Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., has been shopping her idea for a “national divorce” — effectively, conservative secession from the U.S. — for years now.
This week, though, the conspiracy theorist’s claims garnered more attention than ever, thanks in part to her willingness to pitch it to any media outlet willing to platform her.
It’s a ludicrous proposal, of course, as our very own Joy Reid explained on Wednesday’s episode of “The ReidOut.”
Somehow, amid the public flaying of Greene’s proposal, it seems that one of its most absurd components may have gotten lost. So, at our own risk, let’s dive a little deeper into the mind of Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Pitching her plan to right-wing podcaster and professional money-waster Charlie Kirk this week, Greene went on a diatribe about employees of big entertainment companies (from the film, television and music industries) migrating to Georgia. Greene and Kirk both complained that this has made the state’s population more liberal, with Kirk even referring to “Will Ferrell and the Hollywood cabal.” (Which honestly sounds like an awesome movie.)
.@RepMTG: "A little more than 10 years ago here in Georgia, Republican Lawmakers thought it would be a great idea to offer tax credits to Hollywood filmmakers to come to Georgia to make movies … that was a major mistake" pic.twitter.com/Aw9opUzoJa
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) February 21, 2023
To be clear, luring entertainment industries with corporation-friendly tax breaks is the primary reason Georgia (and Atlanta in particular) has become one of the country’s most bustling economies in the past decade, with billions of dollars pumped into the state. And it seems Greene may have personally benefited.
Ever heard of Disney?
Last year, Insider published financial disclosure forms showing that Greene was an investor in Disney, to the tune of up to $45,000. That’s the same Disney that has filmed some of the most commercially successful films of all time in Georgia.
As Georgia officials noted last summer, four of the country’s top 10 highest-grossing movies ever — “Avengers: Endgame,” “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Infinity War” — were all filmed in the state.
They’re all Disney films. And the film and television industries set a Georgia record with the $4.4 billion spent in the state in fiscal 2022.
Nonetheless, Greene appears set on pursuing her culture war. She even proposed banning Democrats who move to a “red” state from a “blue” state from voting for five years.
“You can live there, you can work there, but you don’t get to bring your values,” Greene told Kirk.
Marjorie Taylor Greene: "If Democrat voters choose to flee these Blue states…Well, once they move to a Red state, guess what? Maybe you don't get to vote for five years" pic.twitter.com/AcAPwmYXcu
— Jason S. Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) February 21, 2023
Sounds like slavery.
The Washington Post published a thorough breakdown of what this would look like in practice. (Spoiler alert: It wouldn’t be nearly as helpful to Greene as she thinks.)
I appreciate the detail in that Post piece. But Greene’s idea itself rests on an obviously faulty premise. If she had her wish, Georgia wouldn’t be nearly as appealing a destination for big entertainment companies and the jobs and revenue they bring — or for people who work for those companies, whom she’s already planning to disenfranchise.
Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.