Bezos Increases his wealth by $13 Billion in 15 minutes

You're not even on the radar. I'm glad you made something quality of yourself with the limited cards you were dealt. But you're chump change to who we are talking about.

I don't want to take anything you've worked for. We aren't talking about millions either, we are talking about billions. Such a huge difference.

The point isn't that Bezos' wealth can jump 13 billion in 15 minutes, the point is that Bezos just sold 1.8 billion dollars of his stocks, which is less than 5% of all the stock he owns. This is less money than he gained selling his stock last year doing something similar. So you could say that's his annual cash out.

The point is Bezos could literally fly to space for $50m, buy an entire island in the Bahamas for $75m, he could buy 1000 houses priced $100,000 and 1000 Tesla Model S cars for each house, he could pay 1000 people $100,000 annually to be personal assistants full-time, and still not even be a third of the way through his annual stock profits.

The point is Bezos is just one of many billionaires/millionaires that have wealth beyond comprehension.

I'm not for taking away anything from the hard working American like yourself. But good golly the single mom working two jobs making under 20k a year shouldn't have to suffer while just a handful have the prosperity. Give everyone an efficient life.
But the more we (as a society, or worse yet, the govt) forcibly removes the wealth accumulated by visionaries - the fewer of those people will create products and jobs. Why work hard when someone wants to take it away once you do?

As far as the single mom working two jobs to make 20k - that comes down to roughly $9.62 per hour (given her working 40 hours per week - less per hour if she's working more.) Didn't she have the same opportunity as RTR? She could have joined the military, or learned a trade, or more importantly formed a good relationship with her baby daddy so she wasn't a single mother working two jobs.

This is why trying to equal the outcomes simply doesn't work. Life is hard. And those who make good, or bad, decisions mist live by them. Look on the "Wise sayings" thread here. My good friend @CouchOnFire said something along the lines of - our lives are a result of our decisions. What you are advocating for is to make her life more along the lines of the decisions of others. And, by proxy, other's lives along the lines of her decisions. That's not right, let alone fair.
 
Absolutely zero, or they wouldn't be working there.

I would love equal opportunities, but under the current system you won't have either.

At some point you have to ask when is enough, well.. enough?
You tell us. Because your narrative in the thread would indicate you feel there is a line. Nod is below it, Bezos is above it. What’s the magic number that delineates a successful, hard worker from a contemptible robber baron?
 
But the more we (as a society, or worse yet, the govt) forcibly removes the wealth accumulated by visionaries - the fewer of those people will create products and jobs. Why work hard when someone wants to take it away once you do?

As far as the single mom working two jobs to make 20k - that comes down to roughly $9.62 per hour (given her working 40 hours per week - less per hour if she's working more.) Didn't she have the same opportunity as RTR? She could have joined the military, or learned a trade, or more importantly formed a good relationship with her baby daddy so she wasn't a single mother working two jobs.

This is why trying to equal the outcomes simply doesn't work. Life is hard. And those who make good, or bad, decisions mist live by them. Look on the "Wise sayings" thread here. My good friend @CouchOnFire said something along the lines of - our lives are a result of our decisions. What you are advocating for is to make her life more along the lines of the decisions of others. And, by proxy, other's lives along the lines of her decisions. That's not right, let alone fair.


I think reasonably asking those to pay their fair share is reasonable. For those that are the cream of the crop they wouldn't even feel it. I just think we need less billionaire assholes but like you say it's a free market and their right.

Also not everyone is exposed to the military being an option and much less a trade. Trades are finally making their way to public education thankfully. Half of marriages end in divorces, single moms might have a good reason not to persue a continuation of relations.

But I guess it is what it is. Utopia could never exist, and the less fortunate will always suffer. Some will be blessed to be able to pull themselves up by their boot straps.
 
You tell us. Because your narrative in the thread would indicate you feel there is a line. Nod is below it, Bezos is above it. What’s the magic number that delineates a successful, hard worker from a contemptible robber baron?


If you're able to make billions in mere minutes, you're above that line. Most of us on here are making chump change.
 
This thread needs a soundtrack


I want to rock!(Rock!)
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Turn it down you say
But all I got to say to you is time and time again I say No!
No! No! No!
Tell me not to play
Well, all I got to say to when you tell me not to play I say No!
No! No! No!
So, if you ask me why I like the way I play it
There's only one thing I can say to you

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There's a feelin' that
I get from nothin' else and there ain't nothin' in the world that makes me go!
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Turn the power up
I've waited for so long so I could hear my favorite song so, let's go!
Go! Go! Go!
When it's like this I feel the music shootin' through me
There's nothin' else that I would rather do

I want to rock!(Rock!)
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I want to rock!(Rock!)

I want to rock!(Rock!)
Rock!(Rock!)
Rock!(Rock!)
I want to rock!(Rock!)
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I want to rock!(Rock!)
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I want to rock!

I want to rock!(Rock!)
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I think reasonably asking those to pay their fair share is reasonable. For those that are the cream of the crop they wouldn't even feel it. I just think we need less billionaire assholes but like you say it's a free market and their right.

Also not everyone is exposed to the military being an option and much less a trade. Trades are finally making their way to public education thankfully. Half of marriages end in divorces, single moms might have a good reason not to persue a continuation of relations.

But I guess it is what it is. Utopia could never exist, and the less fortunate will always suffer. Some will be blessed to be able to pull themselves up by their boot straps.

Nothing in this post addresses taking responsibility for bad decisions. Fact is, too many people want their bad decisions to be taken care of by people that made good ones.

That's wrong.

I made plenty of bad decisions in my life. I suffered through the repercussions and worked my way out of them. I've never asked anyone for a fucking thing.
 
All those employees are free to go start their own companies, work hard, lay it all on the line. They are also free to buy as much Amazon stock as they want so they too can "make money" when stock prices rise. Get out of here with your over-regulation bullshit.
what a load of shit -
I saw a Bezos interview on CNBC back in 1997 when he first took AMZN public. He was a skinny nerdy looking dude in button down shirt and khaki, working 18hrs/day everyday, driving a 7yo Honda Accord, living in a standard 2br apartment with his wife. He said all he wants to do was to sell books online bc he's a bookworm, and like the rest of them he didn't want to spend hours going from bookstore to bookstore to hunt for old paperback books. IMO he earned his billion$ by working his ass off and adjusted superbly with the changes of the market.

BTW, true story: Back in 1997 we were living Tulsa OK and my wife was a member of a book club and they've been buying books on Amazon prior to them going public. So when they IPO on wall street at $5/share, several members of her book club bought thousands of AMZN stock, my wife only bought 300 shares for her IRA. After all the splits; as of today she has 3,600 shares of AMZN @ $2,134/share, but several members of her former book club from Tulsa they are now holding anywhere from 20k to 50k shares. Thanks to Jeff Bezos my wife will retire very comfortably.

im-52953
 
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Who says the law is be all end all? There's a reason why we have amended many different laws to improve our society.

Using your example I wonder. Does Lebron deserve to make millions upon millions while those in our military make peanuts?

The point is Bezos is just one of many billionaires/millionaires that have wealth beyond comprehension.. We're arguing that it's not fair to throw shade on Bezos for inaccurate statements about how fast his wealth is growing.

Some progressive ideas are dangerous because they want to make it so the worker ants can maybe go to college, see a doctor, have maternity leave, and retire after they work 40 years without wondering if they have to pick one of these options and suffer for it later (if they are lucky enough to have the choice)?

Is the world really so rigid in this duality of communism vs capitalism that there is no middle ground? We are so afraid of helping the common people together, collectively, as a society, that we are fine with just leaving the world to the wealthiest? It's fine that the wealthy will never wonder what it's like to lose vision in one eye and wonder if you can afford to get it checked?

No one is asking to strip away all the wealth and resources of the world and just let people steal government money to be lazy leeches. We're talking about redistributing wealth to the rest of the country. And here comes "well, when is enough enough? Are you going to give everyone a million dollars? Are you going to pay for everyone's car and alcohol?" It's about letting people have a chance at a life without all the deficiencies that we are already living with everyday.

The system doesn't work right now. Not for everyone. If you have a steady income, good retirement, amazing insurance, and already got your masters degrees, I'm happy for you. But just because the system worked out for you and me, doesn't mean it's working the best it could be. And sitting here arguing about Bezos not being quite as unfathomably rich as people want to say is just keeping the commoners fighting amongst ourselves over bread crumbs.
you're more than welcome to invent something that the vast majority of earth population want and need such as Amazon, Windows and iPhone, work your ass off everyday to improve your invention, and then you'd be mega billionaire just like them.
 
I saw a Bezos interview on CNBC back in 1997 when he first took AMZN public. He was a skinny nerdy looking dude in button down shirt and khaki, working 18hrs/day everyday, driving a 7yo Honda Accord, living in a standard 2br apartment with his wife. He said all he wants to do was to sell books online bc he's a bookworm, and like the rest of them he didn't want to spend hours going from bookstore to bookstore to hunt for old paperback books. IMO he earned his billion$ by working his ass off and adjusted superbly with the changes of the market.

BTW, true story: Back in 1997 we were living Tulsa OK and my wife was a member of a book club and they've been buying books on Amazon prior to them going public. So when they IPO on wall street at $5/share, several members of her book club bought thousands of AMZN stock, my wife only bought 300 shares for her IRA. After all the splits; as of today she has 3,600 shares of AMZN @ $2,134/share, but several members of her former book club from Tulsa they are now holding anywhere from 20k to 50k shares. Thanks to Jeff Bezos my wife will retire very comfortably.

im-52953
People with a vision take chances and/or work hard. Sometimes it pays off. Good for you. This @CFBHome wants to take that from you and others who didnt take that chance.
 
People with a vision take chances and/or work hard. Sometimes it pays off. Good for you. This @CFBHome wants to take that from you and others who didnt take that chance.

He's not a bad guy, just young and searching for Utopia. All of us were there at some point many years ago. The fact that he's wanting to discuss it is the important thing.
 
Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with giving someone a hand up! Everyone either has needed, or will need in the future some type of help from someone. I DO have a problem with HAND OUTS to people who:

A. Are in a situation of there own making, but aren’t willing to do what is necessary to help themselves.

B: Think they are entitled to someone else’s hard earned goods.

C. Live off the government tit and think that’s ok. Guess who pays for that?

D. Think that charity should be legislated.
Everything that someone gets for free, someone else is paying for something that they’re not receiving.
 
The better question is.......why do so many young people feel they are owed a great living? Where in the Hell did THAT come from? I’ve worked for an income since I was 14 years old. I was taught great work ethic at a very young age and I have NEVER had to depend on anyone but myself. I’ve been poor and Ive been reasonably wealthy and it was based on how much I was willing to work, how hard I wanted to work, and how many sacrifices I was willing to make to get there.
The opportunity to become successful is still there...today, for ALL. The ones that recognize opportunity and take advantage of those opportunities truly deserve to reap what they sow.
 
The better question is.......why do so many young people feel they are owed a great living? Where in the Hell did THAT come from? I’ve worked for an income since I was 14 years old. I was taught great work ethic at a very young age and I have NEVER had to depend on anyone but myself. I’ve been poor and Ive been reasonably wealthy and it was based on how much I was willing to work, how hard I wanted to work, and how many sacrifices I was willing to make to get there.
The opportunity to become successful is still there...today, for ALL. The ones that recognize opportunity and take advantage of those opportunities truly deserve to reap what they sow.
Not sure how this morphed into a “young people suck” thread, but generally my experience with younger generations both in my professional and personal life has been anything but what you describe.
 
How do they not have equal opportunity, under the law, right now?

What you are asking for is:
1) not fair
B) impossible
3) ignorant

Let's use the NBA as an example... Why can't I have a job and compete in the NBA? I mean, it's completely unfair that Lebron's family gave him a bunch of advantage (in this case he has superior athletic genes, instead of a bunch of money and business acumen.) We should shorten the basket so my white ass can dunk, and tie Lebron's shoelaces together so I can keep up with him. Sounds stupid, right?

Of course some people are going to have advantages that others' don't. That will never change and cannot be leveled - ever. And forcibly taking from others (such as hampering Lebron, or making Bezos pay more than fair market value - remember, no one is forcing these workers to work there, it's a voluntary agreement) is definitely not the answer and is very short sighted.
Nod is spittin truth here boys,, pay attention...
 
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