I have subscribed to the Wall Street Journal (along with the New York Times) off and on for many years. Its excellent news pages have been accompanied by conservative editorials and often marred by kooky or mean-spirited contributions to the editorial pages. Nonetheless, even in the editorial pages, I have often enjoyed the writing of people like Peggy Noonan.
Nonetheless, tomorrow I will cancel my subscription to the Wall Street Journal. A few days ago, the Journal suggested that Clinton, the Democratic Party, and FBI colluded with the Russians. It demanded an investigation and called for the resignation of Robert Mueller. For a summary, see http://www.businessinsider.com/wsj-mueller-trump-russia-dossier-collusion-clinton-2017-10
I will cancel not just because the Journal has crossed over into Fox, Limbaugh, Breitbart territory and not just because the Journal can no longer be thought of as a serious newspaper. By joining the liars and lunatics, the Journal in calling for Mueller’s resignation has abandoned the rule of law for undisclosed reasons. Perhaps this flight from sane political discourse was dictated by the owner. I don’t know, but it is a sad example of the deterioration of our political system. Even before Trump was running for office, Seana Shiffrin was warning in her book Speech Matters that lies undermine trust, and democracy cannot properly function without trust. She was right then and all too right now.
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