Reading about the disgusting decisions of the Los Angeles Times and Washington Post to withhold endorsements of presidential candidates at the behest of their billionaire owners, I was reminded of a meme I saw on, as I recall, Facebook. On the left was the face of a police officer and on the right the Guy Fawkes mask associated with Anonymous. Wikipedia describes Anonymous as

a decentralized group of anonymous online activists … a label used by high-profile hackers to make themselves unrecognizable to law enforcement as well as the public. They are associated with many online and offline protests. These protests commonly relate to freedom of speech. They often protest against … censorship.

Their tagline: “We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.”

The meme was posted during the disruptions arising from the murder of George Floyd.

The message is apt now, especially as I read the pablum-like statement published by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein describing the Post’s decision as “surprising and disappointing.” I have only read of one resignation so far, Robert Kagan, the editor-at-large. Others are likely considering a similar step. I say: DON’T RESIGN! Not yet.

This is not the time to yield to the fascist forces of darkness without a fight.

The Post is likely dead as a journalistic force and hopefully also as a viable economic entity. Many subscribers are canceling their relationship with the paper. Ironically, I had just received an email from the Post advising of the auto-renewal next month of my own subscription. Not a chance. If the Post wants to be Fox-light, I have no interest in reading it.

Jeff Bezos’ compromise of the Post’s editorial independence will, I believe, justly be met with the destruction of his investment. He may not care, given his wealth, but his decision to align the Post with Donald Trump, and make no mistake – that is what has happened – will lead to massive disaffection of readers and, one hopes, advertisers.

So, what to do? Instead of resigning, the remaining staff of the Post should publish the paper’s endorsement of the Harris/Walz ticket as it had planned. Just do it! Force Bezos’ hand. He may fire you, but your chances of long-term employment at the Post are slim at best in the face of its journalistic suicide. So, DO NOT OBEY. RESIST! Publish the endorsement.

If Bezos starts firing staff, walk out together and leave the ashes of this once great newspaper for Bezos to clean up. With no employees, he can’t produce a newspaper in hard copy or online. Refuse to be the fake news that Donald Trump has always accused you of and stand for what is right before it is too late. And, one hopes, the union(s) representing the Post’s staff will bring suits against the company and the people behind the decision to destroy the paper’s editorial independence while maintaining the now-ludicrous slogan that Democracy Dies in Darkness. The Darkness is here in the form of Donald Trump and everything he represents. In the words made famous by the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas: “Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”