VITAL READS: Et Tu Amazon?

Ben Hickey

For years I have reviewed books on Amazon, providing both extremely positive and negative reviews. Always well argued and based on the details of the book and many times referencing other books. Only very recently have I ever experienced any feedback from Amazon that my reviews were not welcome, and of course only for negative reviews against books that pushed an establishment narrative.

Then I wrote a review for the book “China’s Age of Abundance” by Wang Feng (a professor of Sociology at University of California, ex Fellow of the Brookings Institute and on the board of the Columbia University China Centre for Social Policy). A book which works hard to remove the Party-state as the main driver of China’s remarkable development and to trash the era of Mao during which the whole basis for the post-1978 rapid growth was built (and during which China doubled India’s growth rate while being under brutal Western sanctions). Perhaps not surprising given that he was a “sent down” youth during the Cultural Revolution, spending three years (1975 to 1978) in a Northern Chinese village. He got his BA in China (Hubei 1982) but then left for the US where he got his Masters (1984 Michigan) and PhD (Michigan 1987). Then, echoing so many current Western commentators, opining about the increased political “interference” (i.e. Xi’s successful campaign against corruption and capitalist profiteers, now followed by a successful state driven re-orientation toward economic upgrading and technological independence) leading to an end to China’s growth. The standard Western liberal rewriting of history to remove the central role of the state, and the fundamental restructuring of society (i.e. revolution) required to drive successful socialist development.

And suddenly I was not only unable to comment on any more books, but every single review that I have ever written has been removed. I have become an unperson on Amazon for the sharing of thought crimes, very1984! I had received an email warning, but not any communication about any such erasure. When I went to review a book, I simply got this message:

We apologize but Amazon has noticed some unusual reviewing activity on this account. As a result, all reviews submitted by this account have been removed and this account will no longer be able to contribute reviews and other content on Amazon.  If you would like to learn more, please see ourcommunity guidelines. To contact us about this decision, please email community-help@amazon.com.

They seem to have taken a page out of the book of YouTube in wiping all content without warning and not providing any real explanation why, apart from a breach of their extremely vague community guidelines. As in trueKafka style, it is up to me to guess how I breached these guidelines and I am provided with an utterly impersonal email address for any appeal against the Judgement of Amazon.

In Gramscian  terms, the ruling class is attempting to both regain control of the dominant narrative and to further restrict the ability of alternative cultural hegemonic projects to develop or even criticize the dominant narrative.

In Gramscian  terms, the ruling class is attempting to both regain control of the dominant narrative and to further restrict the ability of alternative cultural hegemonic projects to develop or even criticize the dominant narrative. When we may very well be on the cusp of widening conflicts in multiple theatres (Russia, Middle East, China), driven by US and US vassal and proxy actions, this makes absolute sense from the point of the ruling class. At the same time the dominant liberal element of the ruling class is still fighting the insurgent Trump element, which is also reflected in the censorship being carried out.