Reagan would tell Americans to watch this Netflix merger hearing closely — here's why

On Tuesday successful Washington, Congress is holding a high-stakes proceeding that goes good beyond Hollywood — it’s astir American jobs, who controls our media and U.S. nationalist security. If Ronald Reagan were live today, helium would impulse each American to ticker this proceeding closely. Reagan understood that culture, storytelling and media are almighty weapons successful the conflict of ideas — and that overseas adversaries usage them to weaken escaped societies from within.

Lawmakers are weighing whether U.S. companies similar Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery volition beryllium allowed to vie and turn — oregon whether authorities enactment volition weaken them astatine a infinitesimal erstwhile overseas powers are aggressively utilizing media and civilization to power the world.

This matters to mundane Americans due to the fact that media is nary longer conscionable entertainment. It shapes nationalist opinion, exports American values and serves arsenic a counterweight to authoritarian propaganda. When U.S. companies are weakened, overseas governments — particularly China — capable the void.

Decisions made Tuesday connected Capitol Hill volition assistance find whether American storytelling remains autarkic and secure, oregon whether overseas power gains adjacent much crushed wrong 1 of America’s astir almighty strategical assets.

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At the halfway of this statement is the projected merger betwixt Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery. This should not beryllium treated arsenic conscionable different firm deal. It straight affects American jobs, American moviemaking and America’s quality to vie successful a planetary accusation war.

For much than a century, American films and tv person carried our values astir the satellite — freedom, creativity and unfastened expression. That taste power has been 1 of America’s top strategical advantages. Today, it is nether existent threat.

The amusement manufacture supports hundreds of thousands of good-paying American jobs — writers, actors, camera crews, editors, visual-effects artists, acceptable builders, marketers and engineers. These are middle-class jobs dispersed crossed states similar California, Georgia, New Mexico, Texas and New Jersey.

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And this is not theoretical.

Netflix precocious committed $1 cardinal to physique a caller accumulation workplace astatine the erstwhile Fort Monmouth Army basal successful New Jersey, a task expected to make much than 5,000 high-paying American jobs. That concern transforms a erstwhile subject basal into an motor of American production, innovation and employment — and it lone happens erstwhile companies person the standard and stableness to put for the agelong term.

Streaming, however, is capital-intensive. When companies are weakened oregon fragmented, productions slow, opportunities shrink and layoffs follow. Scale brings stability. Stability protects — and creates — jobs.

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A combined Netflix–Warner Bros. Discovery would make a stronger, much resilient American institution capable to put consistently successful U.S. production. That means much projects made present astatine location and much investments similar Fort Monmouth, not fewer.

Hollywood, however, is much than an industry. It is simply a strategical nationalist asset.

American movies and tv scope much radical globally than immoderate authorities programme oregon diplomatic initiative. They signifier however the satellite views the United States and service arsenic a almighty counterweight to authoritarian propaganda.

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China understands this — which is wherefore it tightly controls media astatine location and heavy invests successful state-backed platforms abroad.

And we person already seen however that censorship works.

Consider "Top Gun: Maverick." The movie was a monolithic planetary success. Yet China refused to let it to beryllium shown successful its theaters.

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Why?

Because of a tiny spot connected Tom Cruise’s leather formation overgarment depicting the emblem of Taiwan.

Not violence. Not violative content. A overgarment patch.

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That azygous awesome was capable for Beijing to artifact the movie entirely. The connection was unmistakable: entree to China’s marketplace requires governmental compliance and self-censorship.

The Netflix logo connected 1 of their buildings successful the Hollywood vicinity of Los Angeles, Dec. 2, 2025. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

Ronald Reagan understood this combat agelong earlier streaming existed. He knew movies, tv and storytelling were almighty tools successful the conflict of ideas — and that overseas oregon communist power implicit American media posed a existent threat. As Reagan warned, "Freedom is ne'er much than 1 procreation distant from extinction." Protecting American taste enactment became a cornerstone of his presidency.

That acquisition matters present much than ever.

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There are besides superior concerns astir overseas wealth entering the American media ecosystem — and the national-security risks that travel with it.

Some competing proposals involving bequest studios would shrink the tract from 5 large studios to four, concentrating much powerfulness successful less hands and driving up costs for families who conscionable privation to ticker a movie astatine home. That benignant of consolidation reduces competition, limits prime and historically leads to layoffs — not innovation.

Even much troubling, immoderate projected takeovers are reportedly backed by $24 cardinal from overseas governments, including Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.

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I americium hardly a instrumentality of excessive regulation. But we person laws connected the books for a crushed — to support the American marketplace and the American radical from overseas manipulation.

Let’s beryllium clear: $24 cardinal from the Middle East is not philanthropy.

In today’s world, power is power. When American contented is weakened, thing other fills the void—and increasingly, that contented is shaped oregon approved by authoritarian governments.

Foreign governments bash not put billions successful American media for fun. They bash it to summation leverage, power narratives, and signifier what radical spot and hear. That is simply a nonstop nationalist information concern.

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In today’s world, power is power. When American contented is weakened, thing other fills the void — and increasingly, that contented is shaped oregon approved by authoritarian governments.

That is not conscionable an economical issue. It is simply a nationalist information issue.

To beryllium clear, I person been openly captious of Netflix successful the past, peculiarly erstwhile it comes to immoderate of its woke and extremist programming decisions. I person not hesitated to telephone those retired publicly, and I won’t halt doing so.

I besides bash not ain banal successful Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, oregon immoderate of the companies discussed here.

My presumption is not astir defending a corp — it is astir defending American workers, American creativity and America’s strategical interests astatine a infinitesimal erstwhile taste power and nationalist information are inseparable.

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The Netflix–Warner Bros. Discovery merger does not destruct competition. The streaming marketplace remains crowded and fiercely competitive. This woody simply allows an American institution to vie astatine standard against Big Tech and state-backed overseas players.

Ronald Reagan knew taste power was nationalist power. That information hasn’t changed.

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In a planetary contention wherever China and different overseas powers are utilizing civilization arsenic leverage, America cannot spend to weaken 1 of its astir almighty tools.

This merger strengthens it.