Our extreme wealth inequality isn’t just caused by economic exclusion; we are also struggling with the concentration of corporate power. Simply put, most of our money flows directly into the pockets of a few wealthy individuals. This week, Baratunde learns how it’s possible for Amazon to receive one out of every two dollars spent online. He speaks with antitrust reformer Stacy Mitchell who breaks down why concentrated power like this is a threat to our businesses, communities, and democracy.

Guest: Stacy Mitchell Co-Director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Twitter: @stacyfmitchell

Bio: Stacy Mitchell is Co-Director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and directs its Independent Business Initiative, which partners with a broad range of allies to design and implement policies to reverse corporate concentration and strengthen local enterprise.

Show Notes + Links

Go to howtocitizen.com to sign up for show news, AND (coming soon!) to start your How to Citizen Practice.

Please show your support for the show by leaving a review and rating. It makes a huge difference with the algorithmic overlords!

We are grateful to Stacy Mitchell for joining us! Follow her at @stacyfmitchell on Twitter, or find more of her work at ilsr.org.

ACTIONS

PERSONALLY REFLECT 

Why do you shop at Amazon? 

Do you like the convenience? The prices? Are you a working family and don’t have many other options? Or do you not have access to local shops? If you have the means, challenge yourself to find one item that you regularly purchase on Amazon and commit to buying it locally.  

BECOME INFORMED

What does the research tell us about Amazon? 

In Fall 2020, the House subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative law released a historic investigation into monopolies like Apple, Facebook, Google, and Amazon. The report calls on Congress to restore antitrust laws of the New Deal era and to finally start regulating these companies. Check out The Institute for Local Self Reliance’s summary of the report, The People vs. Amazon, available at bit.ly/peoplevamazon. Bonus points if you then call your representative to tell them you care about this issue. 

 

PUBLICLY PARTICIPATE

Join the fight against monopoly power  

To take on monopolies like Amazon we must flex our citizen muscle, not just our consumer muscle! Check out ilsr.org/fighting-monopoly-power to learn ways you can join the fight locally and nationally. If you're a small business owner or entrepreneur, consider joining Small Business Rising, a coalition of independent businesses that are banning together to urge policymakers to take on Amazon. 

 

If you take any of these actions, share that with us - action@howtocitizen.com. Mention But They Make It So Easy! in the subject line. And share about your citizening on social media using #howtocitizen. 

Visit the show's homepage - www.howtocitizen.com - to sign up for news about the show, to learn about upcoming guests, live tapings, and more for your citizen journey.

Also, sign up for Baratunde's weekly Recommentunde Newsletter and follow him on Instagram or join his Patreon. You can even text him, like right now at 202-894-8844.

CREDITS

How To Citizen with Baratunde is a production of iHeartRadio Podcasts and Dustlight Productions. Our Executive Producers are Baratunde Thurston, Elizabeth Stewart, and Misha Euceph. Stephanie Cohn is our Senior Producer and Alie Kilts is our Producer. Kelly Prime is our Editor. Original Music by Andrew Eapen. Valentino Rivera is our Engineer. Sam Paulson is our Apprentice. This episode was produced and sound designed by Stephanie Cohn. Special thanks to Joelle Smith from iHeartRadio and this week's community voices: Elizabeth Silva, Kim Swann, Mike Fraietta, and Michael Cartwright.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

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This is the second part of our racial bias in criminal justice episodes. This one focuses on sentencing, and explores studies showing just how desperate the death penalty is, and how racial bias drives that.

Baldus et al (1998) -Racial Discrimination and the Death Penalty in the Post-Furman Era Eberhardt et al (2006) – Looking deathworthy: Perceived Stereotypicality of Black defendants predicts capital-sentencing outcomes Eberhardt et al (2004) – Seeing Black: Race, crime, and visual processing 

Cold open: https://www.npr.org/2021/04/13/984994360/he-tried-to-organize-workers-in-chinas-gig-economy-now-he-faces-5-years-in-jail We dig deeper into our explorations of technological and financial capitalism in China by discussing an invaluable source for rigorous, ruthless analysis: Chuang, a collective and journal “analyzing the ongoing development of capitalism in China, its historical roots, and the revolts of those crushed beneath it.” We then start getting into a long, detailed, investigative report on the working conditions of platform labor in China. While some ghouls in Western countries might look at the horrors we discuss and say, “See, it could be worse.” We must instead assert, “No, it should be better.” Some stuff we reference: • Delivery Workers, Trapped in the System | Chuang: https://chuangcn.org/2020/11/delivery-renwu-translation/ • Social Contagion: Microbiological Class War in China | Chuang: https://chuangcn.org/2020/02/social-contagion/ Subscribe to hear more analysis and commentary in our premium episodes every week! patreon.com/thismachinekills TMK shirts are now available: bonfire.com/mech-luddite/ Hosted by Jathan Sadowski (twitter.com/jathansadowski) and Edward Ongweso Jr. (twitter.com/bigblackjacobin). Production / Music by Jereme Brown (twitter.com/braunestahl)