Comments on: Canadian Booksellers Association says no to Amazon

By: GRANT MACDONALD

GRANT MACDONALD — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:04:51 +0000

I support Amazon.

I have several books with Amazon.com including GETTY and HITLER with dvds & cd soundtracks for my films … which are structured on a brilliant format. The pages open and the music plays with links to my movies. Amazon is comprised of genius minds like Jeff Bezos himself.

A Proud Canadian author!

Excerpt from GETTY and HITLER …

Grant MacDonald, Chairman, MACDONALD BANK INC. ….

I earned the Getty Oil Company shareholders A Billion Bucks On the Reserve acquisition; the way they treat me — it really sucks! As the Getty inheritors bask in glee; All I asked for was that they look after me. A billion dollars they earned on Reserve My fee I surely deserve. It turns out J.P. Getty may have been a Nazi; His family even goes back to Germany. With Hitler, Goring & Goebbels he did stand; While trying to undermine the American land! For paintings & artifacts he did receive With his oil he was able to deceive? Hoover & the FBI & Roosevelt they knew That J.P. Getty & espionage he drew! Many a young lad and Jew did die As planes dropped bombs from the sky. For years while Getty sat in Berlin He may have committed many a sin. The ashes and smoke from the chimneys it rose While old man Getty sat cozy; he chose. With artwork held tightly under his arm Still dripping in blood — as the real owner met harm. Into the ovens & on meat-hooks, bullets between the eyes Listen very carefully you can still hear their cries! While the Gettys sit in England; at their estate at Wormsley And Gordon sings in San Francisco With his 727 in tow. The Getty museum sits atop Malibu While the corpses of World War 2 scream — J.P. Getty — We know you!

By: Chirs

Chirs — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:49:58 +0000

Why do Zoe Whitall and other Canadian authors constantly mention Yann Martel’s misguided book project? it has no relation at all to this issue. Get over yourselves; no one cares about how a bunch of indie-writer-zine snobs adore their hero-snob, son-of-a-diplomat snob Yann Martel and his sending books to Harper. I wish Harper would send them back to Martel unopened and COD.

By: Angela West

Angela West — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:19:38 +0000

When is someone going to take these old media dinosaurs behind the shed. Seriously, the death cries are drowning out the “ding” of my “buy now” button. Silence them.

By: GRANT MACDONALD

GRANT MACDONALD — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:35:09 +0000

A Proud Canadian author!

By: Chirs

Chirs — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:41:44 +0000

Here’s a thought, if CBA keeps Amazon out of Canada I will never buy from a CBA member in the future.

By: Sam

Sam — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:17:36 +0000

Not sure what kind of “nightmare” in the US you mean, Cathy. Amazon is the most trusted brand there, so I assume it is well liked.

By: Andy W

Andy W — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:41:12 +0000

Amazon has a useful role to play and does provide a marketplace for independent sellers. However like in most things diversity is best. Probably the best guarantee for independent sellers is to aim for a niche market and an enforced Net Book Agreement, which guarantees minimum prices for new books.

By: Cathy

Cathy — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:14:02 +0000

The US bookselling landscape has been decimated by big box and Amazon,is this what we wish for Canada.Think we would be headed down the same path as the American experience if the government gives in.There is no level playing field when dealing with this company.

By: Von

Von — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:43:47 +0000

This is good. I hope the government approves Amazon’s request. That will give readers an option to Chapters/Indigo, which now has the biggest piece of the pie. That’s right! Give the people a choice. No one can object to that.

By: Robin

Robin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:32:06 +0000

Bravo to the CBA. Unless measures are put in place to restrict Amazon’s enormous greed, they will put most of the Canadian indie booksellers out of business, as they have here in the U.S.

There should have been state taxation laws instituted prior to Amazon’s entree as ‘the world’s biggest bookstore’.