Comment on amazon can afford to treat its workers with dignity

• humanamerican@lemmy.zip ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  Americans could afford to spend more on goods that are actually durable. And those who couldn’t would buy used items that actually are worthwhile because they were built to last.

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  • tempest@lemmy.ca ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    Maybe they could 50 years ago but they decided then that Walmart was the way to go.

    Now all most of them can afford is Walmart

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    • its_kim_love@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      And nothing materially changed between then and now. It’s just as possible now as it was then. They just want you to think it isn’t.

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      • wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

        And nothing materially changed between then and now.

        I’d hate to break it to you, but that just isn’t true. Manufacturing capabilities have left the continent. People no longer have the relevant expertise to pass on through apprenticeships. We’d basically be starting from scratch, and with corporate hegemony built on cheap overseas labor to compete with.

        That doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be worth doing, but let’s not fool ourselves about the uphill battle that it would be, or the very real possibility that people would just keep using the cheap convenient corporations instead of supporting local fabs

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    • NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      No we didn’t. Wal-Mart showed up and undercut competition for years to force everyone else out of business, and then jacked up their prices, buy up the property where the competition was at and jack up the rent so they can’t come back.

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      • tempest@lemmy.ca ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

        That’s what they do now (and have done for the last 3 decades but Walmart is a lot older than that and you don’t get to be in that position by accident.

        They were sourcing cheap Chinese goods in the early 80s.

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• Korhaka@sopuli.xyz ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  I don’t think it’s people can’t afford it, but you don’t even know if the expensive item is any better.

  I have seen identical products on Amazon sold at quite different prices. The expensive one is just as shit but will cost you more.

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• greenskye@lemmy.zip ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  Most people could afford it if it were universal. It’s only a luxury when it’s only partially implemented.

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• Auli@lemmy.ca ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  We could afford it but wouldn’t be able to purchase on a dime.

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