The filthy rich are often a huge topic of debate. On the one hand, people argue, they largely earned that money, so it’s their right to spend it as they see fit. But on the other hand, others say, when their employees are barely paid, and they turn a blind eye to the enormous issues the world faces, it is hard to relate to these giants of the business. Big business himself, Mr Jeff Bezos, was finally shot into space yesterday, though he was also allowed to return despite the petition circulating.
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Bezos said something that instantly caused online criticism during a press conference post-launch, and no doubt his media team shook their heads in embarrassment.
“I want to thank every Amazon employee and every Amazon customer because you guys paid for all this,” he said to laughs from the crowd.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart very much. It’s very appreciated,” said the richest man in the world.
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Predictably, Twitter was up in arms. Senator Alexandria Ocasio Cortez slammed the former Amazon CEO, taking the word right out the mouths of millions:
“Yes, Amazon workers did pay for this – with lower wages, union-busting, a frenzied and inhumane workplace, and delivery drivers not having health insurance during a pandemic.
“And Amazon customers are paying for it with Amazon abusing their market power to hurt small business.”
Yes, Amazon workers did pay for this – with lower wages, union busting, a frenzied and inhumane workplace, and delivery drivers not having health insurance during a pandemic.
And Amazon customers are paying for it with Amazon abusing their market power to hurt small business. https://t.co/7qMgpe8u0M
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 20, 2021
“These billionaires could have ended world hunger… but yeah let’s praise them for taking an expensive carnival ride out of the atmosphere for their own egos,” comments one user beneath the Senators post.
Economist Phillipp Heimberger tweeted: “Around a billion people don’t produce as much CO2 in their life as Bezos with his space flight yesterday. Media are failing in lamenting higher probabilities of extreme weather events due to climate change – while celebrating Bezos/Branson flights without mentioning pollution.”
