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Ends up Blaze was just playing the field to extract resources, and use the grift to extract every penny from the studio he knew he would ultimately pick? We’d a

Ends up Blaze was just playing the field to extract resources, and use the grift to extract every penny from the studio he knew he would ultimately pick? We’d assume that Blaze lacks character. Huh? Since when is initiating a bidding war immoral or lacking in character? A party might come up with an attractive offer you never considered or thought possible. And even if you knew you wouldn't take their offers, it is rational and logical to get the best deal you can with something that is expensive and one-off like this.

adjkant 8y ago
When all of your profits come at the expense of the local residents who don't get a vote on the matter, I think it's a lot stronger case for immorality. A moral business has limits at which it drives for profit. I'm not sure where I stand on it myself, but the bidding war itself is not the moral problem, it's the context of the bidding war. I certainly don't view Amazon positively for doing it. At its core, this is Amazon profiting at the cost of American citizens. If every corporation did this, America would take quite a big hit. I would love to see the practice of making such a bidding war become illegal.
- moreira 8y ago
  "who don't get a vote on the matter" -> They elected the representatives that they trust to make these decisions; that's representational democracy, the cornerstone of most of the world's countries. To change it, you as a citizen need to demand better of your politicians. Amazon's not the problem; they're just doing what's best for their shareholders, which is the whole point of a corporation. It's the government that needs to be held accountable for this situation; they're the ones going along with the bidding war - your suggestion of such a bidding war being made illegal is definitely a start.
  - adjkant 8y ago
    In today's America, demanding politicians only goes so far and I would say its one of many broken parts of our system. You can say that I "as a citizen" should do X but the reality is that citizens have lost control of their government and have for some time now. I personally believe that representational democracy is very flawed and would love to see a return to more direct democracy. Amazon isn't the source of the problem but a company that exploits the problems of others for their gain is not a not moral company in my book. And of course there is a spectrum here as it's impossible for law to match morals, but for a company in such a large and good position to do this without need is a notable action from a moral perspective. So no, Amazon is not the problem, but given that no one has really quite done this at this scale, they basically created the problem in the first place and Amazon deserves scrutiny and blame for that 100%.
    - coralreef 8y ago
      Petitioning local governments for incentives to build factories/business related enterprises has been around for a while. Pretty much every major sports team ownership group goes for subsidized stadium construction.
      - Apocryphon 8y ago
        And all of those processes have been widely criticized for being bad deals that hurt taxpayers. Just because Amazon is playing a long-established game doesn't mean that game isn't crooked, and that they shouldn't be criticized for indulging in such a farce, especially when they have the wealth and resources to do otherwise.
chrismcb 8y ago
When it isn't a bidding war. Before it began you selected your winner. You then conned the other players to participate, thinking they had a chance, just so you can get a better deal. All those others spent tax payer money to enjoy win, but had no chance.
- coralreef 8y ago
  A pro athlete has an idea of where he wants to sign when he becomes a free agent. He visits various teams, lets them wine and dine him, lets them engage in bidding for his contract. Is he behaving immorally?

adjkant 8y ago

When all of your profits come at the expense of the local residents who don't get a vote on the matter, I think it's a lot stronger case for immorality. A moral business has limits at which it drives for profit. I'm not sure where I stand on it myself, but the bidding war itself is not the moral problem, it's the context of the bidding war. I certainly don't view Amazon positively for doing it. At its core, this is Amazon profiting at the cost of American citizens. If every corporation did this, America would take quite a big hit. I would love to see the practice of making such a bidding war become illegal.

moreira 8y ago
"who don't get a vote on the matter" -> They elected the representatives that they trust to make these decisions; that's representational democracy, the cornerstone of most of the world's countries. To change it, you as a citizen need to demand better of your politicians. Amazon's not the problem; they're just doing what's best for their shareholders, which is the whole point of a corporation. It's the government that needs to be held accountable for this situation; they're the ones going along with the bidding war - your suggestion of such a bidding war being made illegal is definitely a start.
- adjkant 8y ago
  In today's America, demanding politicians only goes so far and I would say its one of many broken parts of our system. You can say that I "as a citizen" should do X but the reality is that citizens have lost control of their government and have for some time now. I personally believe that representational democracy is very flawed and would love to see a return to more direct democracy. Amazon isn't the source of the problem but a company that exploits the problems of others for their gain is not a not moral company in my book. And of course there is a spectrum here as it's impossible for law to match morals, but for a company in such a large and good position to do this without need is a notable action from a moral perspective. So no, Amazon is not the problem, but given that no one has really quite done this at this scale, they basically created the problem in the first place and Amazon deserves scrutiny and blame for that 100%.
  - coralreef 8y ago
    Petitioning local governments for incentives to build factories/business related enterprises has been around for a while. Pretty much every major sports team ownership group goes for subsidized stadium construction.
    - Apocryphon 8y ago
      And all of those processes have been widely criticized for being bad deals that hurt taxpayers. Just because Amazon is playing a long-established game doesn't mean that game isn't crooked, and that they shouldn't be criticized for indulging in such a farce, especially when they have the wealth and resources to do otherwise.

chrismcb 8y ago

When it isn't a bidding war. Before it began you selected your winner. You then conned the other players to participate, thinking they had a chance, just so you can get a better deal. All those others spent tax payer money to enjoy win, but had no chance.

coralreef 8y ago
A pro athlete has an idea of where he wants to sign when he becomes a free agent. He visits various teams, lets them wine and dine him, lets them engage in bidding for his contract. Is he behaving immorally?