Yesterday, a local woman found herself digging down an internet rabbit hole. What started with a google search about the French Revolution had taken her to a tutorial on training crows to do your bidding. These related suggested searches held the potential to take her to even wilder places online. That was until she hit the paywall.
In a single moment, all the enthusiasm she felt popped into nothingness like a balloon met with the sharpest tack. Her quest to learn more about this blue orb we share came to a screeching halt with the message popping up, akin to a jump-scare in a horror flick. She gasped audibly, as one would expect. Then she shut her laptop closed and flung it across the room. As she should.
$4! FOUR DOLLARS! To read! “Democracy Dies in Darkness”. That’s the Washington Post’s slogan. One can only assume that it was just intended as a statement rather than a warning. Democracy dies in darkness…. and it will cost you to keep that from happening! Don’t want your democracy dead? Better shell out money you don’t have to shed light on our broken global system then!
$4 to learn more about our decaying civilisation? In this economy!? When being dumb is both nicer and free? The choice was as straightforward as they come. Window closed. It did not matter how intriguing the headline was or that her train of thought had been derailed. She was better off not knowing. We all are.
With the $4 she had saved, she now can go on to bigger and better things. Maybe a reasonable lunch. Or seven-ish cans of coca cola.
The Ipe Collection 