Trump's enemy is not your friend: why we shouldn't defend Amazon

[lordsummerisle]

Thomas Frank from theguardian.com

Why must we choose between the worst president of our lifetimes and one of the most rapacious corporate enterprises in the country?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/07/amazon-donald-trump-america-jeff-bezos

[exboyfil]

1. Trump's attacks imply that a cozy quid pro quo

exists with the contract with the USPS. This is a serious charge, and a normal individual would actually have some evidence that this is the case. Underlying the accusation is that the Washington Post is the vehicle that is part of the quid pro quo to support the USPS whose membership is generally favorable to the Democrats.

The irony is that the greatest benefit that Amazon receives is that the pricing policy for rural deliveries definitely subsidizes those areas at the expense of more urban areas. I wonder if the GOP really wants to pull on that thread.

[njhoneybadger]

2. It's more about his attacks on the Washington post and the post office.

Not about defending Jeff Bezos

[emulatorloo]

3. Trumps problem is with the Washington Post and their solid reporting on his corruption

His attacks on Amazon are just a distraction. And he is lying about Amazon’s relationship with the USPS. He’s lying about the USPS as well.

“TRUMP IS LIKE, ‘HOW CAN I F--K WITH HIM?’”: TRUMP’S WAR WITH AMAZON (AND THE WASHINGTON POST) IS PERSONAL
With the West Wing finally calm, Trump is contemplating a multi-front campaign against Jeff Bezos.

BY GABRIEL SHERMAN

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/04/trump-war-with-amazon-and-the-washington-post-is-personal


——————


Oh btw, from your linked article by Thomas Frank:

“Similarly, I despise what this president is doing to the US – but after watching CNN or reading the Washington Post’s op-ed page I sometimes want to like Trump too. That’s how their transparently unfair coverage affects me.”

Fuck that noise.

[CentralMass]

4. Good article. Thank you for posting it..

[emulatorloo]

5. Uh-huh. Poor poor Donald Trump, WAPO is so mean to him!

“Similarly, I despise what this president is doing to the US – but after watching CNN or reading the Washington Post’s op-ed page I sometimes want to like Trump too. That’s how their transparently unfair coverage affects me.”

So UNFAIR!

[CentralMass]

8. I agree with the author of the article. I don't like trump but don't like Amazon either.

They are a "new Anerican Monopoly"

[emulatorloo]

11. One can dislike Amazon without lying about the solid work WAPO has done on the Trump Admin

as Thomas Frank did in his OPed. Undercuts his entire argument when he acts as a Trump apologist and echoes Trump’s “fake news” claims about CNN and the WAPO by calling them “transparently unfair”.

As others have noted these attacks from Trump aren’t about Amazon.

They are about good journalism Trump doesn’t like.

Frank just goes along with Trump’s “fake news” framing. It’s bullshit.

[CentralMass]

14. Can you point out where the author lies about the WAPO ?

I looked but could find it.

"Trump hates Amazon, and its chief executive, and his newspaper the Washington Post. But Trump’s blustering animosity doesn’t make Amazon an admirable company. Nor does it make the Washington Post a temple of objectivity, untainted by the capital’s culture of influence-peddling."

Is that what you are talking about ?

[emulatorloo]

15. I quoted the relevant passage to you in my post above. But here it is again:

Thomas Frank writes:

“Similarly, I despise what this president is doing to the US – but after watching CNN or reading the Washington Post’s op-ed page I sometimes want to like Trump too. That’s how their transparently unfair coverage affects me.”

———

So per Frank, Washington Post and CNN are “transparently unfair” in their coverage of Trump.

That’s just a rephrasing of Trump’s “fake news” claims about the Washington Post.

It is bullshit when Trump says it.

It is bullshit when Thomas Frank says it.

[CentralMass]

16. Well I like the Post and dont think they treat tRump unfairly but that is my opinion.

I do however agree withthe main point and title of his article.

[emulatorloo]

17. Fair enough.

however, I think Franks’ biases cause him to miss the bigger picture.

As an aside, there are plenty of reasons to criticize Amazon, but Trump’s “reasons” regarding Amazon and the USPS are lies. Again, this isn’t about Amazon, it is about journalism.

[Trust Buster]

6. Thomas Frank said very little in the article. He did not make a substantive case against Amazon.

[CentralMass]

12. That was not the focus and point of his article. However he referenced

articlle that do.
I

[hlthe2b]

7. we once went after monopolies, even under Reagan... But this is sooooo interlinked in Trump's

vengeance and personal insecurities/animosity, it is hard to see it the same way as Ma Bell and other infamous monopolies. Especially when they have given free license to every damned corrupt business in this country.

Not to mention the fact that Amazon's damage to local businesses was preceded by Walmart's business practices. Even if both went away today, I would not see a ready recovery. I think it is waaay too late. Maybe we should try, but not in this period of Trump-induced corruption. I see NOTHING getting better with his personal thumb on the scale.

[CentralMass]

9. I am not an Anazon member and chose not to purchase items through Anazon.

Thats a start. Want to join me ?

[hlthe2b]

10. If I can find a product locally, I do and am willing to wait if I have to order from local store,

even if the cost is higher. Especially with books.

There are things I can not get any other place without ordering online and that is merely a fact of life. Often that requires ordering from Amazon. I don't apologize for that. I also proudly and determinedly subscribe to both my local newspaper AND the Washington Post. I will continue to do so.

[Adrahil]

18. Gotta admit... If its a mass produced item...

I rarely bother with little local stores. It takes more time, it’s usually more expensive, and I have to drive to get there.

For those things, Amazon is my go-to. If someone wants to offer a competitive service, I’m all ears.

I shop local for specialty items and usually eat at local restaurants.

[wryter2000]

21. I usually look for other places to buy things

Costco dot com's delivery is about as fast as Amazon's. Ditto REI

[johnp3907]

13. Frank can shove his opinions up his ass!

All he and his magazine the Baffler did in the run up to the 2016 election was tell us Hillary Clinton iwas worse than Hitler.

[ismnotwasm]

20. Thank you

I thought people had forgotten.

[ismnotwasm]

19. I almost stopped reading at cyber oligarchs

I think criticism of Amazon is well founded and can be and is done without hyperbole, a devise this particular author, NOT my favorite to say the least writing an article that barely speaks to why, and then states he almost “likes Trump”

I have never used Amazon.