Michael Eisner: born-again political philospher

Well, well, well. The head of Disney has concluded that Abe Lincoln would have loved the Internet but hated file-sharing. Quote from his FT article:

“In other words, thinkers both major and minor, in words both profound and mundane, have asserted the primacy of property ownership in a free society. It is as American as the apple pie that one may not take off a neighbour’s kitchen ledge.

In writing this, I am not just speaking from the self-interest of the head of an entertainment company. For me, theft of property, via the internet or any other way, is not only alarming because of the material loss but also disconcerting because it implies the loss of the moral compass on which our society is based.”

There’s a lot more in this vein. Am reminded of Dr. Johnson’s comment about a dog walking on its hind legs. One is surprised not that he does it well, but that he can do it at all.

Thanks to AA for alerting me to this engaging example of Hollywood cant.