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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 populatio
by 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 agoBezos 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 agoWhile the working conditions in Amazon are presumably not good, it seems disingenuous to imply that Jeff Bezos literally owns the Amazon employees.