Vegan Forum

Please try to purchase directly from the supplier if possible. It's very easy and is often cheaper as well. Amazon takes an unfair amount of profit away from their product makers who make the product you want possible, and yet Amazon continues to grow and become more powerful. It's called 'globalisation' and it causes so many companies to go out of buisness, people to lose jobs, richer people to get richer, AND more powerful, more globalised, and the cycle continues.

Yes, it's just a product, but please think about the effect it has on everyone around you. Book writers don't even want to sell their books on Amazon because they get a poor return. Infact, they earn more money selling books themselves, but companies like Amazon are so popular now that in order for most book sellers to remain in the market they are forced to sell on Amazon to be noticed.

I've only once ever seen a person comment about purchasing the Amazon product on another site for cheaper and I think it's because Amazon doesn't allow that. That's how corrupt an organisation they are.

Try to think of the implications here. We are supporting the 'already rich', globalisation of the already too globalised, and degradation of the product maker who makes it all possible, while Amazon smugly rattles their money.

Just something to think about.

Dreamer, I have edited your message a bit for obvious reasons.

It's okay WarChild, and I'm sorry. I got out of hand.

I don't think that's what you call globalization. Maybe you've got the wrong term, although the idea is there. Globalization is an umbrella term for a complex series of economic, social, technological, cultural and political changes seen as increasing interdependence, integration and interaction between people and companies in disparate locations. As a term 'globalization' has been used as early as 1944 but economists began applying it around 1981.

The term "globalization" is used to refer to these collective changes as a process, or else as the cause of turbulent change. The distinct uses include:

* 'Economically and socially positive: As an engine of commerce; one which brings an increased standard of living — prosperity to developing countries and further wealth to First World and Third World countries.

* Economically, socially, and ecologically negative: As an engine of "corporate imperialism"; one which tramples over the human rights of developing societies, claims to bring prosperity, yet often simply amounts to plundering and profiteering. Negative effects include cultural assimilation via cultural imperialism, the export of artificial wants, and the destruction or inhibition of authentic local and global community, ecology and cultures.

The term you are probably referring to is 'monopolization' or 'unethical corporate practices'.

Does anyone know of any more ethical places to order books, DVDs and music? I'm restricted to either buying my goods in the bigger shops in town (HMV, Tesco) who have already put the smaller ones out of business (or the smaller businesses only stock mainstream stuff that is certain to sell) or buying online.

It's not always possible to buy direct from supplier. I know you can order books online from Penguin, but not everywhere does. And some books / DVDs / music I wouldn't know who the publisher/studio/recording company was

I can find fairtrade and ethical food and clothes easily enough. Maybe there's a gap in the market here?

Hm.. I always though that buying from amazon is cheaper than buying from a real, not internet store.

I never thought that amazon do that to people, my aunt often buy from that site, good thing I haven't tried... Thanks for the info, I might warn my aunt about that...