OK, so I know we all get all shitty and hectic during the Xmas season? Why? Aside from being a trumped up holiday based (loosely) around religion and (more importantly) around commerce, it's just a stressful time to get out, go shopping, buy gifts for those who will ultimately not appreciate them, etc.. When I was young, Christmas was about Santa Claus and family. Now that I'm much older, I see that it's only about money. What a shitty holiday!
Apparently concerned that it's not already doing enough to undermine local physical retailers across the country, Amazon.com announced it will pay customers $5 to go into a local store, scan an item, walk out, and buy the same item on Amazon. Please don't do this cheap, sad thing.
Everyone should boycott Amazon.com for this reason alone - permanently, if not just for the holiday season. This undermines the ability of local businesses to contribute to local economies. Sure, the arguments stating "my life is busy, and I'm all about convenience during the holidays", or that "I want to save as much as possible", will be made, but I offer this:
Savings/convenience are temperamental. Those aren't things that are assigned permanently to any goods. The fact that most will opt for savings/convenience will only result in the same thing that happened to our parents' generation. Tons of local shops will shut their doors, and all that will be left is the Amazons of the world, which will have a wrecking effect on local economies. Ready for extravagant property taxes? What about a higher sales tax? What about extra fees because the city / town you live in can't seem to generate enough tax revenue from the sales of goods in their own city / town in order to provide services for the city / town? What about the fact that Amazon pays zero sales tax? Yeah, I know - crazy, but for the majority of us, we barely stop to consider the hand that feeds us, and how much it is ruining our lives.
It's coming. Oh, I believe it to be true. Amazon (and the like) has made us culturally lazy, and mentally, it's made us feel that this laziness is some sort of reward for "frugality".
Oh, and seriously, FUCK this guy. I hope his Xmas stocking is filled with dog shit and molded oranges.
another excellent Reach Rant! No Amazon in Oz so not able to boycott, but with you in spirit...
ReplyDeleteJust wind him up and watch him go! Best to keep your hands and feet away from his mouth during rants, though.
ReplyDeleteA thoughtful piece from Wired about bookstores vs. Amazon and books vs. modernity.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/12/amazon-local-bookstore