Jeff Bezos: almost human. |
If you needed any proof that a handful of internet companies enjoy the same kind of monopoly power that corporations like Standard Oil once enjoyed over a hundred years ago, then look no further than geek slaphead Jeff Bezos.
The 53-year-old Bezos was recently proclaimed the world's richest man after a rise in Amazon shares pushed him ahead of Bill Gates.
Bezos founded Amazon in the 1990s, and owns 17% of its stock, giving him an estimated fortune of $90.7 billion. But without the kind of monopoly power that Amazon enjoys in the on-line retail world, there is no way that Bezos could have become that rich.
What is more disturbing is that, as people like Bezos grow richer, they lose interest in simply making more money, and instead turn their attention to using their wealth and power to shape the world in line with their political views. In the case of Bezos, the guy is a complete shitlib. His soaring wealth has allowed him to buy the Washington Post newspaper for $250 million, turning it into a rabid attack dog to be used against President Trump.
Bezos has also taken an interest in space travel, using his immense fortune to invest in the "Blue Origin" space rocket business.
Thanks to his unusual "alien-like" appearance and his geek obsession with Star Trek, in which he even appeared once, the only way to interpret this investment in space travel is that he is trying to use his enormous fortune to try to return to his home planet, wherever that is.
Bezos, not necessarily using make up. |
But more seriously, back in the early 20th century, when companies like Northern Securities and Standard Oil exercised monopoly control over their respective industries -- railroads and petroleum -- President Teddy Roosevelt moved to break them up, by implementing strong anti-trust laws.
Now the time is ripe for a similar trust-busting movement, aimed at the giant internet and social media companies.
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