Five U.S. lawmakers accuse Amazon of possibly lying to Congress

Re:Five U.S. lawmakers accuse Amazon of possibly lying to Co... by whoisjuan on Wednesday October 20, 2021 @12:14AM (#28926679)

My comment is not about their lying. That's a different problem and not what my comment is about.

> Can you really not distinguish Amazon, it’s market position, and their acts from brick and mortar retailers that carry private label items?

Who do you think had the dominant market position before Amazon was a thing? Again, this play is older than Amazon itself.

My argument was just a rhetorical statement reflecting on the government's ineffectiveness and contradictory behavior when defining what harms customers or competition. It's only now they care, because it's only now that they seem to see the political benefits from pursuing what's a rampant decades-long behavior.

Believe me, my comment is not trying to defend Amazon, is simply trying to showcase how politicians are opportunistic demagogues.

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Re:Five U.S. lawmakers accuse Amazon of possibly lying to Co... by tchalla on Wednesday October 20, 2021 @12:16AM (#28926694)

There seems to be no winning with the government actions : Act early and they’re accused of stifling “innovation”, act late and they’re accused of “ineffective ness”.

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Re:Five U.S. lawmakers accuse Amazon of possibly lying to Co... by whoisjuan on Wednesday October 20, 2021 @12:23AM (#28926734)

Except that in this case they are about 30 to 40 years late.

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Re:Five U.S. lawmakers accuse Amazon of possibly lying to Co... by xyzzyz on Wednesday October 20, 2021 @12:51AM (#28926881)

Yes, the government regulatory actions are typically net negative.

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Re:Five U.S. lawmakers accuse Amazon of possibly lying to Co... by asdff on Wednesday October 20, 2021 @01:23AM (#28927058)

I don't know, I like being able to see the mountains from Pasadena today. That wasn't possible in the 1980s.

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Re:Five U.S. lawmakers accuse Amazon of possibly lying to Co... by nosianu on Wednesday October 20, 2021 @03:08AM (#28927671)

But nobody is paying for better air! (Yet)

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Re:Five U.S. lawmakers accuse Amazon of possibly lying to Co... by bluecalm on Wednesday October 20, 2021 @12:38AM (#28926822)

Is their argument that it harms customers and competition? It seems it benefits both. Customers get cheaper goods and Amazon is competing with the existing players. The government willingnes to act is then easier to explain: it's not defending customers (it rarely does) but it tries to shelve other established businesses from competition (which is common).

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