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.

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As World War II drew to a close, nations across the planet scrambled to take stock, to recover, to rebuild and survive. But the looming spectre of nuclear technology continued to grow -- the US went against allies and enemies alike to keep its military edge. So how did countries traditionally considered enemies of the US gain nuclear technology? In many cases, the conspiracy goes down to a single man: AQ Khan. Terrified by what India's Smiling Buddha test might mean for the future of Pakistan, he worked furiously to get Pakistan the bomb -- and eventually began selling his expertise to the highest bidder.

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What triggered the massive explosion over Tunguska in 1908? Join Matt, Ben, and special guest Joe McCormick as they take a closer look at one of the most mysterious catastrophes in history.

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It turns out the late Prince Philip was a huge UFO buff. The guys explore the deeply troubling, worsening situation in Myanmar following the recent military coup -- a coup that has already cost more than 600 lives, with no end in sight. All this and more in this week's strange news.

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Nevada is currently considering new legislation that will allow businesses to create their own increasingly autonomous communities. Fans of the idea paint it as an innovative, new way to get jobs and tax dollars to Nevada. Opponents worry it creates a corporate government, giving private businesses control of things a local government would usually do -- like run the fire department, conduct elections and more. So what exactly is an "innovation zone"? Tune in to learn more.

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Did a child just successfully impersonate a White House reporter? Can hypnotherapy treat certain skin conditions through the power of the mind alone? Just how many childhood games and cartoons seem sinister, when you look back on them as an adult? What's in an Mmhmm? All this and more in this week's Listener Mail.

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Imagine a land without landlords or racialized displacement. Sounds too good to be true. The East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative [EB PREC] is fighting for this future. Baratunde sits down with Executive Director Noni Session and learns how EB PREC is reclaiming their community, and building local ownership through real estate.

Guest: Noni Session Executive Director of East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative

Twitter: @NoniSession

Bio: Noni is a 3rd generation West Oaklander, Cultural Anthropologist and Grassroots Organizer. After a 2016 run for Oakland City Council in which she garnered more than 43% of the vote, Noni came to believe her community’s clearest pathway to economic justice and to the halt of rapid displacement was a cooperative economy.

SHOW NOTES + LINKS

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

Please show your support for the show in the form of a review and rating. It makes a huge difference with the algorithmic overlords!

We are grateful to Noni Session for joining us! Follow her at @NoniSession on Twitter, or find more of her work at ebprec.org. You can also watch the full EB PREC intro video here.  

ACTIONS

PERSONALLY REFLECT

Where is home?

Take a moment to reflect on where you live. How did you end up there? What influenced your decision to rent or buy in a particular place? Was it based on real estate speculation, rental prices, family history, relationship ties, or something else? Does it feel like home? Do you know any neighbors who have lived there for generations? Consider the role privilege has played in determining your place of residence.

 

BECOME INFORMED

Learn more about gentrification 

Gentrification is happening all over the country, from big cities, to small towns, and even rural communities. And there’s a lot more to it, than just the buzzword. To learn more, check out the podcast, There Goes the Neighborhood. Watch the documentary City Rising produced by PBS and KCET. Or read the book The Color of Law, which you can find on bookshop.org/shop/howtocitizen and support independent bookstores instead of Amazon. 

 

PUBLICLY PARTICIPATE

Invest in communities, not commodities. 

Check out EBPREC.org and Sustainable Economies Law Center to find out ways you can invest in community-based real estate or start this model where you live. If you’re in the Oakland area you could join the cooperative and become a community owner for just $10 a month. Or if you want to make a non-extractive, but savvy real estate investment you could also invest in one of EB PREC’s projects. We know there are more new models like this emerging to deal with our housing and ownership crisis. Please contact us if you know of other groups doing similar things across the country by emailing us at comments@howtocitizen.com.

 

If you take any of these actions, share that with us - action@howtocitizen.com. Mention Land Without Landlords 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.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The US experienced a massive economic boom in the years following the close of World War II. The country managed to avoid the destruction that laid waste to parts of Asia and Europe -- and it was also in possession of nuclear technology. As many Americans (but far from all) saw their quality of life increase, experts and military officials alike scrambled to maintain their strategic nuclear edge: To understand as much as possible about the effects and consequences of the deadly new thing they'd created. One result of this desperation? Project SUNSHINE.

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The ascendance of Pope Francis in 2013 led to a revival of Jesuit conspiracy theories. But why? Who are the Jesuits, exactly? Find out in this classic episode.

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Clearview AI is back in the news with more reports of its facial recognition software being used for dodgy ends. An attack on an Iranian nuclear facility prompts international observers to ask about the timing of the operation as the US signals interest in returning to the nuclear deal. A small island community in the Pacific struggles to understand what they should do next in the wake of Prince Philips' death -- after all, they literally worshipped the man as a God. All this and more in this week's Strange News.

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