Why You Can't Boycott Amazon (and shouldn't even try)

We have the anti-trust laws that we need to stop companies like Amazon from ruling the world - we just need to enforce them. That part is up to us.

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I highly recommend the book 'Break 'Em Up' by Zephyr Teachout, which you can pick up on Amazon if you can't find it elsewhere:

Check out the youtube channel zentouro here along with some other great climate channels:

Sources:
10] The book "Break ‘Em Up" By Zephyr Teachout

[amrlynch]

Lately I've also had the feeling that striving to be an ethical consumer (and to try to evangelize others to do the same) has had its impact overemphasized by many people in the climate and social movements. I feel like this is largely due to human psychology. Every individual wants to feel like they're having an effect and doing good in the world--"I don't buy from Amazon, I don't support xyz" is a great way to make you feel that *you* are doing the best thing for your movement. "After all, I'm only one person, what more can I do besides removing one person from Amazon's customer base?". The reality is that real change through policy (which better attacks the roots of these problems) doesn't give us the same instant gratification and self-assurance that we seek. It's a long, slow process, where progress is difficult to measure. I feel like that aspect alone fundamentally disincentivizes people from going that route, and overincentivizes the idea of living as an "ethical consumer" instead.

[lme]

Every dollar counts no matter how small. I won’t support a corrupt business.

[stevenslater]

To say you shouldn’t even try to boycott Amazon is just ridiculous.

[leeartlee]

So what, we just give up? I’ve been fighting against Walmart for years and while I haven’t taken them down single handily, I still can’t use them in good conscience.

[acomatosemob]

I'm still going to boycott Amazon when I can, I think it's good to find alternatives if there are any to give my money to, especially locally. This doesn't stop me from also pressuring my politicians and supporting anti-Monopoly and Green candidates.

[InglésconRobert]

I am boycotting Amazon. Who cares if it won’t hurt them; at least I can sleep at night.

[saltybalty]

I buy nothing from Amazon. I never have. We can't boycott how?!

[nigahigajr]

WALL-E really got it right with Buy n Large.

[Lafv]

As a hockey fan, it was definitely weird to see that Amazon names the arena in Seattle the Climate Pledge Arena... not only is that a really dumb-sounding name, but yeah, as you said, blatant greenwashing and attention-seeking. Could’ve just called it Seattle Arena and still made it an eco-friendly building.

[aliasag]

amazon has put my business and many others out, stop buying on amazon

[noahdacheese]

When studying ecology, and understanding the effects of population dynamics, we studied how a catastrophic event leads to the creation of an old growth forest. The first little bit of time after a disturbance, there is the establishment and regeneration phase, that goes towards the young forest phase, and then to the mature and old growth phase. I've noticed that businesses grow under a similar structure, where they all start out like young trees, small and competitive, but as the forest settles and growth continues, the older trees are able to grow bigger and bigger, making space for new young growth limited, and by the old growth phase, there are only some very old well established trees around, but they have control over all the resources found in the earth around them, and their roots spread far and deep, making new, disturbing growth impossible. The difference is that while trees can only reach a certain size, and eventually fall, companies like amazon do not have a ceiling that limits their growth, like gravity does to a tree, and implementing one would be an uphill battle.

[melanieyu]

This reminds me of "the Good Place" which is on Netflix right now, where they basically figure out that being "good" is so difficult today because of how complicated everything is. I choose to not buy from Amazon as much as I can, but even more I try to not buy anything. Reducing consumption is so important and it's great for my wallet. I buy less things so that rather than having 10 pairs of jeans, I have 4 pairs that are high quality and purchased at a higher price that's ethically made. However, I neglected that reading books and acquiring knowledge is still a type of consumption.... More to think about.

[lkarlton]

I boycott Amazon. It can be done. Quit my prime account and do not use them one bit.

[lhdhdeebdhdh]

I have already closed my account I will never use them again.

[normalguy]

The biggest lie I was told is that I should vote with my dollar and not with my voice.

[OurayTheOwl]

I hate when people think you can counteract the consequences of consumerism by battling it’s side effects. This is our approach to health, economics, the environment, and it just shows how engrained this way of thinking has become.

[zippydodahquirk]

I hate Amazon. I don't buy anything from those maniacs.

[Melpheoser]

I have been boycotting Amazon for 7 years so obviously it's possible. I haven't ONE thing on Amazon.
The only thing I cannot escape is using AWS because Salesforce is on it and it's part on my job so... Well...

[fepeerreview]

Yes, yes, yes! Let's do all those things you say.
And let's also stop buying stuff through Amazon when at all possible. I haven't bought through them for the last 2 years. I have found that what I need is always available elsewhere, often through people selling directly online themselves, through their own online stores. I've also found that there are a lot of things I can buy ... get this ... OFFLINE, in brick and mortar stores in my community.

[silver]

Not living in the US makes boycotting Amazon somewhat manageable (if one excludes the idea of checking where the website one visits are hosted and taking that into acount...)
But nontheless, the core message of this video is crucial :
It is a scandal that liberal capitalists have managed to convince so much of the people who would like things to change in the world that the only way to do so is through consuming the proper products or services...
The general distrust and disinterest of politics and more specificaly collective political action by the average person has given a freeby to people with power (be it economical or political, both being heavily entertwined).
Democracy has been sinking everywhere for a while now, and it is not without link to the insufficient ecological action worldwide...