“The best way to control the opposition is to lead it ourselves.” -Lenin (attributed)

As a Machiavellian, I’ve got to hand it to Amazon on this one. This is slick. Working every angle. If only our insurgents were so conniving.

By Gin Armstrong and Derek Seidman

Eyes on the Ties

Right now, Amazon has a prominent banner on its homepage that reads: “Black lives matter: Amazon stands in solidarity with the Black community.” The company has also tweeted about its “solidarity with the Black community” in “the fight against systemic racism and injustice.”

But as thousands take to the streets in a historic wave of action to defend Black lives against rampant and systemic police violence, Amazon has been using one of its charitable arms to help fund police foundations that purchase surveillance equipment and weaponry for police forces and offer networks of corporate and civic support that help prop up police power.

AmazonSmile is an Amazon website through which shoppers can purchase products, and the AmazonSmile Foundation then donates “0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization” of the shopper’s choice. Through AmazonSmile, Amazon helps to fund police foundations across the U.S. – an arrangement actively promoted by these police foundations.

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