On the occasion of May Day, we'll convene at the usual time and location: Tuesday, May 1, 7:30pm at the Jade Garden (424 7th Ave. S., Seattle).
This month's discussion will focus on Amazon.com. The Seattle Times ran a broad four-part series about Amazon's business practices, from its tax strategy to its relative lack of local corporate philanthropy. The Times caught some flack on the grounds that they were knocking a major local employer (and one that could relocate...), but the Times was praised by others for exposing the "Wal-Mart in the sky," which subjects many workers to poor conditions while skimping on taxes and failing to contribute at home.
There's an interesting conversation about the issues explored by the Times, whether people choose smaller retailers over Amazon, etc. I think that there's probably a deeper set of questions around being a consumer in the the Internet age, and the ways in which the Internet makes us more informed consumers but more disconnected from our merchants.
Homework is pretty light: read the series (on your Kindle) and come with some thoughts. Even if you're not planning to come, the series is worthwhile.
