I’m going to go on Amazon today and buy something. Anything. Maybe I’ll buy a package of plastic straws. I’m going to patronize Amazon (a company I love as much as Kwik Trip and Culver’s) specifically to defy the hard-left.
Hard-left activists, steeped in cluelessness, are calling today a “black out.” It’s intended to be a boycott aimed at companies that have backed off of diversity, equity and inclusion policies and programs as well as other stuff they don’t like about big, successful companies.
But a lot of those DEI policies had gone too far and, in any event, they are deeply unpopular outside of the hard-left. And, there’s mounting evidence that they don’t even work. Harvard Sociologist Frank Dobbins, who helped design some of these programs, now concludes that they, “just piss people off.”
But to the hard-left, DEI is religion. They don’t care about the evidence, they don’t “follow the science” on this one. They simply believe in their DEI rituals. If we really cared about making workplaces more welcoming — and we should — we’d ask ourselves why these things are so unpopular and why they are not only ineffective, but actually sometimes promote the opposite of what was intended. Prof. Dobbins is asking those questions and I’ll be interested to see how he might change his prescriptions.
Moreover, this boycott isn’t just pointless, it actually hurts efforts to fight Trump and hard-right populism. Sensible Americans will look at this and be reminded of what they voted against last November. I’d rather they look at what Trump is doing now and be reminded of why they voted against this guy in 2020.
I actually support eliminating DEI as we’ve come to know it. I’d be for making it more reasonable, rather than junking it altogether, but nonetheless I’m on the other side of this issue. So, to register my support for DEI reform, if not dismantling, I’m going to buy something from a company that did the right thing and scaled it back. My purchase will also be a statement against the know-it-all, self-righteous finger-waggers of the activist hard-left.
Gosh, but this is going to feel good. Let me know if you need some straws.
YSDA stands for:
Free speech.
The rule of law.
Reason.
Tolerance.
Pluralism.
Yellow Stripes & Dead Armadillos 
Dear god. Amazon is a horrible company and a major threat to democracy. Why on earth would I want to support it? It’s a crony capitalist monopoly that has undermined small business, the book industry, and whose psychopathic founder is now turning the Washington Post into a propaganda outlet to serve his interests.
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But you can buy anything there, at a good price, you can get it tomorrow and they make returns easy. Also, I get credit using my Capital One card. I guess I’m just a horrible person.
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Thanks Dave – I’m Ok on straws, but bought four things this morning.
Best, Jim
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My attempts to avoid spending at Amazon and other corporations have nothing to do with DEI, and everything to do with the way they exploit workers, damage small businesses and our communities – and in many cases ultimately end up funneling money to GOP politicians or regressive causes that you have stated your opposition to.
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You’re joking right? There are lots of us who don’t shop at Amazon ever for all of the reasons Jack mentioned and more. Turns out we care about where our money goes and what it supports. Or doesn’t support. Every day of every year.
All of the oligarchs and businesses that capitulated and started supporting Trump or invested in or showed up at his inauguration will not be getting my business any day.
Turns out Germany seems to be protesting Musk’s interference over there by not purchasing his cars. Tesla sales there have tanked 45%.
I don’t like all this consolidation of power. I’m participating today, because my understanding is that it’s more than just the DEI capitulation, it’s about everything that’s going on in Washington right now. And the dismantling of DEI comes with the message that the only capable and qualified people are white. Such as the false claims by trump and other officials about it being DEI hires responsible for the bridge collapse or the plane/helicopter crash.
They set up a hotline for people to report the use of DEI. Come on!
Did you see Kristi Noem’s COMMERCIAL during the local evening news this week that talks directly to immigrants telling them the government is coming for them?
You cannot view the DEI issue in a vacuum. Everything that’s going on is alarming and the dismantling and harassment of people who choose to participate in DEI programs is part of it.
The only power we have left is the power of the purse Dave. Because just you watch, they are coming for our voting rights…..oh wait, you’re a white guy right? You shouldn’t have to worry, but every in the US who isn’t, does need to view this administration as a threat.
Signed, old white moderate female
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Damn looks like I picked the wrong day to run out of popcorn.
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Mayor Dave, what did you buy from Amazon?
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Toner ink. You always need toner ink and they have pretty good prices. And why is the ink so damn expensive anyway?
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LOL, Mayor Dave. That is why I go to the public library to do my printing. Ten cents per page.
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Your West Allis roots are showing
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And proud of it!
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