Jeff Bezos thanks Amazon employees for funding his space trip, receives backlash

Team Udayavani, Jul 21, 2021, 5:58 PM IST

Source: AFP

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on Tuesday, July 20 successfully completed an 11-minute trip into space onboard a rocket built by his company Blue Origin.

He addressed a conference after his brief trip into space, during which he thanked the workers of Amazon for “paying” for his trip. The well-intended gratitude has failed to resonate with the Netizens who accused Bezos of being tone-deaf.

During a news conference, after becoming the second billionaire in just over a week to ride in his own spacecraft, wrote, “I want to thank every Amazon employee, and every Amazon customer because you guys paid for all this.”

The statement stirred a backlash on the internet as people pointed out reports claiming inhumane working conditions and lack of breaks that Amazon workers are forced to work under.

.@JeffBezos speaking truth after successful #BlueOrigin flight:

“I also want to thank every Amazon employee and every Amazon customer because you guys paid for all of this.” https://t.co/hMS01eRzMs pic.twitter.com/3CueAOX9M8

— Dan Linden (@DanLinden) July 20, 2021

Yes, Amazon workers did pay for this – with lower wages, union busting, a frenzied and inhumane workplace, and delivery drivers not having health insurance during a pandemic.

And Amazon customers are paying for it with Amazon abusing their market power to hurt small business. https://t.co/7qMgpe8u0M

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 20, 2021

Bezos says he thanks every "Amazon employee and every Amazon customer because you guys paid for all of this"

— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) July 20, 2021

Jeff Bezos forgot to thank all the hardworking Americans who actually paid taxes to keep this country running while he and Amazon paid nothing. https://t.co/tjOeCWbUA8

— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) July 20, 2021

Tone deaf doesn’t begin to describe this @JeffBezos quote.

I’m sure your workers who get blocked from unionizing at every turn are just giddy with excitement about your neato field trip to outer space that they subsidized. https://t.co/pmgCUIp7kp

— Nick Knudsen 🇺🇸 (@NickKnudsenUS) July 21, 2021

this is somehow a real quote

Jeff Bezos: "I want to thank every Amazon employee, and every Amazon customer, because you guys paid for all this … thank you from the bottom of my heart very much."pic.twitter.com/5JREV6Uha7

— Matthew Champion (@matthewchampion) July 20, 2021

So, would Jeff Bezos, from now on, ensure that every employee of Amazon gets affordable healthcare insurance, livable wage, 401K, Bonus, family leave, etc? An annual cost of these highly needed benefits, would not make a dent on the company’s bottom line not on Mr. Bezo’s wealth.

— Save u&us (@Saveuus1) July 20, 2021

Amazon workers slam Jeff Bezos for 'tone-deaf' victory lap thanking them for PAYING for his Blue Origin space dream https://t.co/pxuTDfIWpv pic.twitter.com/W8oFA7wZYl

— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) July 21, 2021

i'd like a refund. https://t.co/mBPczAmpPm

— David Choi (@choibboy) July 20, 2021

Hopping into the warehouse therapy booth to piss on my own shit, proud to have helped Mr. Bezos get to Upper Air so he can come up with the brilliant idea of putting our garbage in space. https://t.co/bleiJ9YsXa

— Cody Johnston (@drmistercody) July 21, 2021

This is truly gross. Pay your workers a livable wage & stop abusing them & union busting. Use your wealth to help the world not rocket ship out of it. Tax the rich! https://t.co/WdQ1GqSx7n

— Marti (@MartiGCummings) July 21, 2021

“Capital is dead labour, that, vampire-like, only lives by sucking living labour, and lives the more, the more labour it sucks.” https://t.co/gijDle5Kdd

— Derrick O’Keefe (@derrickokeefe) July 21, 2021