World Still Spinning, Despite Best Efforts

My worldview is bleak—that’s how I concluded last week’s edition of this newsletter. This statement has sparked a few discussions over the past few days, so today, I promise to brighten the mood. We will discuss the significance of joy in activism and resistance, news fatigue and strategies for staying informed without feeling overwhelmed, and the decline of the free internet alongside the rise of paywalls. Oh, and we seem to prefer bashing poor people over holding rich criminals accountable.

The Audacity of Joy in the Face of Creeping Tyranny

The United States currently finds itself under the sway of a reality TV star who, with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, is indeed fulfilling his outrageous campaign promises. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Germany—a nation that has spent decades constructing safeguards against its own dark history—now sees its carefully built “Brandmauer” (firewall) against extremism becoming increasingly vulnerable. It’s as if the ghosts of the past have decided to throw a reunion party, and everyone’s invited. This pervasive sense of bleakness, this feeling that we’re all extras in a particularly grim episode of “Black Mirror,” is enough to drive one to despair—or to the bottle.

I am reminded of a powerful testament from a past struggle, a time when the LGBTQ+ community faced an enemy as implacable as death itself. “During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis,” goes this poignant recollection, “we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced all night. The dancing is what keeps you in the fight.” This is the essence of resistance distilled to its purest form. It’s a cocktail of grief, rage, and joy, served with a twist of indomitable human spirit.

While the precise origin of this quote remains uncertain, it reminds us that pursuing joy is not merely a frivolous distraction but a vital component of sustained activism and resilience. The quote’s emphasis on dancing as a source of strength challenges the notion that activism must be a sombre, joyless endeavour. Instead, it suggests that moments of levity and communal celebration are crucial in maintaining the emotional and psychological fortitude required for a long-term struggle. This perspective is particularly relevant today, as we face a resurgence of authoritarian tendencies and social regression. The forces that seek to oppress and marginalise often aim to demoralise their opponents, to drain them of hope and energy. We deny these forces a crucial victory by engaging in activities that bring us joy.

The quote’s structure—burying, protesting, and dancing—illustrates the complex nature of effective resistance. It acknowledges the importance of mourning and honouring those lost, the necessity of direct political action, and the revitalising power of communal celebration. In our current context, this multifaceted approach to activism remains crucial. Whether we’re fighting for racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, or environmental protection, we must recognise that effective movements require a balance of sombre reflection, direct action, and joyful solidarity.

Perhaps the most powerful aspect of this quote is its underlying message of hope. Despite facing a devastating epidemic and widespread societal discrimination, the LGBTQ+ community found ways to persist, fight, and even dance. This persistence in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds serves as a reminder that hope and joy can flourish even in the darkest times. In our current era, when the challenges we face can seem overwhelming, this message is more important than ever. It reminds us that finding moments of joy and connection is not a betrayal of our cause, but a vital part of sustaining our fight for a better world. The wisdom encapsulated in this quote transcends its original context, offering a blueprint for resilience and resistance that remains relevant today. It challenges us to embrace joy not as an escape from our struggles, but as an integral part of them. In doing so, we deny our oppressors the satisfaction of our despair and fortify ourselves for the long fight ahead. Joy is not the enemy of serious purpose; it is its lifeblood.

Chasing Pennies While Billions Slip Away

This week, Süddeutsche Zeitung revealed a significant issue: criminals are stealing 50 billion euros annually from the nation’s funds. This is not mere theft but rather a Hollywood-style heist involving fake companies and money laundering schemes. While this scam threatens the German economy, our politicians, both left and right, persistently focus on minor gains from citizens, discussing cuts to social benefits instead of addressing the larger problem. Tell me, is this ignorance a result of incompetence, indifference, or a deliberate choice to sustain the current situation? In any rational world, this monumental theft from the public purse would dominate every election debate and headline. But have you heard a word about it?

Farewell to Free — The Great Paywall Uprising

Have you noticed? The era of the free Internet is drawing to a close, and the consequences are far more severe than many realise. What was once an ocean of knowledge accessible to all is rapidly devolving into a cesspool of misinformation, clickbait, and AI-generated drivel. Consider Reddit: the platform serves as a treasure trove of human experience. Or, as The Atlantic expressed: “As Google has begun to offer more and more vacuous SEO sites and ads in response to queries, many people have started adding Reddit to their searches to find thoughtful, human-written answers.” Now, Reddit has embraced the alluring power of AI, beta-testing Reddit Answers, an “AI-powered conversational interface,” which functions as an AI chatbot. The new search screen on the homepage allows some users to input queries, which Reddit Answers addresses by pulling relevant discussions and composing responses. Essentially, the very platform promoting “authentic human connection” now offers interaction with an algorithm. Gone are the meandering threads where one might stumble upon a gem of wisdom nestled between immature jokes and heated arguments. In their place, we find sterile bullet points and bland summaries as if human discourse could be distilled into a corporate Powerpoint presentation. It’s as if we’ve taken the Mona Lisa and reduced it to a stick figure drawing, then proclaimed it an improvement in the name of efficiency.

Yet Reddit’s descent into the uncanny valley of AI-generated content is merely a symptom of a larger malaise infecting the Internet. The Internet is turning into a rubbish dump, and we’re all knee-deep in it. At least the free version. I predict that professional communities and reputable publications will retreat behind paywalls, taking their expertise with them. A simple search through Google will fade away; if you desire quality results for your queries, you will have to pay an AI firm in the future. This shift would have profound implications. The dream of the Internet as a great equaliser is dying. Instead, we’re creating a two-tiered system: a free Internet full of unreliable information for the masses, and a premium Internet with quality content for those who can afford it. Imagine a world where accurate news is only available to subscribers, while the general public is left to wade through a quagmire of sensationalism and fake news. The potential for manipulation and the widening of societal divides is staggering. We risk creating an information aristocracy, where the well-informed few have a massive advantage over the misinformed many. At this point, I wish to express my love for public broadcasting. Whenever I hear the introductory music for NDR’s Nordstory, joy courses through my veins. I’m still unsure what to make of that suggestion by the German Greens to have public broadcasters build a European alternative to Facebook, Twitter, and Co.

Back to the Internet: The solution isn’t simple, but it’s clear that we’re at a crossroads. We must find a way to incentivise the creation of quality, freely accessible content while also supporting the experts and creators who produce valuable information. Perhaps a model of micro-payments, or a reimagining of how we value and distribute online content. One thing is certain: if we don’t address this issue, we risk losing one of the greatest achievements of the modern age – the democratization of knowledge. The free Internet as we know it is gasping its last breaths. Unless we act, we may find ourselves in a new dark age, where truth is hidden behind paywalls and the masses are left to drown in a sea of digital detritus. As a journalist, I must clarify that while it is vital to maintain free access to essential information and public interest journalism, paywalls do play a significant role in sustaining specialised, high-quality content. They establish a model for valuing intellectual property in the digital age and ensure that content creators can continue to produce work that enriches our online experience. As we navigate the future of the Internet, finding the right balance between open access and sustainable content creation will be crucial to fostering a vibrant, diverse, and informative digital landscape.

The Tyranny of Constant Updates

Apropos paying for quality content: Krautreporter features an insightful article by Isolde Ruhdorfer and Theresa Bäuerlein on news fatigue. And I think you should buy and read it. Many people have chosen to avoid news due to exhaustion and anxiety. The issue, they argue, is not the world’s state but the overwhelming information; people handle acute crises better than prolonged uncertainty, and a constant update stream leads to stress. While empathy is positive, constant exposure to suffering can cause compassion fatigue; a certain emotional distance is sometimes beneficial. Modern technology fosters impatience, leading people to expect instant solutions, often favouring quick updates over in-depth news. The authors conclude with three rules to combat news fatigue: not needing to know everything, not needing to feel everything, and avoiding ignorance. This balanced approach resembles that of undertakers, who maintain emotional distance to be effective. Ultimately, the article stresses finding ways to stay informed without becoming overwhelmed by negative news. One option could be a subscription to Krautreporter, a digital magazine launched for those seeking a clear and focused source of information—without distraction, agenda, or advertising.

If you will allow me a moment of uncharacteristic optimism, I would like to echo the words of that German news anchor, Ingo Zamperoni, who concludes every show with, “Bleiben Sie zuversichtlich!” Indeed, do not lose hope.

John Stanley Hunter