Jeff bezos makes 13 billion while the world broke

[Upptempo]

Do you think that’s the only warehouse that’s like this? Have you ever worked at a warehouse? I have. For 8.25. I had to work a second job AND sell weed to pay rent. So I’m one of those people and I don’t think it’s an unfair assessment. When I got fed up with humping in the heat/cold, I got another job. Most people aren’t stuck, their just complacent. As soon as you start suggesting things to make things better that requires extra effort, “uhh uhh uh uh huh..”.

I'm not sure how your testimony to working in garbage conditions for low wages that forced you to need a second job is proving that people should be acceptant of poor work conditions. That's like saying people who work in sweat shops in poor countries should just go farm or something instead of work tirelessly for pennies.


I don't think amazon is the only one with ****ty conditions. I'm not against all warehouses being set to a standard to protect its employees. People mentioned amazon exploiting workers because this is a thread about amazon.

Nobody is calling for amazon warehouse workers to get $30 an hour and free lunch everyday. but if you've read some of the testimony in lawsuits against amazon for their work conditions, it's pretty brutal.

 

[kingjay718]

If you are willing to work in hazardous work conditions for an extra dollar. Sure, we'll get a cut of that bag he got.

 

[tr1ll]

I'm not sure how your testimony to working in garbage conditions for low wages that forced you to need a second job is proving that people should be acceptant of poor work conditions. That's like saying people who work in sweat shops in poor countries should just go farm or something instead of work tirelessly for pennies.


I don't think amazon is the only one with ****ty conditions. I'm not against all warehouses being set to a standard to protect its employees. People mentioned amazon exploiting workers because this is a thread about amazon.

Nobody is calling for amazon warehouse workers to get $30 an hour and free lunch everyday. but if you've read some of the testimony in lawsuits against amazon for their work conditions, it's pretty brutal.

That’s exactly what I’m not trying to prove. Luckily(to an extent), we live in a country where you don’t have to work in sweatshops. It’s not the same at all. You act like if Amazon comes to town everyone HAS to work there. Every job isn’t a career. You don’t work for an Amazon warehouse to make a career. It’s something to do to make ends meet, and that’s exactly what their wages reflect. That’s not shortchanging anyone. If I told you I was going to sell you a 3.1 for $40. I didn’t shortchange you. I won, but you got exactly what you signed up for.

 

[nawghtyhare]

NT stays pocket watching

I’m a pocket watch a ban
Who ain’t paid no taxes last year
And got a damn tax refund
Whose made billions
While folks out here starving
Tryna figure out how to pay rent

 

[shotsrangout]

Do you think that’s the only warehouse that’s like this? Have you ever worked at a warehouse? I have. For 8.25. I had to work a second job AND sell weed to pay rent. So I’m one of those people and I don’t think it’s an unfair assessment. When I got fed up with humping in the heat/cold, I got another job. Most people aren’t stuck, their just complacent. As soon as you start suggesting things to make things better that requires extra effort, “uhh uhh uh uh huh..”.

sounding real bootstrapish over there

 

[DCAllAfrican]

This is the world people like cosmiccoffee9 endorse.

 

[superantigen]

Unless he owes you money.. theres really nothing to discuss.

But that's exactly it though-- he does owe "us" money. By us, I mean the government, which is, in turn, ideally meant to put the public interest above all things.

Jeff Bezos is a man of individual talent and genius; there's no doubt about that. But he is also very much a product of public investment. He is a computer science graduate of Princeton University. How much of our tax dollars, do you think, goes toward funding the intellectual activities of this supposedly "private university"? As a youth, he attended a public high school and participated in summer science programs at a state funded university. Again, how much of our tax dollars went towards nurturing his scientific curiosity and intellect, both of which I am sure proved instrumental in helping him found Amazon and Blue Origin?

And Amazon? Think about the complex governmental infrastructure that has made a company like this possible, one that involves the the internet, computers, educated human "resources", real estate, roads, airlines, a range of financial incentives from tax breaks to bank loans, etc. How much did Amazon try to extract from municipalities for H2 again? Amazon, simply stated, is the beneficiary of an ecosystem of resources made possible by local and federal investment by way of our tax dollars. But this is fine though; this is exactly how it's supposed to be when you have a social contract. We all realize, whether implicitly or explicitly, that it takes a village, so we allow and encourage our government to do with our tax dollars (public education, infrastructure spending, safety net programs, etc) the kinds of things that will enable citizens to thrive and be contributing members of society. That's how it is supposed to be. I invest in you now, and you return the favor when you are able to. That's the social contract.

Along the way though, someone decided it would be easier to cheat the system. It's worth asking, at this juncture, what came first--the greedy politician or the greedy man of industry? Now the contract is broken. Politicians--public servants--who were elected to ensure that this contract is abided by instead chose to exempt the greatest beneficiaries of the public good in exchange for kickbacks. So now, instead of Jeff Bezos and Amazon rightfully paying back what they've wrought from the public for decades, what we have instead is a company that has an effective tax rate of 0% while Bezos makes about $541,666,666 an hour (based on having made $13B in a day). And instead of rightfully pointing to this as evidence of our broken system and contract, we allow our sycophantic "public servants"--(and just to be clear, I am talking about the Mitch McConnells, Donald Trumps, Mike Pompeos, Steven Mnuchins, pretty much every republican with a democrat or two sprinkled here and there)--the very same people who presided over the destruction of the social contract, to rather point accusing fingers at those of us who have been made most vulnerable by the breaking of the contract. These crooked "public servants" are directing billions upon billions in tax payer money to corporations all the while arguing about how undeserving an extra $600 in unemployment benefits is for the unemployed American worker. NOTHING about this dynamic is right.

Jeff Bezos and Amazon deserve to make their money--I am not arguing against making money. What I am arguing against is the false belief and narrative that individuals like Jeff Bezos and companies like Amazon are entirely products of individual effort, and thus owe nothing to the public. The taxpayers of this country, as private citizens and as members of the larger society, have collectively made and paved the way for entities like Amazon (for better and for worse), and the sooner we see this the sooner we can demand accountability. Frankly, as a nation, it says a lot about our failings when we can't or are unwilling to see just how poisonous this kind of individual wealth accumulation is, no less at a time when over 10% of the working American population is unemployed, our social safety net exist on a spectrum of **** to nonexistent, basic healthcare is unaffordable to most, our secondary public school system is failing our most vulnerable students, higher education is out of reach for most, etc.



...

 

[nawghtyhare]

Word? Who is he shortchanging? Don’t say employees. They signed up for it. You sign your name on the dotted line, you shortchanged yourself.

bruh
thats such a narrow minded view
people will sign up for anything to put food on the table
and make sure their family is straight
hell going into the army is a perfect example of this

 

[Upptempo]

That’s exactly what I’m not trying to prove. Luckily(to an extent), we live in a country where you don’t have to work in sweatshops. It’s not the same at all. You act like if Amazon comes to town everyone HAS to work there. Every job isn’t a career. You don’t work for an Amazon warehouse to make a career. It’s something to do to make ends meet, and that’s exactly what their wages reflect. That’s not shortchanging anyone. If I told you I was going to sell you a 3.1 for $40. I didn’t shortchange you. I won, but you got exactly what you signed up for.

nah i feel you 100% on the point that you don't HAVE to stay or that you could just apply elsewhere but what I'm saying is not everyone has those options. I've left **** jobs in the past when I was younger working retail but I also had my family to fall back on if I was ever dead broke, I had an education, etc. Some people have kids or ill family members, etc and cant leave so easily.


Or let's say they were in a situation like yours where they had one low paying job and the only other option is an amazon warehouse bc they offer overnight work that doesn't conflict with their primary job schedule. I don't think they should just be forced to accept **** work conditions if their goal is to work super hard instead of asking for a handout.

 

[RIP sleazyy]

I have no problem with individuals that don't like capitalism, but don't hide behind morality or paint Amazon as evil to do it. Just say it.

this is me. I don’t fault him for exploiting the system, but the system is absolutely trash and should be toppled. The morality argument is irrelevant to me.

 

[Comparison Ford]

Do you think that’s the only warehouse that’s like this? Have you ever worked at a warehouse? I have. For 8.25. I had to work a second job AND sell weed to pay rent. So I’m one of those people and I don’t think it’s an unfair assessment. When I got fed up with humping in the heat/cold, I got another job. Most people aren’t stuck, their just complacent. As soon as you start suggesting things to make things better that requires extra effort, “uhh uhh uh uh huh..”.

So if you got arrested for possession with intent to distribute and the felony messed up your chances of future success do you sit back and say "this is what I signed up for" or do you question what kind of civil society puts people in these types of situations just to survive?

You're lost, man.

 

[RIP sleazyy]

If you got common sense you probably say both, unless it’s weed.

 

[Comparison Ford]

If you got common sense you probably say both, unless it’s weed.

He explicitly says it's weed.

 

[RIP sleazyy]

He explicitly says it's weed.

I read, post on previous page just mentioned drugs in general.

 

[tr1ll]

So if you got arrested for possession with intent to distribute and the felony messed up your chances of future success do you sit back and say "this is what I signed up for" or do you question what kind of civil society puts people in these types of situations just to survive?

You're lost, man.

Lol what? I didn’t start selling weed because I was listening to a bunch of Gucci Mane. Everyone knows what they’re doing when they jump off the porch. It’s a sad day if they don’t.

 

[tr1ll]

sounding real bootstrapish over there

I damn sho don’t expect handouts and I’m not going to hope and wait for them.

 

[tr1ll]

bruh
thats such a narrow minded view
people will sign up for anything to put food on the table
and make sure their family is straight
hell going into the army is a perfect example of this

We making the same point. You do what you gotta do until you can do better. You don’t get a **** job and sit around and hope it gets better. Folks act like working for Amazon is signing a lifetime contract.

 

[Comparison Ford]

Lol what? I didn’t start selling weed because I was listening to a bunch of Gucci Mane. Everyone knows what they’re doing when they jump off the porch. It’s a sad day if they don’t.

 

[Mr Dink]

I have a homie who works at Amazon corporate. Everytime I'd ask him to chill on his "days off", he'd tell me no because he has projects to complete and managers breathing down his neck. He literally hasn't had a true day off in at least a year. He hasn't even had a home-cooked meal in a very long time and is forced to get DoorDash pretty much daily since he can't afford to get off work to cook.

 

[tr1ll]

Naw the point is life ain’t fair. It’s never going to be. Some of this ain’t worth crying over.

 

[Based Jesus]

Proper compensation for labor isn't a handout. Government programs designed to help the less fortunate in society isn't a handout. Having an issue with inequality isn't "crying".

 

[shotsrangout]

Naw the point is life ain’t fair. It’s never going to be. Some of this ain’t worth crying over.

mindsets like this is why amazon is allowed to exploit all these loopholes

 

[ybyb20]

Even in corporate (specifically AWS) I've heard they work like a dog. Don't get me wrong you get paid well but even "important employee" get exploited and mistreated

 

[storm2006]

I’m not saying Amazon is perfect but if a lot of the things folks are calling for were to happen then the price Amazon had to pay in the form of taxes, higher compensation, suck infrastructure costs for workplace improvements, etc would be passed onto the consumers. The effect of this could be massive as they start to snatch up more and more businesses so be careful what you wish for.

 

[Based Jesus]

mindsets like this is why amazon is allowed to exploit all these loopholes

I hate hearing "life aint fair". It's such a lazy statement that's constantly used to disqualify valid concerns.
You can use it for anything.

"My mother has cancer but just lost her insurance through her job which cut benefits for low wage workers."
"Well life aint fair"

"My friend was raped walking home at night"
"Life aint fair, don't see me crying, I've been raped 3 times, that's just how it is."

"I'm tired of living under white supremacy."
"You'd feel differently if you were white, life ain't fair"

I’m not saying Amazon is perfect but if a lot of the things folks are calling for were to happen then the price Amazon had to pay in the form of taxes, higher compensation, suck infrastructure costs for workplace improvements, etc would be passed onto the consumers. The effect of this could be massive as they start to snatch up more and more businesses so be careful what you wish for.

We shouldn't be afraid to enact and enforce regulations because "What if they raise prices?". Then you go to another vendor. As much as they're trying to make it so they're the only one, they're not. Not yet. They shouldn't be snatching up businesses either but amazon and others pay politicians very well to not enforce antitrust laws.