Moments after returning from the edge of space, Jeff Bezos thanked the Blue Origin team that made his flight possible. He also thanked the Texas town of Van Horn, which hosted Tuesday's launch. And then he said this:
"I want to thank every Amazon employee and every Amazon customer, 'cause you guys paid for all this. Thank you from the bottom of my heart very much."
The Internet responded with an incredulous gasp.
In the video, Bezos' comment appears earnest and elicits chuckles from the press-conference audience. But as the Earth's wealthiest person — a centibillionaire of extreme proportions, worth over $200 billion — the man has been under an intense microscope for his attitudes toward America's gaping wealth divide.
Amazon now employs nearly 1.3 million workers, the majority of them scanning and packing goods in warehouses. In 2018, Amazon was among the first major corporations to raise its starting wage to $15 an hour and its PR team has fought the perception of the company as a low-wage employer. In 2020, the company reported that its median wage was $29,007 a year.
-- Sometimes you have to look reality in the face and say 'No!' -Ben (Reaper)
Jeff Bezos, hours after flying to space: "We need to take all heavy industry, all polluting industry, and move it into space. And keep Earth as this beautiful gem of a planet that it is."
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 79589 posts
Wed Jul-21-21 08:38 AM
8. "^^^ 95% of all items purchased thru Amazon^^^" In response to Reply # 7
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
-The Knicks’ coaching search still includes a lone frontrunner, Kurt Rambis, whose qualifications for the position include a strong relationship with Jackson and a willingness to take the job.
16. "Of course not. You don't work there. " In response to Reply # 7 Wed Jul-21-21 09:53 AM by Cold Truth
It takes very little reading and listening to learn that they have serious problems with the way they treat their employees.
Some of those issues stems from Bezos believing that people are lazy. His employment model is designed for churn- running people ragged until they burn out, and then simply hiring new people to replace them.
Then there's the insane, over the top time monitoring.
It's a repugnant employee model that definitionally, and by design, overtly treats people as expendable assets.
So yes, given the outlandish wage gap between him and those employees, and the business model that's designed to maximize their efforts in a way that leads to exhaustion thanking the employees who paid for his fun little jaunt isn't just tone deaf, it's incredibly gross and repulsive.
There's nothing remotely "outrage culture" about calling him out for it.
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 79589 posts
Wed Jul-21-21 10:11 AM
17. "a baby sitter canceled on us because she got a job at Amazon" In response to Reply # 16
2 weeks later she contacted us because she said the Amazon gig was crazy af.
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
18. "A ton of my customers were Amazon employees before the raise" In response to Reply # 17 Wed Jul-21-21 10:59 AM by Cold Truth
I don't know the percentage of Amazon employees who qualified for public assistance, but I know I came across a significant number in my queues.
They did the $15 increase, which was great, but then so many of them got discontinued as a result of the increase that I flat out don't see them at all anymore.
The problem there is that the increase barely put them above the limits to qualify, and particularly where medical coverage is concerned, that increase was nowhere near enough to offset the loss. I don't know if they received coverage through Amazon at that point, or how much it cost, but at best it meant people were still treading water, and it was not a true increase when you factor the benefits they lost in the process.
He gave them some crumbs, but he could easily transform the income, lives- and, ahem- motherfucking buying power- of his employees with a few changes, so that every worker had a living wage.
20. "with that said...I also read it in a way that I have to assume he meant ..." In response to Reply # 19
1st he was thanking Amazon employees....full stop. 2nd he was thanking Amazon customers...for being customers .... and then an awkward joke of "You all paid for this".... full stop.
I'm completely aware of the issues surrounding working conditions at Amazon. I live in Arlington so Amazon is frequently a topic of local news coverage....
"Get ready....for your blessing....." "Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 79589 posts
Wed Jul-21-21 12:47 PM
21. "I still don’t understand how you arrived at that conclusion" In response to Reply # 19
based off everything you just wrote
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
22. "in other words, it doesn't offend me as a customer/consumer....if " In response to Reply # 21
I was an employee....I guess I'd feel some kinda way about it..... It seems pretty common for most CEOs to thank their employees and customers after a big achievement though....
"Get ready....for your blessing....." "Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"
34. "I'm not responding to your "meh"" In response to Reply # 27
I'm responding to your demonstrably erroneous, contextually tone deaf reaction that the outrage at this specific situation is somehow an example of "outrage culture", as though there are not significant reasons for the outrage.
It's one thing for you to be "meh" within yourself.
It's another to be dismissive of the very real and serious reasons for the reactions it's generated.
You're either trolling here, or just really obtuse and don't get it.
Because you keep saying things like "i get that", all the while demonstrating that you definitively do not.
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 79589 posts
Wed Jul-21-21 02:16 PM
25. "a big achievement? What are Amazon employees getting" In response to Reply # 22
for this space launch?
I can see thanking them if they hit a sales milestone but thanking your employees for your yacht that breaks some cruising record is weird as fuck.
I think you missed on this one or just really like Amazon so much you can’t even see the obvious.
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
28. "Dude been planning and talking about this flight for how long?? Where " In response to Reply # 25
Was all the outrage leading up to it?? I’m just saying…. Sound bite didn’t move me…. Everybody on this “Fuck Amazon” bandwagon but low key still lining Amazon’s pockets…. I’m keeping it 100…. Even in my lil libral assed neighborhood I see Amazon trucks cruise through making deliveries hourly….. I’d venture that majority of folks shitting on Amazon and that quote in this very post probably ripping open an Amazon box right.now.
C’mon fam….
"Get ready....for your blessing....." "Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 79589 posts
Thu Jul-22-21 07:48 AM
29. "people have been shitting on Bezo’s for years " In response to Reply # 28
over work conditions, taxes, etc
maybe you were busy opening boxes
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 79589 posts
Thu Jul-22-21 09:16 AM
32. "lmao.. you just asked where was all the outrage" In response to Reply # 31
which was the only reason I pointed it out.
Not saying you have to also have the same outrage.
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
35. "this isn't about needing you to hate the same things." In response to Reply # 31
Contrary to what you're saying, you're not simply "meh" on the subject.
You're also dismissive of the reaction others are having, and that's what's generating the responses you're getting.
Nobody needs or wants you to feel the same way.
But if you're going to dismiss the negative reaction as mere "outrage", as a result of "outrage culture", with no regard to the actual context and substance of the outrage, that's where you get push back.
37. "nothing is ever enough" In response to Reply # 33 Thu Jul-22-21 11:25 AM by Rjcc
because of work stuff I ended up hanging out with a few people who have billions of dollars
and watching the dynamic went between someone with 5 billion+ and someone with 1 billion is like...wow. dude really thinks he's still a broke boy in his mind, meanwhile dude with 5 is looking at larry ellison like "I need private island money"
40. "Capitalism is crazy..." In response to Reply # 37
And there is no end point at all - no point in which you've "won". For that person who is worth 1 billion, they had to be REALLY good at the capitalism game to get that far. And part of being REALLY good is wanting more - because if they didn't they would have stopped at 100 million realizing they "won". But to be worth 100 million they had to have been REALLY good at capitalism, or they would have stopped at 10 million..........
I try to remind myself of this as I look at my $350k house and feel like a broke boy compared to the people I know with $700k-million dollar houses, but it's hard.
>and watching the dynamic went between someone with 5 billion+ >and someone with 1 billion is like...wow. dude really thinks >he's still a broke boy in his mind, meanwhile dude with 5 is >looking at larry ellison like "I need private island money"
42. "Lost the space race, now trying to bribe NASA to let him bid again" In response to Reply # 0
so he can steal SpaceX and NASA's innovation and sell it back to NASA. That's it. That is the plan. Guess he realized his penis can't get much further than the 60 plus miles up without a lot of tech Blue Origin currently does not possess.
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