Opinion | Rex Morris
Culture – After the election of the ultra-reactionary Donald Trump, several monopolies have dropped their facade of support for diversity, most notably Amazon and McDonald’s, who have erased all mention of Black equality from their corporate policy. While Amazon previously and falsely proclaimed that they stood “in solidarity with Black people”, they now make no mention of it.
After the wave of mass rebellion following the police killing of George Floyd, Amazon owner and multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos stated “I want you to know I support this movement [referring to Black Lives Matter] that we see happening all around us and my stance won’t change.” Now, Bezos has of late made increasing appeals to court Trump, including purchasing a documentary of Melania Trump’s biography for $40 million to be streamed on Amazon Prime and throwing a million dollars at Trump’s inauguration.
The turn of events does not indicate, as some suggest, that Amazon has made a turn to the Right. Culture, and most especially imperialist culture, follows supply and demand. When a capitalist sniffs out a market he attempts to furnish it with products, which leads to foisting the cheapest products on the most oppressed for a quick profit then moving on to the next one. It goes without saying that Bezos and his monopoly do not have even the faintest grasp of “solidarity” with their employees, who they routinely bust for any and all attempts at securing a union. Nonetheless, they too felt the winds changing for a time, and surmised the temperature of the people in rebellion and began to find a way to make money off it. Not only is there the financial motive, but its concentrated expression in politics. Amazon sought to curry favor by propagating so-called “liberal” ideas of the Democratic party, and with a heavy focus on identity. In order to do this, they have to traffic in the interests of the masses, simultaneously sanitizing their image while making money and currying favor with the mob that was about to be in charge in 2020.
Today with the pandering to Trump and the increase in Christian content, Amazon is once again doing the same thing: on the one hand, securing favor from their chief armed administrator at the head of the imperialist state as it degenerates further along the trend of presidential absolutism, while on the other hand, trafficking in the religion of the people. In all instances the monopolies strangle with two hands, making money off manipulating the ideas of society.
Capitalist culture is as morally bankrupt as its politics, and in as much crisis as its economic mode of production. It is incapable of exploding with the new and vibrant forms the people need and demand; such new culture can only burst forth from the oppressed themselves in their justified rebellion. The old culture is dying and this is the best thing for it.
Photo: In a 2020 Instagram post, following the police murder of George Floyd, Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos claims he supports “Black lives matter” and added a screenshot of Amazon’s homepage at the time that had a statement of “solidarity with the Black community.” Screenshot of Jeff Bezos’ Instagram.
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