This week, Jeff Bezos, owner of The Washington Post and quintessential out-of-touch billionaire, squashed an editorial endorsing Kamala Harris for president. His reasoning? We can only assume it’s because he’s afraid of Donald Trump’s wrath if Trump is successful in his second coup attempt. The result? Within hours of the announcement, 60,000 Washington Post subscriptions were cancelled. That’s a real number—roughly over a million dollars out the window in revenue. While that might be peanuts to someone like Bezos, it’s more consequential in its message: people are fed up.
Bezos bought the Post in 2013, promising he’d never meddle in the editorial. And I quote: “The values of The Post do not need changing. The paper’s duty will remain to its readers and not to the private interests of its owners. We will continue to follow the truth wherever it leads, and we’ll work hard not to make mistakes. When we do, we will own up to them quickly and completely.” The first lesson here, obviously, is never trust a billionaire because now, he’s making “editorial policy” moves that look a lot like protecting his own billionaire interests.
If Kamala Harris wins, Bezos can and will keep on keepin’ on, perhaps paying a bit more in tax. If Trump wins, well, we all know what he’s about—punishing anyone he sees as against him. So Bezos, with one eye on his empire and the other on his wealth, decided it was better to keep his head down and stay out of Trump’s line of fire. Kill the endorsement. Dodge the radar. That’s the plan. But it’s spineless. And people everywhere are reacting, including Post journalists who feel betrayed.
Personally, I didn’t have a Washington Post subscription. But I did have Amazon Prime, so I cancelled in protest. And to be sure, this will likely inconvenience me way more than it does Bezos. Let’s not sugar-coat it—Amazon isn’t just a convenience; it’s practically a lifestyle. They have Prime Video, Audible, curated music playlists, next-day shipping, and algorithms that know your shopping habits better than you do. But that’s the point. Amazon hooks you with all the convenience it can afford and then nudges prices up over time, driving smaller retailers out of business and making it feel almost impossible for consumers to let go. The whole setup is a huge, manipulative marketing scheme that keeps us dependent.
So, yes, cancelling Prime stung a bit. I’d built up my entire library of books, saved countless bookmarks, and got used to one-click shopping for anything I could dream of needing. Cancelling felt like a hassle I didn’t need, and Bezos knows most of us feel that way. But I couldn’t stomach the idea of paying him a dollar more, knowing how he’s prioritizing his bottom line over real lives, real democracy, and real journalism. And make no mistake, this editorial decision impacts lives—editorials influence elections, especially for undecided voters. Killing this endorsement effectively says, “Both candidates are on the same level,” which is dangerously far from the truth. Kamala Harris stands for a vision of democracy. Trump, on the other hand, incites violence, intimidates the free press, will harm women with his abortion stance, and has no problem throwing American allies under the bus. If he gets back in, the entire world is less safe, period. And Bezos, the slimy little weasel, already worth over $150 billion, couldn’t be bothered to stand up for a single principle that didn’t involve self-preservation.
But the part that really gets my goat? The naysayers, those closer to the breadline than ever being a billionaire, rushing in with “What difference does it make?” comments, saying Bezos will hardly notice a few cancelled Prime memberships or Washington Post subscriptions. It’s easy to dismiss personal action as pointless, but these little steps add up. Look, I stopped shopping at Loblaws over four years ago. At first, it wasn’t some grand moral stance—I simply didn’t visit during the first six months of the pandemic because it wasn’t convenient. But as time went on, Loblaws became a symbol of something I couldn’t support. They were shamelessly price gouging Canadians under the pretense of “inflation,” pushing up costs for essentials like butter and eggs. Has my boycott made a difference to their bottom line? Not likely. But it matters to me. Every time I read about their latest corporate greed stunt, I feel a little better knowing I’m not part of it.
But let’s be real: not everyone has the luxury to boycott the Loblaws and Amazons of the world. Loblaws has a stranglehold on Canada’s grocery scene, especially in small or rural communities. For people without other options, and especially for those on fixed incomes, Loblaws may be the only option for groceries. And Amazon’s sheer convenience is a lifeline for those who can’t leave the house, whether due to disability, lack of access to other stores, or busy schedules. These companies are everywhere, offering just enough that walking away feels impossible.
It’s a grim cycle we’re stuck in, but for those who can, our little actions still matter. They’re acts of resistance. And sure, one person cancelling Amazon Prime isn’t going to topple Bezos’s empire, but it’s not about single acts. It’s about thousands and thousands of people quietly standing on principle, each one building on the next. We hear all the time that our money is our vote—well, this is what voting with our wallets looks like. But to the “it won’t make a difference” crowd, I say: people like you are the reason we can’t get traction on protests and boycotts. The constant undermining and eye-rolling only serves those who stand to gain by keeping us silent and compliant. You not being able to stand a little discomfort is the problem.
Maybe a cancelled subscription won’t bankrupt Bezos, but these small actions chip away at his invulnerability, at the idea that his power is untouchable. And even if no one else noticed, I would. So no, I won’t fund him anymore, or the Post, or any other company that undermines democracy in the name of profit. I’ve made my stand, and every time I read the news about this spineless billionaire’s antics, I’ll know I’m not part of it. And frankly, that’s worth something.
So if you cancelled Prime this week, I’m with you. If you unsubscribed from The Washington Post, good for you. We may not have the billions to throw around like Jeff Bezos, but we do have a choice. That choice is a matter of integrity, which makes us far richer than Bezos will ever be.
*UPDATE: According to NPR the number of subscribers who have now cancelled their Washington Post subscriptions, now tops 200,000.
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