6 ms·

Bezos doesn't own entire states, and he can't use his wealth in the full on-paper value. Literally owning country-sized plots of land, all its natural resources

Bezos doesn't own entire states, and he can't use his wealth in the full on-paper value. Literally owning country-sized plots of land, all its natural resources, its people and everything they create including their children, having the privilege to tax all trade going through and assign trade monopolies is incomparable to anything Bezos might own even if he becomes a centi-trillionaire. It was much, much more extreme for most of human history. So much more that I can't actually blame you for this mistake because it's that hard to comprehend how incredible the difference is.

username135 2y ago
Id have to agree. Maybe a better way to think of it is life disparity, or living disparity. Most folks, even those in extreme poverty, are far better off today than if they were in a similar position even 200 years ago.
tomohelix 2y ago
I guess it depends on how you measure "power". By "influence and control lives" metrics, Bezos is more powerful than most medieval kings. Back then, a population of 1-2 millions is quite good for a country with the top ones being around 10-20 millions. Amazon alone directly employs and provide the livelihood for 1.5millions people. That is comparable to a quite a great king in the Middle Age. Amazon also can influence trade and businesses of countless other merchants and groups in other countries unrelated to these 1.5millions employees by means of blocking access to AWS or removing their products from Amazon. Its reach is global, a feat not many kings and emperors of the past could boast.
- throwaway11460 2y ago
  Bezos is nowhere near the lowest medieval noble, much less a king in his power to influence or control lives. Do you really think he could force his employees to fight a war for him? Bezos is not the only option his employees have - but you had no other option than follow your lord's direction in the past. If Bezos blocks my access to AWS, I run my Terraform script on Azure. If he blocks my access to Amazon, I'll buy my next box of useless stuff on AliExpress. 5 minutes and Bezos is no longer part of my life.
- xigoi 2y ago
  While the working conditions in Amazon are presumably not good, it seems disingenuous to imply that Jeff Bezos literally owns the Amazon employees.

username135 2y ago

Id have to agree. Maybe a better way to think of it is life disparity, or living disparity. Most folks, even those in extreme poverty, are far better off today than if they were in a similar position even 200 years ago.

tomohelix 2y ago

I guess it depends on how you measure "power". By "influence and control lives" metrics, Bezos is more powerful than most medieval kings. Back then, a population of 1-2 millions is quite good for a country with the top ones being around 10-20 millions. Amazon alone directly employs and provide the livelihood for 1.5millions people. That is comparable to a quite a great king in the Middle Age. Amazon also can influence trade and businesses of countless other merchants and groups in other countries unrelated to these 1.5millions employees by means of blocking access to AWS or removing their products from Amazon. Its reach is global, a feat not many kings and emperors of the past could boast.

throwaway11460 2y ago
Bezos is nowhere near the lowest medieval noble, much less a king in his power to influence or control lives. Do you really think he could force his employees to fight a war for him? Bezos is not the only option his employees have - but you had no other option than follow your lord's direction in the past. If Bezos blocks my access to AWS, I run my Terraform script on Azure. If he blocks my access to Amazon, I'll buy my next box of useless stuff on AliExpress. 5 minutes and Bezos is no longer part of my life.
xigoi 2y ago
While the working conditions in Amazon are presumably not good, it seems disingenuous to imply that Jeff Bezos literally owns the Amazon employees.