Posted on 10/04/2018 8:26:52 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Amazon, the massive online retailer, announced with great fanfare that it will raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour, and will encourage others across the nation to do the same. Is it unselfish public-mindedness, or political and competitive pressures that's behind the move?
Sorry, Jeff Bezos, but we don't buy the social justice talk anymore. Anytime a multi-billion dollar corporation begins talking about social issues, check your wallet. And then look at who's pressuring them.
That's certainly the case with Amazon, which on Tuesday announced the minimum wage hike.
"We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead," founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said in a statement about the pay raise, which goes into effect next month.
"Leading" will be expensive, since a lot of workers will be affected. Some 250,000 people work for Amazon, which plans to hire another 100,000 for the Christmas holiday season.
But the truth is, it's a move not premised on doing "the right thing," as leftist minimum wage activists like to say, but on Amazon keeping its edge as the nation's leading retailing force.
Bezos' Minimum Wage Hike Activism Start with the fact that Jeff Bezos, a bazillionaire from his Amazon holdings (in fact, the richest human on Earth), won't be pulling out his checkbook to pay for this minimum wage hike. Whatever else you might feel about this, you'll pay for it. In fact, you probably already are, since Amazon just jacked up its Amazon Prime subscriptions by $20.
Nor did Amazon's move come from some deep cry of conscience over economic injustice. Rather, it came in response to a brutal political attack on the company by socialist millionaire Senator Bernie Sanders.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
The Left desperately want to be viewed as altruistic. They will throw crumbs for the camera.
You are totally missing the point. Amazon will be lobbying the government for MANDATORY minimum wages hikes. Amazon is free to pay their workers whatever wage they feel is appropriate but when they start using their wealth and power to lobby government into imposing mandates on other businesses thats a big problem.
Big corporations being involved in government is NEVER a good thing for anybody, bank on it.
Can you name a ‘big corporation’ that is not involved in government and does not lobby?
It becomes a problem when a huge corporation or group of corporations get in bed with government and that is exactly what appears to be going on here. Amazon can pay whatever they want but as soon as they start attempting to manipulate government policy then they are crossing the line. When a huge corporation gets in bed with government you have planted the seeds of fascism. It's already happening and this Amazon wage hike/social policy move is an obvious fascist tactic.
There is a fine line. I can tell you a corporation as big as Amazon lobbying government for mandatory wage hikes in this manner is a VERY dangerous development. They are sowing the seeds of fascism. This needs to be recognized and nipped in the bud or Amazon will run other retailers out of business to the huge detriment of everyone but them and government.
“It becomes a problem when a huge corporation or group of corporations get in bed with government and that is exactly what appears to be going on here.”
It would appear that Amazon adopted a $15.00 minimum wage without any legislation by any government.
Again, why oppose prosperity for the American worker?
“I can tell you a corporation as big as Amazon lobbying government for mandatory wage hikes in this manner is a VERY dangerous development.”
It’s only dangerous if Congress passes and the President signs a law forcing mandatory wage hikes.
To clarify, yes corporations do lobby but like I said there is a fine line. Lobbying for a change in regulations, taxes, etc is still not good but not a deal breaker. Now mandatory $15 hour lobbying, that's dangerous to the point that it can't be tolerated.
Take a look at cities that have imposed $15 wage hikes. Can you imagine if Amazon is successful in getting government to impose that insanity nation wide? Bottom line, it's fascism and it's extremely dangerous.
I'm sure a president hillary and leader pelosi would never do such a thing. /s
What Amazon is doing is a red flag. Americans better wake up.
“Take a look at cities that have imposed $15 wage hikes.”
I think that would be Seattle with an Unemployment Rate of 3.1%.
Bury your head in the sand all you want.
What part of Amazon is lobbying government to IMPOSE MANDATORY wage hikes on all businesses are you not getting? Last I checked there were a whole lot of people that work for companies other than amazon. When they get run out of business with unaffordable labor costs you will see clearly how that affects prosperity for the American worker. Just check some of the cities that have mandated $15 hour minimum wage. How are the workers doing in those cities?
“What Amazon is doing is a red flag. Americans better wake up.”
Then don’t buy from Amazon.
Instead go to Montgomery Wards, order from the Sears Catalog, or wait until the Fuller Brush Man knocks on your door and place an order from him.
There is no common sense reason in the world that the world’s richest man has people working for him for him on public assistance. If you can’t acknowledge that then you are really ignorant naive ideologue. Politics, economics and business are intertwined and can never be separated.
..or at the higher wage Amazon will now get a better quantity employee and productivity will go up.
I applaud Amazon for this action. It’s not 1965 anymore.
quantity = I meant quality.
keep telling yourself that.
You must be a lib. You just want to argue something that really can't be argued.
I buy from Amazon all the time. I also can recognize fascist business tactics when I see it. You on the other hand want to argue Seattle's $15 an hour mandatory wage was great for workers and business and the Seattle economy in general.
Seattle’s Unemployment Rate is 3/1% and lower than the national average.
Wheeling, West Virginia has an Unemployment Rate twice that of Seattle and does not have a $15.00 minimum wage.
For some reason, more prosperous companies are based in Seattle than in Wheeling.
The economy is Seattle is strong, but it is not strong due to a $15.00 minimum wage and the city had should not have passed that mandate.
However, Amazon decided on the $15.00 minimum wage to help Amazon.
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