nikka, I'm letting you know what I heard from Amazon directly.
And "independent contractors/freelancers" got Amazon provided cellphones and trucks?
Yes, they've partnered with USPS but they have ALSO developed their own carrier service. Why don't you try a google search before giving people half-assed lectures.
Amazon Will Deliver Their Own Packages - Revolution At The Delivery Door
Amazon quietly builds its own shipping company
That "carrier service" is in it's infancy. USPS, UPS, FED Ex and "some guy in a sedan" as people call the freelancers, are doing the heavy lifting. Amazon purchased a French company that will begin competing directly with the traditional carriers in Europe but for the United States it's footprint is a fetus toe. Hence why the articles you posted from this year speak in terms of the future.