For years, lefties have been singing the praises of independent bookstores and decrying the success of Amazon, which offers customers a larger selection of books at way lower prices. Year after year, liberal media outlets profile closing mom-and-pop bookstores that just can’t compete with the efficiency of Amazon.
Obviously, those on the right don’t like for any American to lose his or her job. But it is hard to argue with the business model and scale of Amazon – everything is cheaper and easier to get. Plus, those in charge at Amazon have shown real courage and fortitude in standing up for Ivanka Trump and her products despite boycotts from left-wing agitators. All in all, Amazon is simply better, and there is little reason to visit your local book shop.
Now there are even fewer reasons. According to an article in the New York Times, independent bookstores are declaring themselves foot soldiers in the left’s so-called “resistance” against our president. Apparently, “bookstores have entered the fray, taking on roles ranging from meeting place to political war room.” Because what’s better than businesses getting political?
The article goes into many examples of bookstores taking up metaphorical arms as a squadron in the left-wing’s chaos campaign. For example, one bookstore has given out free samples of a book called “We Should All Be Feminists” by an author named Chinamanda Ngozi Adichie. “All over the country” bookstores are placing George Orwell’s “1984” and Sinclair Lewis’ “It Can’t Happen Here” in their windows. They are also apparently calling the very front display table in their stores the “#Resist table.” (Why does it need a hashtag?)
The article goes into further examples of events held in protest of our nation’s president. One store has its own “social justice reading and action group.” Right now, its suggested reading is “What We Do Now: Standing Up For Your Values In Trump’s America,” which feature essays from liberal luminaries like Bernie Sanders, Liz Warren and Gloria Steinem. (I feel like I get enough of a sense of what these people think by watching CNN that I don’t need to give them my money by purchasing a book. Then again, I’m not the target audience).
When Amazon refused to bodybag Ivanka Trump’s line, I realized there were even more reasons to support them than price, selection and ease. This is yet another.