The seedy underbelly of the free market has once again emerged, exploiting the most heinous and disturbing events for profit. The aftermath of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a rally has seen a glut of tacky, tasteless, and downright despicable merchandise flooding the market.
On Temu, a shirt featuring a bloodied and fist-raised image of Trump is being peddled for a paltry $9.59, a clear cash-grab by opportunistic sellers. And on Amazon, top-selling novelty T-shirts are dominated by images of Trump at the rally, emblazoned with phrases like “FIGHT!” and “NEVER SURRENDER”, a clear attempt to capitalize on the shock and horror of the event.
But the worst offenders are the sellers on Etsy, who have shamelessly exploited their platform to peddle their wares. One shop, which previously focused on craft goods and indie products, has suddenly and cynically shifted its focus to pro-Trump merchandise, including shirts featuring imagery from the rally. And if you search for “Trump” on the platform, you’ll be met with a slew of listings for similar products, most of which are likely print-on-demand operations churning out whatever people are looking for.
And what’s most disturbing is that these platforms seem willing to turn a blind eye to the exploitation of a traumatic event for profit. Etsy didn’t respond to questions about whether products with this imagery violate rules around violent content, and Amazon didn’t respond to requests about whether this type of product was allowed on its marketplace.
It’s clear that the only consideration for these sellers is the bottom line, and they’ll stop at nothing to cash in on the chaos and suffering of others. And as long as platforms are willing to accommodate this type of exploitation, the free market will continue to sink to new lows.
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Author: Kayitsi.com
