One of the very many national course corrections President Donald Trump is making – is renegotiating REALLY-bad-for-US global trade deals.
We have been the planet’s largest economy for more than half a century. Our current Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is $19.4 trillion.
And our trade deals – look like we have the purchasing power of a five-year-old with an empty piggy bank.
So Trump renegotiates.
But President Trump has repeatedly assured everyone on the planet:
“The word ‘reciprocal’ is the most important word with Donald Trump when it comes to what the subject…. I want reciprocal. If they’re going to charge us 100 percent for a motorcycle, it should be 100 percent the other way, too…. I’m a free trader. Totally. I’m a fair trader. I’m all kinds of trader, but I want reciprocal.”
Trump wants equal terms with our trading partners. No more – no less.
Trump isn’t threatening the world with throwing our considerable weight around – to get unfair advantages for US.
That’s what huge companies like Amazon do.
Amazon is an inconceivably huge Big Tech monster (Market Cap: $849 billion).
All by its onesies – it’s almost 0.5%…of the entire US economy. That is, again, inconceivably huge for one company to be.
Because of Amazon’s hugeness:
Every time Amazon decides to do something – it is given unfair advantages…at the expense of everyone else.
Every time Amazon decides it wants something – it is given unfair advantages…at the expense of everyone else.
It is given these unfair advantages – by feckless, crony governments.
US governments at every level are all exceedingly willing to capitulate and prostrate themselves – so as to best please Master Amazon.
It’s as if they’re all auditioning for Kevin Bacon’s role in a looming remake of Animal House. (Which is a remake that should never, EVER happen.)
Again: Amazon’s government cronyism – never, ever takes place in a vacuum.
Cronyism has a few winners – and a whole lot of losers.
Amazon’s cronyism – results in more losers than just about any cronyism ever.
Amazon sells…everything currently on offer on Planet Earth.
Thus, government cronyism for Amazon screws…just about everyone else on Planet Earth.
Of course brick-and-mortar retailers – of all sizes – are royally screwed.
So is every online retailer – not named Amazon.
Which of course means every business that attends to those retailers – is also screwed.
Manufacturers, packagers, shippers and many, many more industries’ players – all screwed.
All to help Massive Amazon. Who needs the help less…than just about any other company on the planet.
When Amazon decided to simultaneously site its second headquarters in two US cities – governments all across our land lined up to screw everyone else besides Amazon.
Amazon’s HQ2 Was a Con, Not a Contest
Amazon HQ2: Magnet for Corruption
Something Is Rotten in Amazon’s Request for HQ2 Proposals
And governments did so – at the expense of…every one of their existing citizens.
It’s like Sanctuary Cities – for Monster Amazon. Metropolises spending tons of citizen tax money – to entice foreigners to relocate there and displace them.
The Darker Side to Winning the Amazon HQ2 Sweepstakes
One city that won the Crony Amazon HQ2 Contest – was close-to-DC Arlington, Virginia.
Shocker: Amazon wanting to be close to the DC – the Cronyism Capitol of America.
Shocker: Amazon has already long been priming the DC pump.
Amazon Is Flooding D.C. With Money and Muscle: The Influence Game:
“Since 2012, Amazon has ramped up spending by more than 460 percent.…”
Shocker: It’s working.
Amazon: One of the Biggest of Bigfoot Cronyism-Recipient Lobbyists
Why The Post Office Gives Amazon A $1.46 Subsidy on Each Box
Because cronyism, that’s why.
Think it’s fair to UPS and FedEx – to lose out on all of that Amazon shipping business…because of Government Post Office cronyism?
But the prize on which Amazon has long had its Sauron eye – is the biggest pots of money of all:
Government contracts.
Amazon: Government Has an Ongoing Problem Issuing Monopoly, Crony Contracts
And as we’ve seen since decades before Trump was sworn in as President:
The DC Deep State contains millions of Swamp Creatures.
Trump wants to Drain the Swamp.
DCs Swamp Creatures continue to countermand Trump’s Drain the Swamp mandate.
Top Amazon Boss Privately Advised US Government on Web Portal Worth Billions to Tech Firm
“Amazon executive Anne Rung communicated with a top official at the General Services Administration (GSA) about the approach the government would take to create the new portal, even before the legislation that created it – known to its critics as the ‘Amazon amendment’ – was signed into law late last year.
“Amazon Amendment” – ???
The ‘Amazon Amendment’ Would Effectively Hand Government Purchasing Power Over to Amazon
That’s Amazon Retail. How’s Amazon Web Services – Amazon’s cloud computing wing – doing on the government monopoly front?
Quite well, natch.
Amazon Web Services Just Opened a New Cloud for the U.S. Government
Amazon and CIA Ink $600 Million Cloud Deal
Pentagon’s $1 Billion Cloud Deal May Signal New Era in Government Buying:
“The (Amazon) contract caught many industry players by surprise, in part due to the $950 million value and partly because it was awarded without a traditional government procurement. This deal may be a harbinger for how the Defense Department plans to purchase certain technologies moving forward.”
Harbinger indeed….
Uber-Crony Amazon – Is About to Get the Biggest Crony Deal in DC’s Awful History
The Defense Department cloud contract – is worth $10 billion.
And Amazon rigged it – so that they would get the whole thing.
Cronyism: Having Your Ex-Employees Award Government Contracts…:
“…makes it much more likely you’ll get government contracts.”
“The Obama Administration started a new sub-agency in the DoD – in charge of tech procurement. And hired thereby was a huge Obama fan by the name of Deap Ubhi.
Where was Ubhi working when the Obama Administration hired him? Why…Amazon Web Services, natch.
“The DoDs multi-provider contract process – then suddenly became a sole source contract process.
“And the contractor description was rewritten – so that only Amazon Web Services met the specifications….
“When Ubhi was outed for his inside-out Amazon cronyism – he recused himself…from a contract process he had already thoroughly corrupted.
“And two weeks after his recusal – Ubhi quit the DoD…and went back to work for Amazon Web Services.”
But thankfully, Trump’s Swamp draining is starting to bear fruit – and lay bare the Creatures.
Which means less cronyism.
And better government policy.
All of which is bad news for Uber-Crony Amazon.
The CIA is now looking to do things right.
And the DoD?
Pentagon Pauses $10 Billion Contract That Embroiled Amazon in Controversy:
“The Pentagon is hitting pause on a massive, first-of-its-kind cloud computing contract after President Trump cited critics’ accusations of favoritism toward Amazon.
“Mark Esper, the new defense secretary, is re-examining the project just weeks before the winner was expected to be announced.”
That is excellent news.
For everyone in the United States.
Except for Monster Crony Amazon.
Which is even more good news for everyone else in the United States.
This first appeared in Red State.