At least six people died in the collapse of the roof of the multinational facility in Illinois. But the manager’s message of condolence – “I’m heartbroken” – comes hours late, and after the post celebrating the new Blue Origin flight
We don’t call it shitstorm, and so do not even the American media, but more for one respect for the victims of the tornado that hit the United States than not to be vulgar. But the social storm hit the richest man in the world yesterday (or maybe it’s second now) and it is difficult not to share the indignation – sometimes resulting in anger – towards what at best we can define bad timing in Jeff Bezos’ posts. Digital has memory and so remain the footprints of what we do: while at least six Amazon employees died in the collapse of a warehouse roof in Illinois, the master of steam – now no longer CEO of the multinational but still his father-master – was posting cheerful photos on Instagram greetings to “his” astronauts before the 10 minute trip into space.
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Only several hours later, 11 to be precise, doing the math between the posts on the two platforms, Bezos on Twitter it was said with the “broken heart” for the Edwardsville victims. While it is true that everyone has their own priorities, but those of a man so prominent should at least be communicated with greater attention. Especially if you have 3.6 million followers on one side (Instagram) and 3.3 million on the other (Twitter): it is difficult to think that what you are doing goes unnoticed. The first tweet was immediately followed by a second, a probable sign of nervousness because Bezos and his staff had realized they had made it big. But let’s stay with the facts, as for example as the tells them New York Post.
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(2/2) All of Edwardsville should know that the Amazon team is committed to supporting them and will be by their side through this crisis. We extend our fullest gratitude to all the incredible first responders who have worked so tirelessly at the site.
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) December 12, 2021
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Around lunchtime in Italy, Bezos’ Blue Origin airline launched its new sub-orbital flight with on board among others former American football player Michael Strahan and Laura Shepard Churchley
, daughter of the first American astronaut, Alan Shepard (was 1961). For some hours now, news agencies have been reporting on the tornado that hit Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennesse and Illinois, the state where it caused the collapse of the roof of an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville. They would be as the tornado passed about 100 employees in the warehouse – that it was open, they say, ignoring the bad weather warning that had been issued – while they were working overtime for Christmas. Of these then with the passing of the hours 45 were extracted alive while for at least six there was nothing to do. And while Bezos joked with the astronauts on their return – “I’ll make you pay for the next round»-, the messages of indignation accumulated on his Instagram first (« Hey, your warehouse collapsed with people inside and you don’t care ») and then on Twitter. “You really suck”, writes a user commenting on the images on TV of smiles and hugs on the return of the spacecraft
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It?s really sickening if you want my honest opinion. Jeff Bezos has said absolutely NOTHING on the lives lost at his facility in Illinois after a catastrophic tornado left numerous workers trapped. But sure, go play wannabe space men for 10 minutes. Unreal https://t.co/9v1aWsWBVS
— Shy Boi Josh (@thejoshua_dyer_) December 11, 2021
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“Shame on you”, writes one Twitter user, while another dice to “barely control his anger” as he sees Bezos indulge in his polluting launches while his employees are dying. The wave of messages goes on, and among these we found one on a paradoxical case, of which Bezos is certainly not responsible but which he would tell (if confirmed) all too well the cold logistic chain which manages the operations of a giant like Amazon. An employee writes on Facebook about how the Amazon Resource Center is scoring that he missed the shift at the destroyed warehouse from returning: «I was there but the police told me to go home. And so from Amazon they replied that if I want the report to be removed I have to speak to the human resources of the warehouse. But they are all buried there!».
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But this worker is being PENALIZED for not showing up to work when there is NO warehouse anymore?? pic.twitter.com/1yO0zcu3ym
— Tessa Diane (@Tessadiane97) December 12, 2021
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Finally, let’s make a hypothesis, which starts from the assumption that Jeff Bezos is certainly not a fool: it was not his lack of sensitivity, but rather lack of information. Concentrated and happy as he was for the new stage of his personal space race, one would think that his men and women, those of the closest entourage, preferred wait to warn him of the tragedy unfolding in Edwardsville. Which they did later, too late, thinking that the official words of condolence issued by a certain Richard Rocha on behalf of all of Amazon were enough. A mistake that will make someone’s Sunday unpleasant. But certainly better than that of the families of Amazon warehouse workers and the over 100 tornado victims. For which Bezos’ doubling of the condolence tweet may not be enough consolation.
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December 12, 2021 (change December 12, 2021 | 12:30 pm)
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/nginx/o/2021/12/12/14255281t1h77bd.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 "PHOTO⟩ Premiere of the operetta about Siegfried Anna Meierovic in the presence of the Minister of Culture – Stage – Culture +")