# Amazon quietly banning books **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 5, 2021, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264 "2021-03-05T12:18:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/1 "2021-03-05T12:18:47Z")
> **[Book Banning in an Age of Amazon](https://abigailshrier.substack.com/p/book-banning-in-an-age-of-amazon)** > > The "World's Largest Bookstore" Begins Quietly Deleting Books Amazon has a market value bigger than the GDP of Canada, dominant market share, and massive reach. It’s not bad when governments ban books because they are the government, it’s bad because they are powerful. Amazon is powerful. PS. to all the free enterprise lovers around here: https ://funnylax.com/media/memes/c6519c1ccaf195d2/tech-skynet-private-company-getting-curb-stomped-terminator-93989a0167c0d9a0-003d142229a1648a.jpg ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/2 "2021-03-05T12:25:06Z")
Tell me about it. Just the other day I was in a Barnes & Noble to buy copies of The Forme of Cury, Weird Tales #36, and the March 1987 issue of _Hustler_, and they refused to sell ANY of them to me. Orwell must be spinning in his grave. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/3 "2021-03-05T12:33:21Z")
I wonder if conservatives have considered not having repulsive viewpoints to which society as a whole has finally grown up enough to reject, instead of whining about being cancelled? I do find it it interesting that when you look at the so-called conservative voices that have been silenced, it is almost always (probably even always but I’ll give myself some wiggle room for the exception that proves the rule) some kind of hate speech, misogyny, racism, Islamophobia, transphobia, fascism, or simply outright madness (e.g., QAnon). Why do conservatives claim this type of speech as “conservative speech”? It is very revealing I think of modern conservative values, and the kind of world they want to create. ---
**Author:** ![etasyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9f8e36/32.png) [@etasyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etasyde)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/4 "2021-03-05T12:35:36Z")
> [@BeepKillBeep](#): > > I wonder if conservatives have considered not having repulsive viewpoints to which society as a whole has finally grown up enough to reject, instead of whining about being cancelled? Society “as a whole” has done no such thing. You sound exactly like every Trump fan who says they’re part of the “silent majority.” No, at best you’re about 54% of the population. Maybe less, because just because someone _votes_ for the same politician does not mean they hold the same social values - only that they prefer something about that candidate over the other. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/5 "2021-03-05T12:40:46Z")
> [@etasyde](#): > > No, at best you’re about 54% of the population. 8%, according to this. But a very powerful 8%, with huge influence on the media, academia, government… and the tech companies who would otherwise provide a venue for free speech. > **[Profiles of the Hidden Tribes](https://hiddentribes.us/profiles/)** ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/6 "2021-03-05T12:45:18Z")
Let’s take a look at some polls on the transgender issue since it is the OPs favourite. > **[Public Opinion of Transgender Rights in the United States](https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/public-opinion-trans-rights-us/)** 73% thinks transgender people should be protected from discrimination. > **[Poll: Large Majorities, Including Republicans, Oppose Discrimination Against...](https://www.kff.org/other/press-release/poll-large-majorities-including-republicans-oppose-discrimination-against-lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-people-by-employers-and-health-care-providers/)** > > Large majorities of Americans think it should be illegal for either employers or health care providers to discriminate against people because they are lesbian, gay or bisexual, or transgender, a ne… Poll shows widespread support for LGBTQ+ support … among Republicans (even more for independents and Democrats). And if we want to be more scholarly, then [1] shows a strong support for transgender rights. [2] shows a strong support for transgender rights among conservatives, even though they don’t support the biological attribution. [1] Jones, P. E., Brewer, P. R., Young, D. G., Lambe, J. L., & Hoffman, L. H. (2018). Explaining public opinion toward transgender people, rights, and candidates. _Public Opinion Quarterly_ , _82_ (2), 252-278. [2] Bowers, M. M., & Whitley, C. T. (2020). What drives support for transgender rights? Assessing the effects of biological attribution on US public opinion of transgender rights. _Sex Roles_ , 1-13. So, yes, social conservatism is dying on many of its core issues, and what we are seeing is the fundamentalists of these repulsive viewpoints flailing in its death throes. The sooner it dies completely the better. So I’ll stick with my original reply. Instead of whining about being cancelled maybe social conservatives should grow up. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/7 "2021-03-05T12:47:53Z")
> [@BeepKillBeep](#): > > 73% thinks transgender people should be protected from discrimination. That’s not the issue. Nor does social conservatism have anything to do with it. It’s about freedom of speech and freedom of conscience. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/8 "2021-03-05T12:48:09Z")
See my original reply. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/9 "2021-03-05T12:50:04Z")
A useless one, since you think yourself qualified to judge without reading any of the banned books. Notice they are only banning controversial books on current issues, not already decided ones. Because the purpose is social engineering and enforcing extremist views on the majority. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/10 "2021-03-05T12:51:07Z")
See my second reply. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/11 "2021-03-05T12:51:23Z")
Still irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/12 "2021-03-05T12:53:21Z")
The subtitle is “The ‘World’s Largest Bookstore’ Begins Quietly Deleting Books.” You think the problem is in the last four words. The problem is really in the first four words. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/13 "2021-03-05T12:54:07Z")
Well, so far you’ve said: 1. You: Amazon is banning books. 2. My reply: Social conservative books that are on issues where society has grown up. 3. You: They are banning books on controversial issues that are not decided. 4. Me: Polling indicates otherwise. Again, it is interesting to me that so-called conservative voices that are being cancelled seems to correlate strongly with hate speech, misogyny, racism, Islamophobia, transphobia, fascism, or simply outright madness (e.g., QAnon). It speaks volumes about the kind of world that social conservatives want to create. I’m glad that society is soundly rejecting these flawed and repulsive viewpoints. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/14 "2021-03-05T12:54:08Z")
Do you generally believe it is okay to take rights away from minorities if the majority agree? If a majority of Russians oppose homosexuality, it’s okay for Amazon to ban books about it? ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/15 "2021-03-05T12:55:10Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > The subtitle is “The ‘World’s Largest Bookstore’ Begins Quietly Deleting Books.” You think the problem is in the last four words. The problem is really in the first four words. I would be happy with either solution. I’m not happy with ‘we’ve decided you’re [slur] without ever hearing what you have to say, down the memory hole you go’. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/16 "2021-03-05T12:55:24Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > it’s okay for Amazon to ban books about it? It’s okay for Amazon to refuse to sell books about _whatever the fuck they want._ It’s not okay for them to have the influence they have on the book market. ---
**Author:** ![etasyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9f8e36/32.png) [@etasyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etasyde)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/17 "2021-03-05T12:56:18Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > It’s okay for Amazon to refuse to sell books about _whatever the fuck they want._ It’s not okay for them to have the influence they have on the book market. I think it’s one or the other, but preferably not the latter. Unfortunately, because they have both, the situation is intollerable. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/18 "2021-03-05T12:57:31Z")
> [@etasyde](#): > > I think it’s one or the other, but preferably not the latter. Unfortunately, because they have both, the situation is intollerable. Yes. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/19 "2021-03-05T12:57:55Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > I would be happy with either solution. Given the plethora of threads you’ve started about cases where conservative voices don’t get a platform, and the dearth of threads you’ve started about censorship of leftist views, I’m not entirely convinced that you’re focused enough on the issue of corporate control of the marketplace of ideas. Ironically, you seem to be passing along, wtihout much reflection, the right-wing spin of the Murdoch family–whose media enterprise isn’t famous for giving equal time to views they disagree with. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264/20 "2021-03-05T13:02:03Z")
As it happens they also banned this anti-imperialist book: > **[Amazon removes book on epidemic response, 'deprives US policymakers of...](https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202103/1217387.shtml)** > > A book that surveyed and compared the US' and China's reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic was recently removed from Amazon, the top ecommerce platform in the US, in a move that again revealed the US' biased attitude on the Still think it’s nbd? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-quietly-banning-books/937264.md?page=2)