Morning Star :: Only a boycott will stop Amazons persistent abuse of its workforce

It doesnt want to pay its taxes, it doesnt want to pay a living wage, it doesnt want to pay publishers, distributors or authors its time to act, says JIM JEPPS

Today has become known as Black Friday, an import from the US, where the pre-Christmas shopping frenzy reaches peak stupidity. Things have got so frantic in the US that in last two years running two people were shot in separate incidents over wide-screen TVs, parking spaces and for their rights to spend like an enraged bull.

Large corporations use the day to focus US attention on filling their coffers to the extent that advertising for goods and services becomes indistinguishable from down-the-line propaganda for capitalist consumerism.

Ever the more level-headed neighbours in Canada responded in 1992 with an activists annual Buy Nothing Day where they advocate taking a day off rampant consumerism and perhaps reassessing how happy our possessions really make us anyway.

So indistinguishable from big politics has Black Friday become that this week in Ferguson pastor Jamal Bryant, who was arrested last month for protesting against police violence, has declared a total boycott this weekend. He said: If a white officer kills a child he is still worthy to work? Black children matter. Black lives matter ... our generation stand because they refuse to roll over ... marching is good, praying is necessary (but) we need a clear economic agenda ... this Friday will be Black and Blue Friday, on this coming Thanksgiving black people will not be marching to stores, but marching against injustice.

The pastor declared: Lets shut it down. We are standing with the workers of Walmart at thousands of stores across the country who will not be working because they deserve a liveable wage. We declare war on poverty, we declare war on injustice and we declare war on anybody who does not respect black children. We are going to keep our money to ourselves until the red, white and blue salutes the black in this country.

In Britain most of us who encounter Black Friday do so via Amazon, which artificially ramps up sales as as it tries to get us to do our Christmas shopping entirely through them. As its near monopoly strengthens it is threatening the very existence of independent stores particularly book shops. Its estimated that one book store closes a week and thats a trend that will continue unless we resist it.

Some booksellers in Britain are hitting back against tax-avoiding Amazon with a cheeky Black and Red Friday, calling on people to boycott the online retailer this Christmas.

Nik Gorecki of the Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB) and left bookshop Housmans said: The public is waking up to the bad business practices of Amazon and a new boycott Amazon campaign this year has been gaining real momentum. This year the Alliance of Radical Booksellers is asking you to help spread the word about the alternatives to Amazon and support the alternative by way of your local radical bookshops.

As Uli Lenart, of Bloomsburys Gays the Word bookshop says: In spite of the complex and powerful dominance of multinational corporations the secret to society safeguarding our independent, local booksellers and businesses is really quite simple. Support them by spending in them even if it is just once a year at Christmas and they will continue to flourish and provide a humane and heartfelt local community service.

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Morning Star :: Only a boycott will stop Amazons persistent abuse of its workforce