{"id":2060232,"date":"2023-10-09T07:57:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-09T11:57:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-free-market-conservatives-should-cheer-the-amazon-antitrust-suit\/"},"modified":"2023-10-09T08:01:29","modified_gmt":"2023-10-09T12:01:29","slug":"why-free-market-conservatives-should-cheer-the-amazon-antitrust-suit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-free-market-conservatives-should-cheer-the-amazon-antitrust-suit\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Free-Market Conservatives Should Support the Amazon Antitrust Suit"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhy-free-market-conservatives-should-cheer-the-amazon-antitrust-suit%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2060232&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"article-content\">\n<h2>Amazon&#8217;s Monopoly Power: A Threat to Free \u2064Markets and Conservative\u200b Voices<\/h2>\n<p>Amazon\u200c routinely uses its monopoly power to rig markets and stifle \u200ddissent. Whether it\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/repkenbuck\/status\/1348105739760504834\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">crushing locally owned businesses<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/investigates\/special-report\/amazon-india-rigging\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/human-experimentation-and-gene-editing-inside-chinas-race-to-create-genetically-modified-soldiers\/\" title=\"Human Experimentation And Gene-Editing: Inside China\u2019s Race To Create Genetically Modified Soldiers\">stealing intellectual property<\/a> with impunity<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deseret.com\/indepth\/2021\/3\/8\/22308119\/bill-clinton-helped-create-conservative-publishing-where-headed-josh-hawley-regnery-amazon-google\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">censoring \u2064conservative voices<\/a>, or another of its nefarious business practices, Amazon maintains a stranglehold on the marketplace.<\/p>\n<p>Over a century ago, <a href=\"https:\/\/guides.loc.gov\/this-month-in-business-history\/july\/sherman-antitrust-act-enacted\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Republicans<\/a> championed the creation of antitrust laws in order to give small businesses a fair shot, and President Trump,\u2062 notably, helped reinvigorate antitrust efforts by bringing historic suits\u2062 against Amazon\u2019s fellow Big Tech monopolists like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/news-events\/news\/press-releases\/2021\/08\/ftc-alleges-facebook-resorted-illegal-buy-or-bury-scheme-crush-competition-after-string-failed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Facebook<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2020\/10\/20\/justice-department-antitrust-case-google-430281\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>The FTC&#8217;s Lawsuit: A\u200b Chance to Restore Free \u200dMarkets<\/h3>\n<p>Now, after years of anticipation, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched a long-overdue <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/09\/26\/technology\/ftc-amazon.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">antitrust suit<\/a> against Amazon alongside a <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/technology\/4223527-amazon-antitrust-lawsuit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bipartisan coalition<\/a> of state attorneys general. Republicans should welcome the suit as an opportunity to reinvigorate the free market \u200cand promote American entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n<p>The FTC\u2019s lawsuit is\u2062 the culmination of an investigation started under\u2062 former chairman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/ftc-prepares-possible-antitrust-suit-against-amazon-11675438256\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Joseph Simons<\/a>, who \u200dled the agency during the \u200bTrump years. The suit accuses Amazon of illegally favoring\u200b its own\u2064 products over competitors and sellers alike on the company\u2019s platforms, a practice known as self-preferencing. The suit highlights that,\u2064 by punishing \u200bsellers for\u2062 offering lower prices on other platforms, Amazon is leveraging\u2062 its monopoly power \u200dto stifle competition and raise \u200bprices \u2063on consumers. Ambitious in size and scope, it also highlights how Amazon \u200deffectively forces sellers to \u200cuse Amazon\u2019s fulfillment centers in order to sell on Prime\u2062 \u2014\u200c without\u2062 access to \u200dPrime, third-party \u2064vendors aren\u2019t algorithmically favored in searches,\u200d and their\u200d products become less accessible to consumers due to more \u2063expensive and \u2063slower shipping.<\/p>\n<p>Conservatives understand the dangers posed by big \u200bgovernment\u2019s distortion of the \u200cfree market and\u2063 suppression of \u200cconservative viewpoints. But Big Tech giants like Amazon are so\u200c powerful \u2063they often act as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heritage.org\/progressivism\/commentary\/amazon-doubles-down-excluding-some-conservative-nonprofits-customer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">governments \u2064of their own<\/a> \u2063 \u2014 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/china\/amazon-partnered-with-china-propaganda-arm-win-beijings-favor-document-shows-2021-12-17\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hostile \u200dones<\/a> at\u200b that. Companies like Amazon have their own internal policies, appeals systems, and decision-making protocols that are used to effectively deplatform and destroy businesses and others with no accountability.<\/p>\n<p>Using antitrust enforcement \u200cagainst an entity like Amazon, which hinders competition \u200cand censors conservatives, shouldn\u2019t be mistaken as \u201canti-capitalist.\u201d On the contrary, it\u2019s the\u2063 only option to preserve free markets and free speech. This is why \u2062Amazon\u2019s obviously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/states-push-to-rein-in-big-tech-as-federal-gears-grind-slow\/\" title=\"States Push to Rein in Big Tech as Federal Gears Grind Slow\">anti-competitive practices<\/a> have run \u200dafoul of conservatives like Rep. Ken Buck,\u2062 R-Colo., who understand how the company undermines the \u200bfree market.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s worth noting that, at its core, the suit against Amazon is a \u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/technology\/2023\/09\/27\/lina-khan-amazon-antitrust-paradox\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">classic, \u2062consumer welfare-centered<\/a> antitrust suit\u200d focused on how the company unfairly raises prices for consumers. While conservatives are\u2062 right to\u2062 be wary of efforts on the left to\u2062 weaponize antitrust \u2014 be it to promote \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2020\/09\/26\/ftc-commissioner-slaughter-on-making-antitrust-enforcement-antiracist.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">anti-racist<\/a>\u201d ideology or to attack American enterprise in general \u2014 this suit does exactly what antitrust is designed to do. By reining \u2064in Amazon\u2019s monopolistic behavior,\u200b the suit also \u2063stands \u200cto prevent the company from further wielding its dominance to \u2064harm conservatives.<\/p>\n<p>It should go without saying that if Amazon feels \u2062empowered to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/amazon-search-algorithms-altered-to-favor-own-products-report-2019-9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rig \u2064search results<\/a> in its own\u200c favor against competitors, the company \u2062is more than\u2062 happy to do the same against conservative voices. But as long as Amazon gets a free pass for abusing its market power, the company will\u2062 feel comfortable <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com\/amazon-suppressing-christian-and-conservative-books-in-censorship-spree\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suppressing conservative content<\/a>. Strong antitrust enforcement is just as crucial to combating the tyranny of Big \u200dTech as other overdue policy changes, like reforming \u200cSection 230.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, while censorship by other tech giants may receive more attention, one could \u200dargue that Amazon\u2019s crackdown on conservatives is more severe than that of \u200bFacebook or Google. \u2062Take the case of social media platform Parler, which \u200dwas scapegoated for the Capitol demonstrations in January 2021. While both Google\u200b and Apple <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/01\/09\/technology\/apple-google-parler.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">censored Parler<\/a> on their app stores, Amazon went as far as revoking Parler\u2019s access to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2021\/01\/09\/amazon-drops-parler-from-its-web-hosting-service.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Amazon\u2019s cloud services<\/a>. \u2064By preventing the \u2063site from having access\u2062 to Amazon \u200bWeb Services, Amazon effectively crushed the emerging social network in a single move.<\/p>\n<p>No one doubts that the Biden administration, which only came to power with the help of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/republican-led-us-house-panel-probes-twitter-block-hunter-biden-story-2023-02-08\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Big Tech intervention<\/a>, has aided and abetted Big Tech\u2019s war on conservatives every step of the way. From the dystopian \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/biden-dhs-disinformation-governance-board-on-hold-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">disinformation board<\/a>\u201d\u2062 to \u2064stocking his administration with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxbusiness.com\/politics\/biden-white-houses-big-tech-disclosures\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Big Tech alumni<\/a>, the White House\u2019s feigned support for taking on tech is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2023\/2\/7\/23590396\/state-of-the-union-sotu-biden-tech-tiktok-privacy-antitrust\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">little more than theater<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>[READ:[READ:<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/07\/17\/bidens-ftc-punished-twitter-for-seceding-from-the-censorship-complex\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Biden\u2019s FTC Punished Twitter For Seceding From\u200d The Censorship\u2062 Complex<\/strong><\/a><strong>]<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, it would\u2062 be absurd for conservatives to oppose the lawsuit solely because it was launched under a Democratic administration.\u2064 While FTC chair Lina Khan is \u200da left-wing Democrat, \u200dshe is one of the only members \u2064of her party\u2063 to put the need for strong law enforcement above personal \u2062bias. As noted by Ziven Havens in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsmax.com\/politics\/kahn-big-tech\/2023\/04\/21\/id\/1117086\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Newsmax<\/a>,\u200c Khan has emerged in office as an \u201caccidental ally to law-and-order \u200ctraditionalists\u2062 and proverbial strange bedfellows to free enterprise advocates.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the article, Havens highlights how Khan has built a track record of opposing Big Tech monopolies and ESG extremists allied with her\u2062 party. It shouldn\u2019t be a surprise, then, that the logic behind the FTC\u2019s\u2064 lawsuit is in line with \u2063criticisms of Amazon\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-steven-crowder-announces-lawsuit-against-facebook\/\" title=\"BREAKING: Steven Crowder Announces Lawsuit Against Facebook\">anti-competitive behavior<\/a> from conservatives\u2062 like Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawley.senate.gov\/senator-hawley-requests-criminal-antitrust-investigation-amazon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Josh Hawley<\/a>, R-Mo. The changing view on antitrust isn\u2019t solely limited to Republican members of Congress \u2014 it\u2019s prevalent \u200cthroughout \u200bRepublican leadership, as seen during the Trump years. Havens notes:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>The Trump administration made\u2062 the first serious attempt [at trust busting] \u200dwhen its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-free-market-conservatives-should-cheer-the-amazon-antitrust-suit\/\" title=\"Why Free-Market Conservatives Should Support the Amazon Antitrust Suit\">top competition officials \u2026 \u200bbrought landmark cases aimed<\/a> at reigniting innovation and reinvigorating market competition. And though the Biden\u2062 administration has reflexively moved to reverse\u200c Trump policies across the board, Khan \u200dhas distinguished herself with a commitment to \u200dcontinuing\u200d what \u2062her predecessors began and to rehabilitating antitrust enforcement in \u2064digital markets.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>More instructive, \u2062perhaps, is taking \u2064a\u2063 close look at\u2063 the\u200d political interest groups opposed to the Amazon antitrust suit. Big Tech front \u2063group NetChoice\u2062 (of which Amazon is a member), fresh off fighting Texas\u2019 efforts to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2022\/09\/16\/5th-circuit-upholds-texas-law-forbidding-social-media-censorship-again-00057316\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">stop \u200dsocial media censorship<\/a>, immediately <a href=\"https:\/\/netchoice.org\/four-ways-the-ftcs-lawsuit-against-amazon-will-erode-the-u-s-retail-market\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cried\u2063 foul<\/a> about the lawsuit. The Chamber of Progress, a left-wing front \u2063group for the \u200dtech industry that also counts Amazon as a member, reacted with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2023\/09\/28\/1202434932\/tech-industry-group-weighs-in-on-ftcs-case-against-amazon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">similar outrage<\/a>. Given that Amazon has\u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/technology\/2017\/08\/apple-and-amazon-are-helping-china-censor-the-internet.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">consistently worked<\/a> \u2063to advance China\u2019s rigorous censorship\u200c agenda to the detriment of American consumers, it would be <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/12\/20\/amazon-ordered-to-delete-reviews-of-chinese-presidents-book-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fair to assume<\/a> that Beijing isn\u2019t too pleased by \u200cthe suit either.<\/p>\n<p>In the age of woke capitalism, it\u2019s no secret that conservative leaders are rethinking the relationship between government and business. Republicans like <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/state-watch\/4004742-desantis-companies-like-google-exercising-way-more-power-than-standard-oil-ever-did\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ron DeSantis<\/a> acknowledge \u2063that Big Tech giants, a \u201chandful of private power centers \u2064that really, really dominate our society,\u201d have \u2062achieved levels of influence unthinkable a century ago. This becomes \u2064undeniable when considering how Amazon\u2019s monopoly was subsidized with\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/fedscoop.com\/ken-buck-agencies-should-reconsider-future-amazon-contract-awards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">government money<\/a> and supported by a revolving door of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailysignal.com\/2023\/03\/22\/facebook-google-amazon-share-revolving-door-with-justice-department\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">government\u200b officials<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Main Street\u200d businesses have formed the\u200d bedrock of American society since our nation\u2019s founding. But in the face of red tape, high taxes, and predatory monopolies, innovators and entrepreneurs across the country face an unfair playing field. By \u2062taking Amazon\u2019s anti-competitive\u2063 behavior head-on, \u200cthe FTC\u2062 has an opportunity to level the playing field\u2063 and give small\u200d businesses \u200ba fighting chance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"> <\/p>\n<h2> What are the concerns raised about Amazon&#8217;s alleged censorship of conservative voices\u2062 and its ability to\u200d control the flow of information?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Er consolidating its power and stifling competition in the marketplace.<\/p>\n<h3>Conservative Concerns: Censorship and \u200cBias<\/h3>\n<p>One of the main concerns for conservatives when\u2062 it comes to Amazon is the company&#8217;s alleged censorship of conservative voices. Amazon has faced mounting criticism for deplatforming \u2064and suppressing\u2063 conservative authors, publishers, and \u2062individuals who express dissenting viewpoints. This has raised concerns about the company&#8217;s\u2062 bias and\u2064 its ability to control the flow of information.<\/p>\n<p>Amazon&#8217;s market dominance gives it the power to dictate \u200bwhat products are available to consumers\u200b and what ideas are given a \u200bplatform. With\u2062 its \u2062control over the\u200b publishing industry, Amazon\u200b has the ability to shape public discourse and influence public opinion. This has serious \u2062implications for the principles of free speech and open \u200cdebate that are fundamental to \u2062a \u2062democratic society.<\/p>\n<p>Conservatives have \u200blong argued that Big Tech \u200ccompanies like Amazon should not be allowed to act as both the gatekeepers and\u2063 referees \u200cof online content. The power to\u200d decide what is acceptable and what is not should\u200b not rest in the hands of a few unaccountable \u200dcorporate executives. By leveraging its monopoly power to silence conservative voices, Amazon is undermining \u200bthe diversity of ideas\u2062 and \u200dperspectives that are essential to a thriving marketplace of ideas.<\/p>\n<h3>Protecting Small Businesses\u2062 and \u200cFostering Innovation<\/h3>\n<p>Another critical aspect of the antitrust suit against Amazon is its potential to level the playing field for small businesses. Amazon&#8217;s dominant position in the marketplace gives \u200bit\u2062 unrivaled bargaining power, allowing it \u200dto impose unfavorable terms on third-party sellers and drive \u2062competition out of the market.<\/p>\n<p>By favoring its own products\u200c and imposing restrictive agreements on sellers, Amazon stifles innovation and\u2064 hampers \u200bthe growth of \u2063small businesses. This not only harms \u200cindividual entrepreneurs but also limits \u200dconsumer choice and\u2064 hinders economic competition.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans have historically championed \u2063the \u200ccause of small businesses and worked to create an environment that fosters entrepreneurship. By taking on \u200cAmazon&#8217;s\u200b anti-competitive practices, conservatives have the opportunity to promote free markets, protect small\u200d businesses, and \u200densure that innovative\u2064 startups have a \u2062fair chance to\u2063 thrive.<\/p>\n<p><h\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amazon, with its monopoly power, manipulates markets and suppresses opposition. It crushes local businesses, infringes on intellectual property, censors conservative voices, and employs other unethical tactics to maintain its dominance. Republicans advocated for antitrust laws long ago to ensure fair competition, but Amazon continues to hold a firm grip on the marketplace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1292,"featured_media":2060233,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2060232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2060232","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1292"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2060232"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2060232\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2060233"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2060232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2060232"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2060232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}