U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to show Canada into the 51st state have hit the digital cabinets of on-line retail large Amazon — and fed-up Canadians are calling for the corporate to close it down.
A petition is urging Amazon to disable listings of shirts, hats, stickers and different merchandise emblazoned with quotes referring to Canada because the 51st state or in any other case celebrating the concept of Canada being annexed by its southern neighbour.
“This isn’t a joke to us. It is a risk to our autonomy and id as Canadians,” Ontario resident Sue Williams-Dunn, who began the petition in February, wrote in its description.
The petition had greater than 57,000 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon.
A fast search of “51st state” on Amazon’s web site brings up a flood of things, together with t-shirts that say “Make Canada Nice Once more” in a reference to Trump’s slogan, stickers of the map of Canada colored in with the American flag and hats declaring Canada as “the 51st state of America.”
“That is offensive and foments dissent and warfare. I’ll instantly not purchase merchandise from Amazon,” one commenter wrote beneath the petition.
The emergence of merchandise cheering for the U.S. to take over Canada is simply the newest entrance within the ongoing commerce warfare between the 2 international locations, a bitter back-and-forth of tariffs and counter-tariffs that has sparked many Canadians to embrace a “purchase Canadian” sentiment.
Amazon stated in an electronic mail to CBC Information that the merchandise in query didn’t breach their insurance policies.
The corporate directed CBC Information to its “Offensive Merchandise Insurance policies” page, which states that the corporate’s insurance policies “prohibit the sale of merchandise that promote, incite, or glorify hatred, violence, racial, sexual, or non secular intolerance or promote organizations with such views, in addition to listings that graphically painting violence or victims of violence.”
In keeping with the corporate’s web site, a devoted crew screens complaints and assess probably offensive merchandise.
“We try to maximise choice for all clients, even when we do not agree with the message or sentiment of all the merchandise,” Amazon’s web site states.
Williams-Dunn, a retired registered nurse, informed CBC Information that she was “so shocked and upset” when she first noticed one of many merchandise on Amazon’s web site.
“I felt a jolt proper by my coronary heart,” she wrote in an electronic mail. “Amazon says it doesn’t [contravene] their controversial product coverage however I urge to vary!”
Model blowback?
It isn’t a shock to Daniel Tsai, an adjunct professor of legislation and enterprise on the College of Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan College, that Amazon can be promoting these sorts of merchandise.
“Amazon loves cash,” he informed CBC Information.
“I am not shocked that there is an abundance of controversial and inflammatory kind of merchandise as a result of Amazon’s complete revenue mannequin is predicated on attempting to hold as a lot merchandise as they will, with out regard to the politics of it.”
The Nationwide Envelope went to Saint John this weekend, the place U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats are weighing closely on this election.
It isn’t all anti-Canadian — the retail large additionally at the moment hosts plenty of merchandise that push again towards “51st state” rhetoric in its on-line market, reminiscent of hats that say, “Canada isn’t on the market.”
“They’re promoting on each side,” stated David Amos, who teaches retail and advertising and marketing programs on the Capilano College Faculty of Enterprise, in B.C.
Amazon is not the one website the place these merchandise are cropping up: websites like Redbubble and Etsy have related listings, though merchandise supporting Canada seem to outnumber these celebrating the 51st state rhetoric on these websites.
The truth that Amazon is allowing the sale of merchandise calling for Canada’s annexation might harm its model picture amongst Canadians, Tsai stated — notably in gentle of latest accusations that Amazon is engaging in union-busting by ordering the closure of seven warehouses in Quebec, together with Canada’s first unionized Amazon facility.
“This reveals Amazon’s true colors as an enormous American firm that simply does not care about Canadians,” he stated.
However whereas this might bitter some Canadians on the corporate, for purchasers who’ve lengthy relied on Amazon, “it is onerous to discover a substitute,” for the retail juggernaut, Amos informed CBC Information.
“I do not actually see it making that a lot of a dent.”
Impacts of public outcry
Williams-Dunn stated her purpose is for the petition to achieve a million signatures — she’s hoping which may spur Amazon into motion.
Though it is uncommon, Amazon has pulled listings on account of public backlash earlier than. A number of neo-Nazi and white supremacist products were removed from the positioning in 2018 and 2020 after criticism from advocacy teams and lawmakers.
The “Purchase Canadian” motion is alive and effectively within the metropolis. However it’s not simply Canadians who’re refusing to buy American items or go to the nation. Actions in Europe have cropped up as effectively.
However Tsai stated it is cash that basically talks.
“It isn’t fully not possible to drive Amazon to take away merchandise, nevertheless it usually is extraordinarily troublesome to take action,” he stated.
“The one approach that this petition would achieve success is that if they really see that gross sales go down and that hurts their backside line. And until Amazon sees a monetary hit, they do not have a lot of an incentive to do something about it.”
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