Haley Royal
February 15, 2019
Sustainable Systems
Amazon’s Retreat From New York Represents a Turning Point
Ross Barkan
With the desire for immediate gratification in today’s society, Amazon has quickly risen to a top global corporation. With the ability to order just about anything and have it arrive within mere hours, without leaving the comfort of your own home, as well as unlimited access to music, movies and books, Amazon has taken over most industries, leaving other businesses virtually useless. This convenience may seem like a huge advantage in day to day life, as it allows for our laziness to take over. However, this corporation has become a major problem in terms of its control over the economy. From escaping tax payments to offering unfit wages for overworked employees, the company is doing more harm than good. The emergence of a new headquarters in New York City would only have sped up Amazon’s inevitable takeover. While this motion was blocked, leaving NYC unscarred, it is not enough to ward off the exponential growth of the company itself, as well as CEO Jeff Bezos. This halt is thanks to democratic NY representative, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. This is a warning sign to the democratic party that we must stop our endorsement in this company if we want to rebuild our economy, and have hope in fixing the wage gap.
This article called out democrats who, while aligning with the party’s views, continue to participate in contradictory actions. This, most likely, is out of convenience. As a society we have become accustomed to a life revolving around an amazon package arriving at our doorstep each morning. Do I believe that these consumers are in favor of the unlawful and potentially dangerous behaviors of this corporation? No. But I do believe that in order to make real change, members of the democratic party must become active members in politics and begin to change their actions. With the upcoming election, it is vital that consumers take a hard stance against Amazon, and endorse candidates that will take this issue seriously, and approach the topic with real solutions. Large corporations and fast paced consumerism are an inescapable part of our everyday lives, however by taking a stance against this one company, big change can come, but we must take action.
