1. Most customers choose to buy from the seller with the lowest price.
2. Employees are free to leave their employment if they find the conditions intolerable.
Which of these rules do you want to change?
> 1. Most customers choose to buy from the seller with the lowest price.
By setting a floor for the lowest operational cost, defining such basic concepts as:
1. Maximum work schedule (12h/day mandatory is not acceptable);
2. Minimum wage.
If every seller must abide by the same rules, the market is fair. Costs won't be absurd and no worker will work under medieval conditions. I know costs won't be absurd because I live in Europe, where these rules are in place, and we can still buy gadgets and books.
Also, if you mandate higher costs for suppliers (through limited hours and minimum wages) then you will create incentives for people to buy from suppliers that aren't subject to those regulations (i.e., foreign suppliers). You can try to prevent that through tariffs and duties, but they have their own problems.
Is your issue with Amazon, or with the system of capitalism in general? If the latter, why are people criticizing Amazon specifically?
Personally, I'm not too concerned about HN karma, but I'm curious about the incentive system that it creates. Does the karma system simply promote adherence to the majority/popular view, or does it improve the quality of discussion?
