A former employee of The Washington Post is worried. It looks as though Jeff Bezos is a closet libertarian. Bezos is buying the Post.
Even the thought of a closet libertarian owning the paper is enough to send shivers down his back. What if the new owner exercises control over editorial policy? It might happen.
Usually, if a man is a closet something-or-other, he stays in the closet. But even the suspicion scares the ex-employee.
The ex-employee owns stock in the newspaper. So, he faces a crisis. If nothing changes, the paper continues its decline. It was worth billions in the pre-Internet days. It will bring $250 million when Bezos buys it. But if Bezos interferes, it may change its political slant.
What’s a liberal to do?
The real question is this: Why does Bezos want to own a print media dinosaur? Why does he think he can save a pre-Internet newspaper from the ravages of free information on the Web? Why does he think young people will ever read the Post? The future is not with newspapers.
There will be lots more ex-Post employees over the next decade. They will not make the transition from paper and ink to digits. The newspaper of record inside the Washington Beltway will not record nearly as much.
Liberals bet the farm on their control of newspapers, the FCC-licensed TV networks, and the state-funded and state-licensed educational cartel. The Internet is killing the newspapers and strangling the networks. The schools continue their decline. This is a trifecta of failure. They are not betting on the three winners. They are betting on the three losers.
"They are betting on the three losers."
And thank God for that!
If indeed Bezos 'closet' qualities find their way into editorial policy, then it can only be a good thing. More balanced reporting might bring some influence and success. I will then wish them the best.
Bezos is one of the smartest and most innovative businessmen out there. He does not make foolish moves nor does he strive for failure. He has a plan, and that plan will make money. Hopefully it will also turn what once was a great newspaper around. Maybe he plans on printing real news not just propaganda and opinion pieces. That would be refreshing. See my blog at http://cranky-conservative.blogspot.com
We can certainly hope you are correct about Bezos. How refreshing it would be to see some objective based news. However, it's possible he prints news that appeals to the lowest element of thinkers. Remember Ayn Rand's Fountainhead. Gail Wynand, the owner and editor-in-chief of the Banner sold out everything he believed in. Also, Alan Greenspan sold out sound monetary theory as Fed chairman.
"Libertarian" is a matter of perspective. This newspaper person may be so Statist that he considers Hitler "OK except he hated Jews and Roma".
I think the Koch Brothers show the way on Libetarians owning newspapers. Lots of angst and hysteria from "liberals".
The Kochs traded in their libertarian card a while ago.
If this fellow produces a product people value,he will be fine. The paper in my town has gone to less than seven day print, and they keep scratching their heads. Perhaps if they wrote articles that mattered or that people wanted to read then someone may pay for it. I'm not holding my breath…
Well one thing any of these brave investors could start doing is have a dedicated report in every print of how many people saved their lives by owning a gun and using them to defend themselves. I mean come on liberals think that the way to protect people is by making them more defend less to criminals. Oh and of course a criminal is not going to have a gun because some liberal said he couldn't. Yeah right. Real people want to know what is happening that is actually going to turn around the decay of civilized society. For Pete's sake look what had to done to fix nazi Germany .I believe our military actually used guns and yes violence.
This is about an American's right to protect and defend the home, loved ones, and means of making a living in our great Country. It's just that simple. It's a normal human response to danger and threat to loved ones, life and limb, and the need to protect one's livelihood from criminals, psychos, sociopaths, and those with poor moral character who have no respect for law, societal rules, and life in general. It's just plain ol' common sense! It would be rare,if not impossible, to find someone else to do this for you, except for law enforcement officers who often are not available in time!