Democracy dies in broad daylight

The Washington Post, Donald Trump and America’s Putin moment

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I don’t think any recent story has felt so ominous as news of the Washington Post’s grovelling before Donald Trump.  It foretells a future where oligarchs cut deals with autocrats to sell off the guard rails of democracy as so much scrap metal.  

The Post is owned by Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, and the world’s second-richest man. As he’s  worth $211 billion, you’d think he could not be intimidated. Indeed, one of the boasts of the superrich when they move into politics is that they are so obscenely wealthy no one will ever be able to bribe or threaten them.

But, of course, they can always be bribed because no amount of wealth is ever enough for men like Bezos. They always want more. And if Trump can give them more, they will cut a deal, even if that means selling out press freedom.