Saturday, May 19, 2012

Is Amazon Boycotting Geert Wilders in Europe?

*** UPDATE #2 (from Dymphna) ***

Doug Ross at Director Blue has linked this post, adding his own view, “Virtual Book Burning: Amazon Submits to Sharia Law in Europe”:

There is a term — “dhimmitude” — that perfectly describes Amazon’s seeming behavior. I wonder how many other books have been censored for “our own good”?

I liken this kind of conduct to a virtual book burning.
Indeed it is — you can smell the virtual smoke from here.

In the comment section on this post, Scottish Infidel said:

It appears that Emmet Scott’s book [Mohammed and Charlemagne Revisited] is only available as a Kindle edition on Amazon’s UK site.

At least to me this appears to be a case of covert censorship on the part of the EU. It would not surprise me in the least that the EU leaned on Amazon’s European subsidiaries to minimize distribution of what they consider offensive material.

Eventually even the e-books will vanish.
I agree with S.I., but I’m not certain that this censorship by Amazon is really “covert”. Looks quite obvious from here.

I’ll bet these vanishing acts Amazon is using are done in the name of the barbaric EU “constitutional” rules on forbidden speech for dhimmis. I’ll also wager that the Koran is still available on the European outlets of Amazon, despite the fact it repeatedly and viciously breaks every single rule the EU has about hate speech. This two-tier system consists of one set of rules for Islam and another more restrictive arrangement for the indigenous people.


Update: A European reader just sent this note:

No problems ordering these books from Europe in the US (I am a registered, repeat buyer). There are atrocious import fees and levies though, sometimes up to 100% of purchase price.


We all know that Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, and other major Internet players tend to support the leftist trans-national politically correct agenda. Instances of suppression of conservative or “racist” opinions on sites controlled by these conglomerates are too numerous too mention here. But Amazon seemed to be different. If a book had potential buyers, then Amazon would sell it, regardless of its political slant.

Up until now. According to the report below from Politically Incorrect, the German branch of Amazon has excluded Geert Wilders’ new book from its listings, and the same seems to be true of at least some other European countries.

For would-be purchasers in Europe, there are ways around this, of course. Since the book is still available in the USA (for now), you can ask your American friends to buy it and ship it to you, and then reimburse them. Or maybe you can buy it directly yourself from Amazon USA and have it shipped across the Atlantic…? I don’t know if that’s the case, but if so, click here, or on the book image below, or on the ad on our sidebar.

Many thanks to JLH for translating this article:

Is Amazon Europe Boycotting Wilders’ Book?

Marked for DeathThe new book by Geert Wilders, Marked for Death, is apparently neither being advertised nor offered in European Amazon. About two months before its publication date, it was possible to reserve the book on your Amazon wish list. In that space now, there is an empty window — without even a dust jacket. Unavailable. Then if you go to amazon.de, you find out it no longer exists.

Only an audiobook is on offer — no other format. If you call up the book on amazon.com and then substitute .de for .com in the address line, so you can order the same book in English, the message appears: “Sorry, the web address you have given does not exist on our website.” If you try this procedure with any other book in English, the “translation” from amazon.com to amazon.de works effortlessly, as always.


Well, OK, not at German Amazon. Maybe British? So instead of dot.com, we put in dot.co.uk. The result is the message: “We’re sorry, the web address you entered is not a functioning page on our site.” Hmm, no active site for the new Wilders book.

If you try the same procedure with another English language book, you get the respective active pages on amazon.co.uk and amazon.co.fr. Just not with Geert Wilders’ book.

Our impression: Amazon does not intend to offer Geert Wilders’ new book in Europe. Since Amazon is having no problems with it in the USA, and the book there is at the stupendous bestseller rank of 459, the suspicion is that someone in Europe has caused some trouble or made some threats. So, is the idea really to keep the book away from Europe?

35 comments:

Emi, NL said...

This would be in line with the silence of Dutch MSM about Geert's book and appearances in US media. The same Dutch MSM that put Haitham al-Haddad in the spotlight as a result of an initiative of I-specialist reporter Kustaw Bessems and Maroc-Dutchy MP Tofik Dibi calling out for "freedom of press".

Dymphna said...

So Amazon joins Google in "tailoring" its products to particular governments - e.g., Google in China.

Years ago, Fjordman warned me this would happen once the so-called "Constitution" of the EU was shoved past the unwilling teeth of individual European countries. But I could only envision it on an individual level. I never stopped to consider it would also involve shackling non-European corporations.

One has to wonder how many other books have been banned in the EU - books we wouldn't have noticed because they're less famous - or "infamous" in the eyes of Brussels.

Makes you wonder if Emmet Scott's book is available at Amazon.uk.

Want to take any bets that the Koran is available on Amazon, hate speech and all??

Anonymous said...

Ronaldb here

I have not tried this out, but since the book h$ a kindle edition, it should be possible to download it from the US site fairly effortlessly.

We know, of course, not to expect anything from corporations, who wish nothing more than to not rock the boat. The real fight for freedom must be done by individuals such as the Baron and Dymphna.

Anonymous said...

Geert's book is only available from Amazon as an audio book in the UK but books are easily bought from the USA. I had to get my copy of Emmet Scott's book in the same way. With so much censorship I wouldn't really know what was going on in the world without GoV. Keep it up!

Anonymous said...

Amazon Europe may not have the book version, but there are plenty other european internet bookstores that do. In Denmark alone I have found at least four different. And in England btw there is Blackwell.

Geoffrey Falk said...

"I have not tried this out, but since the book h$ a kindle edition, it should be possible to download it from the US site fairly effortlessly."

No, it's not available as a Kindle from amazon.com. And while it used to be available on Kindle from amazon.co.uk, they don't let North American purchasers buy Kindle versions from the UK store (I tried).

It is available as an ePub (with DRM) from other sellers, online.

Foxmuldar Blog said...

It certainly does look as if Amazon has submitted to Islam. Imagine a company that makes a big chunk of its profits selling books, refusing to sell a book simply because it might offend Muslims. Isn't it time for Amazon's CEO, Jeff Bezos to grow a pair.

Anonymous said...

I had to get the audio version from the Book Depository. No hardback to be found anywhere.

Course with an Amazon account you can buy it from America - I get lots of stuff sent across from the States.

Anonymous said...

I did order the book a week ago without any problem via amazon.com. It was shipped to Germany without delay or extra fees. What´s the fuzz all about???

Anonymous said...

It appears that Emmet Scott's book is only available as a Kindle edition on Amazon's UK site.

At least to me this appears to be a case of covert censorship on the part of the EU. It would not surprise me in the least that the EU leaned on Amazon's European subsidiaries to minimize distribution of what they consider offensive material.

Eventually even the e-books will vanish.

Londoner said...

I can only see an expensive £40 audio book version on amazon in the uk. However it is available for pre order on waterstones.com . Waterstones is the largest high street bookstore in the uk

Scottish Infidel said...

Interesting - I ordeerd the book from the .co.uk site with Amazon as the supplier. They didn't have it in stock, but would notify me when it would be. On 9th May I checked and one of the Amazon merchants had it. So I cancelled the Amazon order and re-ordered with one of their merchants. The book has since been delivered. I checked the .co.uk website a few mins ago and what do you know its only an audiobook that's available.

BTW I couldn't find Scott's book on any of the UK/EUR sites but ordered it from Amazon USA yesterday

Dymphna said...

As I feared:

Scottish Infidel says:

BTW I couldn't find Scott's book on any of the UK/EUR sites but ordered it from Amazon USA yesterday...

Does this mean you have to pay extra for postage or is it the Kindle version?

Scottish Infidel said...

Shipping Method:
AmazonGlobal Expedited Shipping
Items: $19.95
Shipping & Handling: $12.48

Order Total: $32.43

This not the first book I have had to order fro the US site where the UK site doesn't list.

Tiedar said...

It's a shame you can't buy such a book which refers to a current topic and the most famous company denies to buy it. But therefore you can use other ways to get a copy of it.
Btw refering to the first comment, on Amazon.co.uk u can buy it for kindle for free

"Quran - The Final Testament - Authorized English Version of the Original [Kindle Edition] Dr. Rashad Khalifa Ph.D. (Author, Translator)

Digital List Price: £0.77 What's this?

Kindle Price: £0.00 includes free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet You Save: £0.77 (100%)"
It has also to be mentioned that the holy bible is available for free too.

Sol Ta Triane said...

$19.50,free shipping worldwide

bookfinder.com often has items NOT listed on Amazon.

Anonymous said...

Geert Wilders book was pre-announced to be exclusively published in the USA - first - as that was his target audience. And then, afterwards, he would publish in the European market.

And, this is just "marketing" as Regnery Publishing is the USA publisher and they're rolling out the book now in the USA.

Since there is only "one Geert Wilders" to go around, he can't be promoting it in Europe and the USA at the same time.

Thus for marketing purposes and his "target audience" - it was released first in the USA (as he stated it would be months ago).

See "Geert Wilders IFA Friends" on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/GW.IFA

There should be a comment on this later on, as it's featured on this page all the time.

Sol Ta Triane said...

President of Amazon.com sucking up to the evil Chicoms:

http://www.cnd.org/bookshelf/amazon.com.html

"Amazon.com is pleased to have China News Digest in the family of Amazon.com associates. We've agreed to ship books and provide customer service for orders we receive through special links on China News Digest.

We encourage you to visit China News Digest often to see what new books they've selected for you.

Sincerely,

Jeff Bezos
President
Amazon.com

P.S. We guarantee you the same high level of customer service you would receive at Amazon.com. If you have a question about an order you've placed, please don't hesitate to contact us.

http://astore.amazon.com/chinanewsdigestc

Dymphna said...

@ the anon who says this was to be an American book:

If you scroll up the comments you can see ppl describe their earlier experience in which you could pre-order Wilders' book on EU amazon sites. And there was an image of the book on that page.

All such pages are now gone and potential customers are turned away. IOW, they shut down those Wilders' book pages AFTER announcing the book could be pre-ordered in advance.

Your view is not corroborated by other readers' experience.

laine said...

Since the Arab/Muslim world hardly writes any books, or even translates any, (the same number in the past millenium that Spain translates in a year) then one can conclude they hardly read any books either (who has time what with memorizing the Koran?) So if Amazon thinks it's catering to a huge Muslim market, it errs, while irritating actual readers such as most participants at this erudite site.

Tuan Jim said...

Maybe it's just me, but I can see listings at virtually every amazon site (every site except amazon.cn which doesn't seem to work for me here at work)...are you just typing the addresses in wrong?

Amazon.co.uk
amazon.es
amazon.de
amazon.it
amazon.fr
amazon.ca
amazon.co.jp

I just type in Geert Wilders and get a listing - granted in some cases it seems to be available in audiobook only (import possibly), but I can get a listed entry on every site.

Now as a frequent shopper, I have accounts at more than one amazon site that are separate - you can't sign in with the same account at separate sites - but anyone worldwide can order from amazon's US site and get international shipping - at the very least for a book (not all electronics, etc will ship internationally for other reasons).

Anonymous said...

To Dymphna,

The fact is that we announced that very thing, months ago on Geert Wilders page. The posts are still there.

When the book was pre-announced, that is what was said. It was to be released in the USA "first". It was also directed to the American audience, which would explain why it was to be released in America first.

Of course it is to be released later in Europe - but that's not "now" but later. People in Europe will just have to wait for the announced release date for them.

And sure, Amazon probably did have it listed in EU pages as a pre-order - UNTIL they found out that they GOOFED UP, and couldn't sell it in Europe, because they had no "rights" to do so -- and had to pull it because it wasn't released yet in Europe ... :-)

The publisher is Regnery Publishing in the USA. Now, "deals" have to be made, contracts have to be signed and a date has to be set for a European launch.

Perhaps the deals have already been made and the contracts have been signed - and now all that is left is for the "launch date" for Europe to happen. But, we're not privy to the business details and contract terms.

It's sufficient for us on Geert Wilders page that he said it was going to be released FIRST and EXCLUSIVELY in the USA and later in Europe. That's all we needed to know and that was fine with us.

The Geert Wilders page that we're talking about is here ...
http://www.facebook.com/GW.IFA

Henrik R Clausen said...

Actually we got our copy from Amazon.de without problems, and much faster than expected. We're still waiting for the new Robert Spencer book, though.

Unknown said...

Geert Wilders inspired Anders Behring Breivik to take the life of 72 innocent Souls. What do you need more from Amazon: Market Geert Wilders book as must-read Mass-Murder Manual
http://obaidkarki.blogspot.com/2012/05/amazon-ban-geert-wilders-book.html

it is jewish to unpublish this statement
thank you

Aracknid said...

One of the most reliable booksellers on the web is ABEbooks. Here are their search results for "Geert Wilders":

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?an=geert+wilders&bt.x=0&bt.y=0&sts=t

Anonymous said...

shows for me

http://www.amazon.de/Marked-Death-Islams-Against-West/dp/1455168467/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337524448&sr=8-1

Newspaniard said...

I have been waiting for Amazon.Com to publish a Kindle version ever since the book was published. Thanks to this article, I have given up waiting and have just ordered the hard back from The Book Depository with a 20% discount. Thanks for the publicity, I could have been waiting months. Islamofascism appears to be spreading into all walks of life in Europe.

babs said...

@ Karki-
The Koran inspired 12 religious lunatics to take the life of 3,000innocent Souls. What do you need more from Amazon: Market the Koran as a must-read Mass-Murder Manual

Fixed it for you...

Henrik R Clausen said...

it is jewish to unpublish this statement.

Neat way to demonstrate practical anti-Semitism :)

jon said...

I had ordered an advance copy from amazon.co.uk of what I thought was the print version. I checked after reading this article and it's actually an MP3 CD I've ordered. Strange as i never buy audiobooks and you think I'd have noticed. I'll give amazon the benefit. I could have been rushing and not noticed. I've had no email from amazon to change the order. They wouldn't do that would they? The page link to the print version is dead, though, so it must have been there.
I've now cancelled my order anyway.

LN said...

quote:
We all know that Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, and other major Internet players tend to support the leftist trans-national politically correct agenda.
- - - - - - - - - -

Why is that?

Can it be be due to the simple fact that the Intenet more or less is a jewish affair?

The Internet is full of important and decision potent Jews:
Sergei Brin, Larry Page, Susan Wojcicki, Anne Wojcicki, Justin Rosenstein, Sheryl Sandberg, Lawrence Summers, Elliot Schrage, Ethan Beard, Udi Manber, Larry Brilliant, Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz, Max Rafael Levchin, David Sacks, George Zachary, Richard Perle, Natan Sharansky, Jim Breyer, Ben Horowitz, Jonathan Medved, Elliot Schrage ad infinitum...

Multiculturalism is a Jewish gimmick.

Multiculturalism is actively advocated by Jews.

In Sweden the initially, sole importent multiculti and immigration propagandist and initiator was David Schwarz (born in Poland 1928). The years 1964-68 Schwarz managed to launch no less than twelve newspaper debates about the "immigration issue", starting with an article in the Dagens Nyheter October 20, 1964 under the title "The Immigration problem in Sweden."

Today the Jewish lobbyist Barbara Spectre from Paidea, Stockholm, is actively propagating for: a transformation of Europe - through muslim immmigration.
- - - - -
The Jewish hand behind Internet: Google, Facebook, Wikipedia, Yahoo!, MySpace, eBay...
http://www.fourwinds10.net/siterun_data/media/internet/news.php?q=1262024557

Anonymous said...

@LN

Re: Important Internet Jews

Progressive ideas exercise a pull on the majority of Jews almost as hypnotic as they do on the majority of Scandinavians. Though there are more Scandinavians than there are Jews, the reason that the Jews are a Problem (and the Scandinavians are not – except to themselves and, via the Nobels, to the world’s idea of who are its worthiest authors and peacemakers) is that Jews are outlyingly brilliant and therefore have many who achieved the pinnacle of power, including in the Internet business.

So that we are on the same ground here, I should like you to refresh your knowledge of the subject via Byron Roth’s succint review of Richard Lynn’s book “The Chosen People” here. Note that Roth, a Jew, is the author of one of the best books on your very theme, “The Perils of Diversity: Immigration and Human Nature.”

When discussing an important, complex and woefully neglected subject -- neglected out of fear -- it’s important to be in possession of one’s facts, one’s knowledge of logic and research methodology, and one’s moral faculties as well. It is triple so when the subject matter is fused to the oldest ethnic hatred in history, and to a recent European history so wounding that Europe is committing suicide over it, though without acknowledging it.

You have mixed up issues and facts that are unmixable, omitted others that are highly relevant, and threw no useful light on the subject. There are lots of important, powerful Jews in all social spheres now, but when discussing the Jewish contribution to the Internet (which you did not) or the negatives that may result therefrom, the names Lawrence Summers, Richard Perle and Natan Sharansky do not belong. Furthermore, Microsoft was founded by a WASP and Apple by an Arab; Yahoo by a Chinese and a gentile, and eBay by a Persian. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is – surprise! – Scandinavian (Jorgensen). On the other hand, Geert Wilders himself is partly Jewish.

If we were discussing Google alone, I would say that bringing up the founders’ Jewish immigrant experience was relevant. But when you forward to what amounts to a Jewgenic Theory of What’s Wrong with the World, you muddle the issue’s discrete components. And such derailing, common on the “Ethnocentric Right,” foils the possibility of struggling effectively with those very different components.

Yes, Jewish liberal activism is one of those problems. It should be addressed and combated, starting with a rational and uninfected critique. But the total sellout of the entire corporate-managerial institution throughout the West is an even greater problem. That sellout –- i.e. pushing for the global village, erasing borders and ethnic identities, sponsoring dystopian minorities etc. -– is as evident in the sneaker world (e.g. Nike, adidas) as it is in publishing, media, Internet, telephone utilities, even soft drinks or insurance (check what causes are supported by Warren Buffet’s companies). The West’s gyneocracy – and nowhere more so than in Scandinavia – is another dimension of the problem, and nearly as sensitive as that of Jewish influence.

If we can’t maintain a rational perspective, all is lost.

Takuan Seiyo

P.S. You are right in disdaining Barbara Spectre. You will find my rather strong critique of her here (Chapter title: Between Jhvh, Jesus, Janus and Jutta).

LN said...

Thank you for moderately telling me off. I whish I 60 years ago had had a father or a teacher who out of own wellfounded insight could have informed me about complicated matters in such a relaxed and kind way. Let me clarify, I am in no way a semitofob as I am an islamofob, the latter is explained by forced relations with Muslims 50 years ago an a rather -- for a stupid nobody -- intense study of islamic and nuslim questions the last seven years.

As you refer to Byron Roth, let me express a dilettant but simple idea:
the word xenofob/ia must become housebroken. The diverse translations (främlings/-fientlighet, -hat; Fremden-feintlichkeit, -hass etc)
all denote 'hostility' and 'hatred' -- these are unmotivated bellicose terms, witch fools the average person who just wants to be good.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking distance or to be reserved and on guard against strangers - it is nothing more than common sense. As Byron Roth argues, "the current debate over immigration policy is unlikely to produce a satisfying outcome since it takes place uninformed by the science of human nature.

He goes on: "Any policy of mass immigration will be profoundly constrained by fundamental features of human psychology, prominent among them is a natural bias toward one’s own kind and a wariness and suspicion of – if not hostility towards – others. The prospect for social harmony in multi-ethnic societies is thus problematic at best, and difficulties are compounded when groups differ in ability and temperament in non-trivial ways."

As long as it is not allowed to be sceptical and even distancing oneself against alien individuals, or disaproving/rejecting the desperate import of -- type Somlies to New Sweden -- no change at all is to be expected. First and foremost it must be possible to talk about the problem.

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Anonymous said...

@LN
I am in agreement with you about the applicability of Roth's ideas and the need to discuss and resist population replacement openly. Moreover, I am all for open criticism of Jews, specifically, whether individuals or institutions, who are activist in the service of such ideas. For Jews so engaged estrange themselves from the gentile society that took in their ancestors and eventually emancipated them, however rough that process may have been. It's right therefore to remind them that they are working hard to reacquire the status of foreign interlopers.
TS