Trump is determined to take down Amazon — and it could be terrible news for HQ2

[Applewood]

Trump is determined to take down Amazon — and it could be terrible news for HQ2                                   

...

President Donald Trump is reportedly doubling down on his mission to take Amazon down.

Trump is "obsessed" with the e-commerce giant, a source told Axios. The president apparently believes that Amazon has unfairly received prime tax benefits and preferential treatment from the US Postal Service, hurting brick-and-mortar retailers.

The president hasn't been quiet about his negative feelings towards Amazon.

In December, Trump tweeted that the US Postal Service was undercharging Amazon and that it was making the "Post Office dumber and poorer." In August, he tweeted that the company was "doing great damage to tax paying retailers."

...

Except.  More at:

http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-amazon-hatred-raises-hq2-concerns-2018-3

[Sanguine]

There's so many positive things he could/should be doing.  Going after Amazon is a loser.

[Applewood]

If this story is true, I'd like to know how he can legally target and destroy a business. 

And contrary to what this report says --  if he is successful in destroying Amazon, he's going to have a lot of very irate people on his hands.  Jeff Bezos should be the least of his worries. 

[WingNot]

Trump is a moron.  All he had to do was keep his gaping pie hole shut and let the Amazon  case in the SC play out.   They will do the work for him.  Then he can take the credit as he always does for not doing anything.

God this guy is an asswipe.

[ABX]

Cronyism is not Conservativism or Capitalism.

Amazon Stock Dives As 'Obsessed' Trump Considers Regulations, Tax Action

Amazon.com (AMZN) stock plunged below a key measure Wednesday, following a report that President Trump is "obsessed" with the e-commerce leader and has talked about targeting its tax treatment....

https://www.investors.com/news/technology/amazon-stock-dives-as-trump-targets-tax-treatment/

[ABX]

If this story is true, I'd like to know how he can legally target and destroy a business. 

And contrary to what this report says --  if he is successful in destroying Amazon, he's going to have a lot of very irate people on his hands.  Jeff Bezos should be the least of his worries.

He did it in his business life over and over. He used bought and paid for politicians and PACs to go after businesses that competed with him (most famously, creating an anti-gambling PAC in New York to prevent them from allowing casinos in to compete with his New Jersey business).

Corporatism & Cronyism- not capitalism.

[INVAR]

Cronyism is not Conservativism or Capitalism.

Government picking winners and losers ( like Union steel companies benefitting from tariffs) is also Fascism or versions of Communism.

But still his acolytes insist Trump is the most Conservative president we've ever had.

No he's not.  He's already to the Left of W Bush AFAIC.

[Frank Cannon]

Eff Amazon. Their 2 day shipping is turning into 3 or 4 as their customer service slides.

Bezos is like a heroin dealer. Give you a few free bumps to get you hooked and then jacks you around.

[Applewood]

Eff Amazon. Their 2 day shipping is turning into 3 or 4 as their customer service slides.

Bezos is like a heroin dealer. Give you a few free bumps to get you hooked and then jacks you around.

No problem here with shipping.  Might have to do with whether there is a distribution center near you or whether the product is coming from a third-party seller.  Lately, if the distribution center  near me has it, someone delivers it to me by car (Amazon Logistics) in 48 hours.  Last order of mine was delivered by a young mother with 2 little ones in the back seat.  Adorable.

[Cyber Liberty]

I don't have shipping issues either.  Bought my Mom an O₂ Saturation meter, they promised two days and it was.

[Frank Cannon]

No problem here with shipping.  Might have to do with whether there is a distribution center near you or whether the product is coming from a third-party seller.  Lately, if the distribution center  near me has it, someone delivers it to me by car (Amazon Logistics) in 48 hours.  Last order of mine was delivered by a young mother with 2 little ones in the back seat.  Adorable.

We have a major distribution hub here, but I am not alone. If you check on the interwebs, you can find plenty of people with the same bitch. I'm a high volume buyer so I have a lot more chances for disappointment than other getting 1 or 2 packages a month.

[WingNot]

We have a major distribution hub here, but I am not alone. If you check on the interwebs, you can find plenty of people with the same bitch. I'm a high volume buyer so I have a lot more chances for disappointment than other getting 1 or 2 packages a month.

High Volume or high maintenance?

[musiclady]

If this story is true, I'd like to know how he can legally target and destroy a business. 

And contrary to what this report says --  if he is successful in destroying Amazon, he's going to have a lot of very irate people on his hands.  Jeff Bezos should be the least of his worries.

Perhaps I’m naive, but this seems like a really stupid thing for a populist liberal to do.

Since with Trump it is always about him, what does he expect to gain from this?

[DB]

Eff Amazon. Their 2 day shipping is turning into 3 or 4 as their customer service slides.

Bezos is like a heroin dealer. Give you a few free bumps to get you hooked and then jacks you around.

I find it is often the USPS that is messing up my fix...

[Frank Cannon]

I find it is often the USPS that is messing up my fix...

I get varied excuses. USPS sucks. Third party vendor lied. Night of the Lepus was playing in Sheboygan that day and it screwed up the timetables. I have to deal with one and two day delays with about 10% of my shit these days.

[musiclady]

Eff Amazon. Their 2 day shipping is turning into 3 or 4 as their customer service slides.

Bezos is like a heroin dealer. Give you a few free bumps to get you hooked and then jacks you around.

Of the hundreds of orders we get, the only ones that arrive beyond two days come from sellers, and we are informed of the delivery date when the item is purchased.

No other company comes even close to Amazon’s efficiency.

[Cyber Liberty]

I find it is often the USPS that is messing up my fix...

USPS is the worst of the Amazon shipping vendors, they kind of blew the "SmartPost" thing.  UPS has gotten pretty good, and the Amazon delivery people are pretty darned good...here in the big city.

That reminds me, I need to drop a note to that bakery back in my home town that started shipping items by USPS.  I love their stuff, but USPS blew the last order.  That's twice in fewer than 6 orders.  Not buying again until they find another shipper.

[Applewood]

I get varied excuses. USPS sucks. Third party vendor lied. Night of the Lepus was playing in Sheboygan that day and it screwed up the timetables. I have to deal with one and two day delays with about 10% of my shit these days.

Another thing too is weather.  You live east of me, correct?  4 Nor'easters delayed delivery along the east coast big time.  This winter in general has been a nightmare for many companies and shippers.  The online pharmacy from which I get my meds had a notice on its website advising patients of possible delays.  USPS, UPS and FedEx had similar notices on their websites too.  It's impossible to make deliveries during a blizzard...or hurricane...or wildfire...

[kevindavis007]

The only reason why he is after Amazon cause Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post. 

[Polly Ticks]

He can pry Amazon from my cold dead fingers, and I'm absolutely not the only one.  This is not a winning issue for the president.

[jmyrlefuller]

Note that HQ2, like many other corporate projects, is the result of a bidding war for government subsidies and incentives.

Consider that one of the bids that didn't even make the semifinals offered $1.2 BILLION in "incentives." Now, consider how much the winner will have to offer! Amazon lives off corporate welfare just as much as, if not more than, any other major company.

[RoosGirl]

The only reason why he is after Amazon cause Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post.

That is exactly what I was going to say.  This is pay back for all the shitty articles WaPo writes about Trump. 

[Frank Cannon]

Note that HQ2, like many other corporate projects, is the result of a bidding war for government subsidies and incentives.

Consider that one of the bids that didn't even make the semifinals offered $1.2 BILLION in "incentives." Now, consider how much the winner will have to offer! Amazon lives off corporate welfare just as much as, if not more than, any other major company.

Not so fast pal. A lot of that money offered to Amazon from the shitholes of Buffalo and Rochester were to make the city habitable by normal people. Also those two garbage cities didn't even own what they were offering to Amazon....

Rochester’s bid required more incentives because many of the buildings being pitched were owned by private sector entities and the acquisition cost would have run deeper than Buffalo.

[Restored]

This sounds suspiciously like a strawman.

[Applewood]

The only reason why he is after Amazon cause Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post.

Of course.  And I understand he wants to use anti-trust laws to execute his vendetta against Amazon.  I'm not sure that will fly.  Amazon isn't the only one that sells online.  There is competition.  I think Walmart might be its closest online competitor.  It's just that Amazon does online retail better than anyone else.

I have to ask Trump supporters.  Is this really the kind of president you want?  A 2-bit sociopathic dictator who will ignore the law and use the power of the federal government to execute revenge on anyone he doesn't like?  The Founding Fathers and their ancestors lived under kings who did this sort of thing on a regular basis.  The Founders were determined not to  live under authoritarian rule ever again.  That is why we have separation of powers and why we have a Constitution that spells out clearly the duties of government and the rights of our citizens.  Why would we want to trash the Constitution and disrespect the Founding Fathers by having an authoritarian ruler instead of the republic that has served us well for centuries?

[jpsb]

I used to be a regular at Amazon. But ever since Jeff Bezos turned the once great Washington Post
into an HQ for fake news. I've switched to Ebay for most of my on-line purchases.

[Applewood]

I've been suspicious of Ebay ever since a friend bought concert tickets from a seller on that site, and the tickets turned out to be bogus. 

I believe Amazon does a better job of selecting scrupulous vendors and canning any that turn out to be disreputable.

[Polly Ticks]

I've been suspicious of Ebay ever since a friend bought concert tickets from a seller on that site, and the tickets turned out to be bogus. 

I believe Amazon does a better job of selecting scrupulous vendors and canning any that turn out to be disreputable.

And their customer service is excellent if there ever is an issue.  Ever try to get a refund from an eBay seller?

[Frank Cannon]

I've been suspicious of Ebay ever since a friend bought concert tickets from a seller on that site.....

Concert tickets off Ebay? Do these people also buy their prescription medication from a guy in a rusty van behind the local Lens Crafters?

[Frank Cannon]

Ever try to get a refund from an eBay seller?

Yeah. Paypal guarantees everything. Never had a problem getting my money back. 

[Applewood]

Concert tickets off Ebay? Do these people also buy their prescription medication from a guy in a rusty van behind the local Lens Crafters?

Exactly.  I didn't think it was a good idea and told her so, but as usual, no one listens to me.  LOL

[WingNot]

Concert tickets off Ebay? Do these people also buy their prescription medication from a guy in a rusty van behind the local Lens Crafters?

LOL

I bet they buy stereo speakers from the same guy.....

[Sanguine]

I used to be a regular at Amazon. But ever since Jeff Bezos turned the once great Washington Post
into an HQ for fake news. I've switched to Ebay for most of my on-line purchases.

WaPo has always been HQ for fake news, right along with NYT.

[Frank Cannon]

LOL

I bet they buy stereo speakers from the same guy.....

Nah. They don't trust him for that. They use Craigslist for speakers..........and some Casual Encounters.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

I have to ask Trump supporters.  Is this really the kind of president you want?

As one who generally supports the guy, I don't do the "kind of President" thing.  I care about what actually happens, and what doesn't.  If Trump says something stupid/pointless/ignorant, or has a really stupid idea, I don't care unless it gets enacted and has a real, substantive effect.

In this instance, I don't support trying to "take down" Amazon, but he can't do it anyway so it is basically a non-issue for me. 

[jmyrlefuller]

Nah. They don't trust him for that. They use Craigslist for speakers..........and some Casual Encounters.

True story: a couple years ago, I was perusing Craigslist and started looking at the Personals section, just for jollies.

I came across a "woman seeking man" personal. A blurry picture, seemed like a decent enough person, not that I'd ever date anyone off that site. I wondered why she'd be on a seedy place like Craigslist. Well, a couple of days later, I found out. Another guy had apparently taken the bait and found out "she" was a shemale.

[ABX]

As one who generally supports the guy, I don't do the "kind of President" thing.  I care about what actually happens, and what doesn't.  If Trump says something stupid/pointless/ignorant, or has a really stupid idea, I don't care unless it gets enacted and has a real, substantive effect.

In this instance, I don't support trying to "take down" Amazon, but he can't do it anyway so it is basically a non-issue for me.

Even in his 'trying' he is wiping out billions in investor value with his mouth and his thumbs.

Even in his 'trying' he is lying about their not paying taxes (they actually pay a crap load).

Even in his 'trying' he is threatening a national sales tax on them.

Even in his 'trying' he is threatening to sick the justice department on them for anti-trust violations even though the are in no way a monopoly. (they are big because consumers choose them, not because there isn't competition).

Is there anything about this that is Conservative for supports free markets?

[Victoria33]

If this story is true, I'd like to know how he can legally target and destroy a business. 
And contrary to what this report says --  if he is successful in destroying Amazon, he's going to have a lot of very irate people on his hands.  Jeff Bezos should be the least of his worries.

@Applewood

Jeff Bezos did not vote for him and that is why he wants to destroy the man and also wants to destroy Jeff because Jeff has more money than he does.  This is a personal attack on Jeff to bring him down.  Little Parade Boy is major jealous that Jeff's money isn't his.  Amazon is wonderful to get what you want/need, especially if you have medical issues that limits your walking or you don't have transportation to get to a store.  Messing with Amazon, and taking away peoples' pain medicine as he just did, will insure he won't be reelected.

AND Jeff owns the Washington Post.  Trump wants that newspaper to go away, so go after Jeff for owning that paper along with the reasons above.

[skeeter]

As one who generally supports the guy, I don't do the "kind of President" thing.  I care about what actually happens, and what doesn't.  If Trump says something stupid/pointless/ignorant, or has a really stupid idea, I don't care unless it gets enacted and has a real, substantive effect.

In this instance, I don't support trying to "take down" Amazon, but he can't do it anyway so it is basically a non-issue for me.

I'll go a step farther and say having someone who behaves more like the personally flawed guy you know at work as a president is a healthy thing, if the alternative is having a 'Great Helmsman' or 'Dear Leader', feted in song by publicly educated schoolchildren, like our last president.

People who want a father figure in office are most likely to be offended by the dumb, unpresidential things Trump sometimes does, like a child catching dad picking his nose.

As long as he brings the paycheck home, who cares?

[Cyber Liberty]

@Applewood

Jeff Bezos did not vote for him and that is why he wants to destroy the man and also wants to destroy Jeff because Jeff has more money than he does.  This is a personal attack on Jeff to bring him down.  Little Parade Boy is major jealous that Jeff's money isn't his.  Amazon is wonderful to get what you want/need, especially if you have medical issues that limits your walking or you don't have transportation to get to a store.  Messing with Amazon, and taking away peoples' pain medicine as he just did, will insure he won't be reelected.

Yeah, as, I think it was @Polly Ticks who said upthread, this is not a winning issue with the voters for Mr. Trump.

[ABX]

Amazon is down over 2 percent again today on heavy volume still reacting to Trump's tweets- a loss of about 1.3 billion in shareholder value.

[ABX]

..and he went on a trumpertantrum on twitter against Amazon again this morning.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-trump-attacks-amazon-tweet/story?id=54093899

[debrawiest]

Amazon is down over 2 percent again today on heavy volume still reacting to Trump's tweets- a loss of about 1.3 billion in shareholder value.

Ugh.

[Cyber Liberty]

..and he went on a trumpertantrum on twitter against Amazon again this morning.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-trump-attacks-amazon-tweet/story?id=54093899

This is the kind of chit that's going to get him impeached.  Using the power of his office to attempt to crush one very popular company will have even staunch Republicans out for blood.

[thackney]

Nah. They don't trust him for that. They use Craigslist for speakers..........and some Casual Encounters.

Not anymore

Why People Are Upset Craigslist Shut Down The Personals Page
https://www.advocate.com/technology/2018/3/27/why-people-are-upset-craigslist-shut-down-personals-page

"The best of" will never be the same...

[Applewood]

As one who generally supports the guy, I don't do the "kind of President" thing.  I care about what actually happens, and what doesn't.  If Trump says something stupid/pointless/ignorant, or has a really stupid idea, I don't care unless it gets enacted and has a real, substantive effect.

In this instance, I don't support trying to "take down" Amazon, but he can't do it anyway so it is basically a non-issue for me.

[/b]

But even if he can't do anything -- just his tweets and his whining adversely affects the markets.  He starts a trade war and the Dow plunges.  He threatens Amazon and Amazon's stock drops.  This stupid childishness doesn't just affect the stereotypical investor with plenty of money who can afford to lose big.  It ruins pension plans, IRAs and nest eggs that a lot of us ordinary shlubs depend on or will depend on in our golden years. 

Maybe you are the stereotypical investor -- I don't know -- but for most of the rest of us, yes, this is an issue -- a big issue.

[ABX]

[/b]

But even if he can't do anything -- just his tweets and his whining adversely affects the markets.  He starts a trade war and the Dow plunges.  He threatens Amazon and Amazon's stock drops.  This stupid childishness doesn't just affect the stereotypical investor with plenty of money who can afford to lose big.  It ruins pension plans, IRAs and nest eggs that a lot of us ordinary shlubs depend on or will depend on in our golden years. 

Maybe you are the stereotypical investor -- I don't know -- but for most of the rest of us, yes, this is an issue -- a big issue.

And all of this, the Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces & Executive Branch of the Government has zero business getting into.

Yet masses and masses on the right are cheering this simply for their hate of the politics of Amazon's owner.

Just wait until this is flipped (again).

[kevindavis007]

I'm concerned about the future ramifications if Trump is successful. So basically if you want to business in America you have to be 100% loyal to the President?

[Idiot]

This is the kind of chit that's going to get him impeached.  Using the power of his office to attempt to crush one very popular company will have even staunch Republicans out for blood.

I predicted he'd be impeached 6 months after his election.  It appears I may be a year or two too early.  When the repubs are slaughtered in the mid-terms, he'll be gone 6 months after that.  The die is already cast.

[Applewood]

And all of this, the Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces & Executive Branch of the Government has zero business getting into.

Yet masses and masses on the right are cheering this simply for their hate of the politics of Amazon's owner.

Just wait until this is flipped (again).

I wonder if any in those cheering masses knows where their employer's pension plan or where their own nest egg is invested.  I'm willing to bet that a lot of them have stock in Amazon, or maybe WaPO for that matter, and don't know it.