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Books were very expensive and it was rare for people to own books not so long ago. The printing press may have made it easier to publish books and more affordable to buy books but they were still expensive for the common person.
One of the nice things about e-books is that we have a real oppertunity to establish a system where books are not as expensive, easier to purchase, easier to store and hence more available to the entire population.
I am a capitalist who believes in safety nets. Let the market work with some level of regulation to protect people in places where it makes sense, like safety, health, and the like. If the people of France want to keep their small independent bookstores, they will choose to shop there for books no matter what the price. If the people of France choose to shop at places that are less expensive, than they have told the government what they want. Let the market work.
There are independent bookstores in the US. Heck, there are even some in major cities. I can think of a few in DC. They are there because they provide excellent service, great programs, and the people in the area can afford the slightly more expensive prices. The people in those communities have voted with their dollars. Borders is gone but some Independents survived. The system works.
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