Is Amazon Good for America? The Impact of Capitalist Economic Concentration

• In Event: 4166 - Section on Marxist Sociology Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 4. When Neoliberal Policies Happen to Good People: Exploring Labor, Environment and Disaster

Abstract

The inevitability is that economic concentration will emerge when major companies control the political and economic processes in the development of capitalist enterprises. The rise of Amazon as a retailing giant mirrors and reflects the process undertaken by Walmart since their founding in the 1960s and especially following the death of Sam Walton. These developments reflect in Walmart’s expansion plan through the utilization of local or state tax abatements and the provision of local services such as land, infrastructure, and other accommodations. Much research documents this process including a pair of book chapters by Steve Lang and myself. Walmart’s practices have been decried as monopolistic and incorporating the work of economic concentration and control of public or neoliberal resources. Prior research documents the anti-labor practices and exploitation of foreign labor in China devoted to producing Walmart’s products and the exploitation of domestic sales workers known as “Walmart Associates.” Amazon is engaging in similar practices on a different scale. Beginning in the 1990s, Amazon began a steady incursion into the online sector supplanting the brick and mortar department stores and local merchants. As a result, Walmart and other retailing giants steadily moved into the same online business operations. This process created the demise of many department stores (began during the Walmart incursion) and a shift in business operations by retailing giants such as Walmart. Questions emerge regarding such neoliberal issues as the propriety of billions in NYS payments supporting Amazon along with infrastructure donations (e.g., donated land for a new office tower. This presentation will deal with job creation, local opposition and other essential issues.

Author

• Lloyd Klein, Laguardia Community College, CUNY