Are We All at Amazon's Mercy?
(There is a less polite way of phrasing the title, but I opted for something less juvenile.) Can we live without Amazon? Well, of course we can. Amazon isn't necessary for survival - at least not yet. Even so, it seems every day my fear grows that more of our lives are being outsourced to Amazon. It is beginning to feel as if it is by design. I am trying my hardest not to use Amazon if I don't have to. I try to find independent alternatives. I almost never buy Amazon clothing unless it's some novelty item for a costume or something similar that's hard to find elsewhere. I use the Bookshop.com and its associated app for my e-reading. For hard copies I use the library and the used bookstore down the street. For everyday necessities like toiletries and household goods. I buy from as many DTC brands as possible. I buy the bulk of my groceries at the farmers' market. In the old world, this seemed easy. It was possible. It wasn't stressful. Now we have tariffs, risi...
