Trump Can Attack Amazon, But Americans Will Keep Buying What Bezos Is Selling

"The chief business of the American people is business."If you are wondering why we are starting off this editorial with a famous quote from Calvin Coolidge in the 1920s, it might have something to do with a wish that the current president would draw a few lessons from "Silent Cal" and hold his fire once in a while. Or it may just be that we are looking back to when presidents, out of respect for the role businesses play in society, weren't known for singling out specific companies for repeated criticism.That, of course, is not Donald Trump's style. But as he goes after Amazon it is important to note the danger of having a president targeting individual businesses and leaders. The Oval Office comes with immense power, and that includes the power to inflict financial damage on companies led by people who disagree with the leader of the free world. It also includes power to undercut media organizations that are doing their part to preserve the republic by keeping our political class honest. In this case, Trump's comments are doing both of those things.Trump's recent broadside against Amazon started over the Easter weekend, with tweets that claimed the United States Postal Service loses a "fortune" in its package delivery agreement with the online retailer.  Continue reading...

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