Newspapers Will Die

It's demographics.

I am extremely pessimistic about this development. And I ought to feel guilty because for a long time, I didn't order a newspaper (I do, now). We recently passed a healthcare law no one read. Vlad Putin is overturning global norms (ie how nation states behave and interact with one another) since the end of WW2 as we speak. We have tremendous issues, both large and small to deal with for the next 5, 10, 30, to 100 years. If we believe liberal democracy has a place in finding the answers to these questions and defining the future, we need an informed citizenry. Without news, we won't. I have absolutely zero faith there will be some type of digital revolution that will make all this information free. The very idea is preposterous and ludicrous prima facie.

We are veering toward an ominous point, where authoritarian, capitalistic regimes will hold significant power. And they will exercise it -- have zero doubt about it. Read this. If we want a glance at the future, simply look at how the Russian and Chinese governments treat their people and neighbors. American democracy is not healthy. Our foreign policy is lost. Our domestic policies are bandaid solutions. Propping up the stock market and taxing Peter to pay Paul isn't the way to rejuvenate the country.

We don't have the answers, but believe me, the end of the newspapers isn't going to help us figure it out.