The other day it struck me that everything I do – absolutely everything – succeeds in making life that little bit worse for someone else. There’s very little we can do to tackle the many, many problems of 21st Century existence, mainly because we can’t all seem to agree on what counts as a “problem”. Indeed, what one person thinks is unacceptable might be the one thing keeping another person going.
So whilst it often doesn’t feel as though there’s anything we can do to make the world a better place, we can at least all make a difference if we stop doing certain things. If you think that anything you do might be making life harder for anyone else, stop doing it.
Poverty, inequality, war, famine and disease feel a little out of my league at the moment. That’s why I’ve decided to start off small and try and make a difference in relation to what might well be the two most important things in my life – work and music. Essentially, it recently became apparent that I can no longer justify using Amazon.
Now, I’m not writing propaganda here, and I’m not expecting all who come across my reasoning to immediately agree with me without reservation. I know that some of my arguments are flawed, imperfect and immensely biased, just as I know that some of the alternatives I suggest will not be for everyone.
But please, take some time to think about my position and, should a chord be struck at any point, consider addressing your own use of Amazon and other similar sites.
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11 Comments
You think Amazon tracking your search history is creepy, take a look at Google and what are doing and planning to do with your search history. I also like how Amazon got praise in media recently about them charging products at a profit loss, which will ultimately hurt their employees.
Simple, it’s not just Amazon. Anything, anywhere, anyhow that relies on money (that is almost everyone and everything in our world, today) should be wiped off, simply because money shoud be wiped off. If anyone really think money is so good for us, I’d suggest they check out some of the stuff the Rothschild and Rockefeller families have been doing for the past two centuries and then come back and tell me how everyone needs money. Many have said it in the past, i’m thinking particularly of Roger Waters “Money is the root of all evil today”. And yesterday. And tomorrow.
But since we live in a world that has (as long as we’re concerned) never known anything else than a system based on money, it’s hard for many of us to think of and accept any other kind of way of living, just as it is hard for us to grasp the concept of a world with no Internet. Just ask those uncontacted tribes living in Peru’s forests if they feel like they need all those Platinum credit cards and sneakers with lights in them we are told we need so much. They’ll get a good laugh.
A bit of a specious article… comrade, how’s the weather in Siberia this time of year? I’ll use Amazon precisely because they if they are smart enough business people to get out of paying taxes – which the government would only waste on benefits for scroungers anyway – they’ll likely run a tight ship, which they do, they are prompt, courteous, and quick to rectify any problems you may have with their service… and they’re cheap!
If you don’t like ‘em then don’t use ‘em… and if you don’t like the western capitalistic socio-economic model then move to Cuba… see how good the service is under a communist dictatorship, after which, Amazon won’t seem as ghastly as you make out, comrade…
Oh, I was under the impression that there was a mid-way between rampant unregulated capitalism and communism. My mistake.
If you are so happy to see companies worm their way out of their tax obligations, can I please ask you to refrain from scrounging under street lights, stop using the roads, avoid most of the health service, put out your own fires, prevent and solve your own crimes, oh and actually get off the pavements as well as the roads – just hover, that’ll work. Bury your own rubbish on your own property. And so on. If you stop doing all of this, I will have an ounce of respect for you. You can hover over to my place and collect it.
For me, only 5, 4 and 1 concern me. Amazon are in the same boat as a number of other tax avoiding businesses that need to be brought to book. There’s no reason to not do so. Amazon can’t LEAVE the country if we make them pay their tax, else, why are they even here anyway? It’s up to the government, as well as consumers, to force them to pay their tax AND improve their working standards. And also to regulate to make sure small businesses aren’t all finished.
I’m keeping my Amazon account as I’m poor, but I only really use Marketplace these days, which I know, still gives them money… but… still… poor.
I think someone might have spiked the tea at your party, comrade.
I WILL NOT cancel mine. I look at it this way, if it is the cheapest I will buy from it, if it isnt the cheapest then I will buy from another.
I honestly beleive that superb customer service will eventually overcome all easy buys online or elsewhere. You can already see that people are going to lengths to avoid the behemoths becuase the service and the goods are simply terrible. But thats in the highstreet, supermarket landscape.
Online its a bit different as you dont actually get service. One day you want something, the next you have that something. Its all highly impersonal.
I dont like using amazon because the site sucks and if i want something, i will go out and get it because its faster. Why dont more people leave the house to get stuff they want? Save some money? Hardly enough in most cases to warrent the waiting time of delivery.
Ive never been a huge online purchaser (apart from at xmas) so for all i care internet shopping could dissappear and i wouldnt mind a jot.
One of the stupidest articles (or “lists”) that I’ve read on here.
Your only decent complaint is the one about Taxes, which isn’t exactly a secret. The others:
* Amazon are bad employers. And? If the employees don’t like it, they should find alternatives. Why does that affect me when I want a cheap DVD?
* Amazon have customer reviews. Yes, they’re rubbish. No, you don’t need to read them.
* Amazon are “creepy” because they log what you buy and make recommendations. This BOTHERS you? Really?
* There are many, many alternatives out there. Fine, go ahead. Use them.
I’ll stick with Amazon though because:
* They’re cheaper than 90% of your alternatives.
* They offer EXCELLENT customer service. Seriously, try *talking* to one of their “mistreated” employees, and you’ll find that they’re very good at their jobs and treat you with respect.
* I don’t consider “going to the shops” as “exercise”.
These sound more like the ramblings of a jilted ex-employee to me.
Sounds more like the ramblings of a jilted ex-employee.
I would like to see a follow-up article to this that explores Amazon and other online companies that do international business and how it affects customers, small business and the global economy as a whole. Based out of the US, I’m not sure how some of this applies outside of the UK and I think an article along these lines would be very informative. Many thanks for giving me something to think about.