News reports confirm that Jeff Bezos, already far and away the world’s richest man, increased his wealth by $25 BILLION in only six weeks! How did he do this? The article claims that he is more active in the company than he has been in years. Did he suddenly start working in his own warehouses, perhaps answering calls from customers, perhaps running a conveyor belt, perhaps delivering packages door to door with mask and gloves? No. Although, he did make his first appearance at an Amazon distribution warehouse in years! What a hard-working guy!
The reality of our world and this capitalist economy is that those who own have the ability to increase their wealth through the labor of their workers, without doing a lick of work themselves! Bezos has gotten wealthier on the backs of his workers, who literally put their lives at risk to deliver packages to others desperate to avoid this deadly virus.
Chris Smalls, the Amazon supervisor who was fired in March for demanding PPE for the workers in the Staten Island warehouse where he worked, had this to say in a long excellent letter to Jeff Bezos,
“If you’re an Amazon customer, here’s how you can practice real social distancing: stop clicking the ‘Buy now’ button. Go to the grocery store instead. You might be saving some lives.
And to Mr. Bezos, my message is simple. I don’t give a damn about your power. You think you’re powerful? We’re the ones that have the power. Without us working, what are you going to do? You’ll have no money. We have the power. We make money for you. Never forget that.”
When will we say enough is enough, and throw out this system that allows the rich to get richer without working, while millions are thrown out of work?
Featured image credit: Wikimedia Commons
