about the Disney Company's refusal to let its Miramax subsidiary distribute the new Michael Moore film, "Fahrenheit 911," is Disney's open fear of retaliation against its Florida empire by Gov. Jeb Bush, the president's smarter, younger brother. According to the NY Times, "Mr. [Michael D.] Eisner [Disney's chief executive] expressed particular concern that it would endanger tax breaks Disney receives for its theme park, hotels and other ventures in Florida, where Mr. Bush's brother, Jeb, is governor."

Wonder how the guv feels about being so publicly fingered as little more than a vindictive thug with the power to punish corporations which cross "The Family." Or how Eisner feels being outed as such a craven little weenie.

Of course, what this will end up doing is making Michael Moore's Bush-bashing film all the more famous for the censorship being exerted against it, so that when it DOES get distributed, which it inevitably will, though probably not by Miramax, more people will flock to see it ... the unintended consequences of censorship in a putatively FREE society.