[Book Review] Undercover Report: The Darkness of the Amazon Empire

After reading a certain article on note the other day,
I pulled out this book I read a long time ago.

As you might imagine from the title,
the feeling after reading it was not
very pleasant,
and I remember struggling with whether
I should continue using Amazon.

To put it briefly,
I still use it today,
but there is a personal thought process
that led me to that point.

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The Crab Cannery Ship of the Modern Age

Learning about the reality of Amazon's logistics warehouses
and the workers involved by following the author's experiences,
it somehow brings to mind the working conditions
of the Industrial Revolution era.

Of course, it is likely
somewhat better than it was back then.

One might call it the modern-day Crab Cannery Ship.

That is certainly not
an off-base metaphor,
and it is not hard to come up with,
to the point where it feels almost trite and embarrassing.

Even just looking at the wording on the posters
said to be displayed inside the warehouse,
you can feel a desolate atmosphere
like a battlefield.

Combined with the fact that the company I currently belong to
is extremely laid-back,
I think, "This kind of cold-heartedness
must be what leads to such outstanding results."
Which workplace is better
probably depends on the person.

As a company employee and a member of an organization
(not in a strange sense),
people around me say I am relatively strict.

While it is natural that as a professional one should
do the bare minimum of work,
it seems my minimum line
is higher than those around me.

If anything, my work ethic
(though not as harsh as the examples in this book)
might be closer to Amazon's.

I am fed up enough with the laxity of my workplace
to decide to quit, but at the same time,
I don't think I could work
in a place this desolate.

If you don't like it, just quit

I look at and think about Amazon
from the perspective of a worker.

In the end, the attitude of the Amazon (employer) side
feels like a consistent stance of,
"There are plenty of people to replace you,
so if you're unhappy, why don't you quit?"

In a world of liberalism and capitalism,
I don't think it's particularly bad,
and as long as there are people who accept it,
there is no reason to change it.

I don't know because I was born just before the collapse of the Soviet Union,
but was a communist society
like this as well?

Or perhaps, having lost the competition
with the capitalist world,
was this a gentler (softer)
working environment?

The part about communication protocols during disasters
is reminiscent of the
Hotel New Japan fire that occurred in the Showa era.
Are even world-renowned major corporations, after all,
unable to apply even the social lessons
learned in Japan several decades ago?

Though, to those chosen
Amazonians (Amazon employees),
this must sound like nothing more than
the howling of the weak.

People who choose work over their own lives

"Relying on Amazon when in trouble"

For those who cannot find decent work
around the massive Amazon warehouses,
it seems such a faith exists.

The idea that there is no work
near where one lives
is certainly something I hear often.

How strong the constraints of one's residence are
when looking for a job
must surely depend on the person.

However, I feel that the situation where there is no other choice
is probably much rarer
than people think.

If that is the only place to work, then
do you move to increase your options,
or do you accept the harshness?
Either way, in the end,
you have no choice but to protect yourself.

If they are the villains

Amazon is a massive corporation that operates
with a strictness akin to a military.

Perhaps the only thing workers can do in the current situation
is to "quit if it doesn't suit you."

Regardless of the reason,
if you want to work even at the cost of your mind and body,
you should keep working; if not,
you should prioritize your own safety
and look for another path in life.

This is the logic of liberalism,
and if the number of people who cannot keep up increases
and it becomes unsustainable, the company will have to
rethink things, or if only those who are convinced
gather to work, it will likely evolve
into a higher-density energy body.

It is an era of diversity,
and it can be said that for people who want to prioritize work
and work hard, it is a truly wonderful company.

At least as long as they are
complying with the law,
it is fine for such an option to exist.

When reading books like this, one tends to
want to label the subject (in this case, Amazon) as the villain,
but if that premise were true,
the villains would be everyone who supports it.

Because those who work there, and those who are users,
are the ones supporting the prosperity of that villain.
It goes without saying that I am included in that.

It is not just a critique of Amazon or
a raising of issues,
but it also touches on the history of how they
have built their values from their inception to the present day.

How should we evaluate the existence of Amazon,
and how should we interact with it?
While enjoying its convenient services,
this is a book that will leave you troubled.

Recommended for people like this!

・People who want to know about
　the company Amazon
・People who are thinking about
　working with Amazon

Might not be for people like this...

・People who want to continue
　using Amazon comfortably

Thank you for reading.

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