Just about all of this is talking about the conditions at Amazon. We can try and stop this by boycotting amazon (which, individually, will do virtually nothing) or by just not buying their Alexa or amazon home products.
I’ve gotta take a middle ground on this and say that such movements do not always fail- but yeah- the “free market libertarian capitalist” idea that you can “fix” your own or others way out of poverty is overblown. In the end it is true that if enough people decide to stop doing something or buying something in order to boycott a practice- it will work. But- there’s historically so far always enough people more desperate, willing to whore out for less, or who will put their own self interests ahead of change to make it widely feasible.
The irony is that so many people oppose unions and yet- that is in essence what a union is at its core- it is a group of people with a formal agreement to “boycott” when they feel something is unjust or unlivable, so many people will gladly cross picket lines while also saying “if people don’t like it, stop buying it...” well- if a union strikes because they feel treated unfairly or can’t afford to live- that’s a signal that when you ignore- you are countermanding the idea of “people shouldn’t support unethical business then...” Unions in practice have their drawbacks and dark sides of course- but a company is many thousands of people and often more than one corporation acting together in an organized manner. How do you fight a large and organized enemy as a bunch of individuals just doing whatever they want?
But at the end of the day- the idea that the market will dictate terms and demands and worth, or that if society disapproves of business practices it can and should turn its dollars away: without supporting it I will not invalidate it. I will say this: That applies to when Starbucks refuses to sell you anything but cod liver oil coffee, or when Toyota will only sell you a car that is Pea Green. It does not apply when companies are skirting or gaming the law, sometimes lobbying to change it- in ways that literally kill people, that infringe on the basic human rights and ability for people to live even when they work hard and have full time employment. We need laws, laws which are updated to keep up with changes in business and technology, to protect workers and ensure a standard of living to every person.
As a note- it’s harder than it sounds. We must be very careful. Race car teams are some of the best cheaters on earth. They will take any and every rule to win. So many racing bodies say: “if it doesn’t say you CAN do it in the rule book- it is illegal.” This prevents “creative use of rules” to play by the letter of the rules and not the spirit. But- in business, such restrictive measures prevent innovation. It’s important we set our rules to ensure basic needs and health, but not stifle innovation in a competitive global economy. Some jobs by nature of practicality will rob you of sleep, require you to not leave your post except at specifically designated and sparse intervals. But traditionally these jobs offered pay and perks to compensate and were of a critical nature.
Today, we have people working hours under conditions which are akin to what a doctor or surgeon would face in life or death situations- and these people do it every day, and they make so little doing it that they often need another job or government assistance to make ends meet. That’s crazy. Even if people “work their way up” that still leaves the reality that not everyone can- we can’t be a nation of engineers and CEO’s- we need blue collar and no collar workers. And some people just- to be honest- they don’t have what it takes to do more than basic tasks. Do they deserve to starve or live on the edge because they aren’t gifted, or they are extremely gifted but their gifts happen to be at a job we don’t value? No.
My Dad rolled his truck 3 times and THANKFULLY all he got was a messed up collar bone and a dislocated shoulder.
He was a county fire marshal at the time and because that didn’t pay enough he also had a night job as a security guard at a jack n the box.
He he county told him take time off and come back to work when better. They docked him pay for time gone.
Jack n the box said go home get better come back when ready. THEY SENT HIM HIS WEEKLY CHECK IN FULL. NO DOCKING OF ANY KIND!
After he got better he quit his county fire marshal job kept his security guard one and than became a police officer. He was 55 and starting a new line of work. And when he was 60 he became a truck driver. Because the police department said he needed to retire.
He worked his fingers to the bone day in and day out for his 6 kids his wife and his mother. So we could have a good life.
So many men and women are treated like dogs for just trying to make a living for themselves and for their family.
He was a county fire marshal at the time and because that didn’t pay enough he also had a night job as a security guard at a jack n the box.
He he county told him take time off and come back to work when better. They docked him pay for time gone.
Jack n the box said go home get better come back when ready. THEY SENT HIM HIS WEEKLY CHECK IN FULL. NO DOCKING OF ANY KIND!
After he got better he quit his county fire marshal job kept his security guard one and than became a police officer. He was 55 and starting a new line of work. And when he was 60 he became a truck driver. Because the police department said he needed to retire.
He worked his fingers to the bone day in and day out for his 6 kids his wife and his mother. So we could have a good life.
So many men and women are treated like dogs for just trying to make a living for themselves and for their family.