Amazon To Not Build 2nd HQ in New York

[ch33zw1z]

It's heartening to see you've been listening. That's exactly the right answer. Go about your life, vote as you see fit, share your ideas with others. If you feel that near half the country has become your enemy, seek help. You can get better, you can have a normal healthy life.
Those "others" don't want you dead, they don't want to imprison you, they don't want to take away your rights. Mostly what they want to do is live a quiet life. It really is up to you, fight an imaginary war over an issue that will be over and done with in a year, or continue living well, secure in the knowledge that you can go almost anywhere in the country, meet those others, smile, shake their hands, and have some new friends.
I've done this, it works. I have friends that span the entire political spectrum, and I'm not afraid of any of them.

"Just ignore them"

Democrats lose election

"Haha, guess you shouldn't have ignored them"

Works Everytime.

My only enemies are those who would deny others freedoms because they're scared of change. See conservatives for examples, numerous.

As I said before, your perfect utopia isn't what you think it is

Maybe you should ask conservatives why they think America is only for them.

 

[theeedude]

My immigrant family settled in one of them and established roots from the time when Democrats used to care about blue collar workers, union workers and tradespeople. Why do we need to leave just because the knowledge workers decided it was fashionable to live in our spaces?

Because things change? Don't blame it you your family, they made best decisions for them, it's on you to make best decisions for you. If you really don't like a place and can live somewhere much cheaper, why not? Could it be because you know this place with all its flaws is still better than the right wing utopia alternatives? I am knowledge worker, and the economies of scale make it worth it for me to live in Silicon Valley. I can a bunch of jobs within 10 mile radius of my current job, employers know it, and pay tonnes of money and stock accordingly. Why you'd want to live in a place you don't like if you aren't a knowledge worker, I don't get it.

 

[Starbuck1975]

Because things change? Don't blame it you your family, they made best decisions for them, it's on you to make best decisions for you. If you really don't like a place and can live somewhere much cheaper, why not? Could it be because you know this place with all its flaws is still better than the right wing utopia alternatives? I am knowledge worker, and the economies of scale make it worth it for me to live in Silicon Valley. I can a bunch of jobs within 10 mile radius of my current job, employers know it, and pay tonnes of money and stock accordingly. Why you'd want to live in a place you don't like if you aren't a knowledge worker, I don't get it.

Things don’t always change for the better, and rapid change almost always has unintended consequences. “Shithole” is a matter of perspective. I could never live in Silicon Valley even though I frequent it often. There are some things even stock options can’t buy, and high pay is relative to cost of living. Just because you found a balance that works for you doesn’t mean that everyone aspires to what you value. I have no desire to sit in traffic three hours a day surrounded by people all driving the same model Tesla.

Back to the topic at hand, not sure how much you know about AOC’s district, but it is a traditional immigrant working class neighborhood. Most of the people who lived there in the 40s, 50s and 60s were able to ladder out, largely due to New Deal investments in infrastructure that they physically built.

The story for her district is much different today. Not as much opportunity for the people living there to ladder out. In a knowledge centric economy, harder for the working class to move up and forward.

So there’s two narratives in play. One, is to applaud AOC for standing up to corporate extortion over tax breaks. The second is that the Amazon investment in Queens would have more directly helped her district, as opposed to the knowledge worker jobs created in Brooklyn.

 

[theeedude]

Things don’t always change for the better, and rapid change almost always has unintended consequences. “Shithole” is a matter of perspective. I could never live in Silicon Valley even though I frequent it often. There are some things even stock options can’t buy, and high pay is relative to cost of living. Just because you found a balance that works for you doesn’t mean that everyone aspires to what you value. I have no desire to sit in traffic three hours a day surrounded by people all driving the same model Tesla.

Back to the topic at hand, not sure how much you know about AOC’s district, but it is a traditional immigrant working class neighborhood. Most of the people who lived there in the 40s, 50s and 60s were able to ladder out, largely due to New Deal investments in infrastructure that they physically built.

The story for her district is much different today. Not as much opportunity for the people living there to ladder out. In a knowledge centric economy, harder for the working class to move up and forward.

So there’s two narratives in play. One, is to applaud AOC for standing up to corporate extortion over tax breaks. The second is that the Amazon investment in Queens would have more directly helped her district, as opposed to the knowledge worker jobs created in Brooklyn.

It would have priced her existing constituents out and replaced them with techie yuppies. So yeah, it would have helped her district, but not its current residents.

 

[Jaskalas]

@Greenman says you paranoid and should just ignore them.

It's heartening to see you've been listening. That's exactly the right answer. Go about your life, vote as you see fit, share your ideas with others.

One cannot ignore that which is allowed to control our future.

I'd love to, but the affliction (Alt-Reality) covers almost an entire political party. And our Constitutionally divided government thwarts the outcome of elections. Meaning no matter how hard you win in November, it will never be enough. Presidency, majority in both houses, super majority in the Senate. And that's the bare minimum. Even the Iraq war backlash only gave us the slightest glimmer of that much power, and it was largely squandered.

Such a victory simply hasn't occurred in my life time. and I just don't expect it to happen. There are more than enough Republicans to thwart any legislative attempts at making America a better place. Will the true Republicans please stand up and impeach Trump? No? Why not? Right... because they actually buy into the kool-aid. It's not just that Trump is vile... America would easily survive one man. No, the problem is they've all been corrupted. Not impeaching him is proof positive of that.

Trickle down has been weakening the American people for 40 years. They are all but spent and bled dry. Yet more is to be sacrificed on the altar of greed. Every year makes Inequality worse, and the worker poor poorer. They need relief. They voted just for that in 2008. Gave one party control of government. It lasted 2 years and only one middling policy change came from it. It is not enough. The desperation to drive a revolution is still burning hot. People are still growing in rage at the "other". Both sides (tm) are still gearing up to tear us further apart.

And when one side lives in a fantasy land... how much in common do we really have?

 

[zinfamous]

HQ2 was not about tech jobs. A corporate HQ would have brought tens of thousands of jobs across multiple support functions beyond tech that would have had a direct employment benefit to the people of Queens and the Bronx.

Amazon leasing a satellite office in Brooklyn to tap into an existing tech talent pool. That’s just how competition work, but nowhere near the benefit for working class communities. A tech satellite office just exasperates the already divergent income divide.

Nowhere near the same thing.

Cities across America were foolish to dance for Amazon, but AOC was foolish to chase them away from NYC.

and yes, AOC had nothing to do with anything regarding Amazon.

Why do you perpetuate the most obvious lies?

 

[zinfamous]

I think reality is a little bit more nuanced than the above stereotype.

Science Weighs In: Conservatives “Look Better”

Why do political conservatives hold a "beauty advantage?" New research provides a couple of common-sense explanations.

www.psychologytoday.com

What I have noticed is a dissatisfaction expressed by many posters on youtube with the popular culture. There is a perception that feminists are infiltrating and destroying their hobbies/movie franchises/games. These youtubers are of all races and are not all that politically engaged. They don't talk about Trump, they don't talk about immigration, they don't talk about tax policy, etc.... The only thing they talk about is how woke leftists are destroying their hobbies/franchises/culture. In accumulated views, we are talking about BILLIONS. These channels are reaching far far more people than the political channels. This is where the culture war is currently being fought.

Here is a sample (1 black, 1 asian, 1 native american, 1 irish).

MauLer

Film Connoisseur, Video Game Critical Analyst, Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes TM, Video Essay Analyticalyst and Co-Founder of the Intellecutal Gaming Com...

www.youtube.com

It'sAGundam

The voice of a disenfranchised generation Culture critic, trash Comedian, failed musician I'm the triple threat. Want to send me odd sh!t Itsagundam PO BOX 2...

www.youtube.com

YongYea

Game News, Reviews, & Cinemas

www.youtube.com

YoungRippa59

Whatup!?? I'm Eric, the frontman of BackWordz and political commentator. You'll find a little bit of everything on this channel, depending on what brought yo...

www.youtube.com

There are HUNDREDS of these channels. This is a massive display of dissatisfaction with the popular culture. Another expression of it is the great gulf on Rotten Tomatoes between user scores and critic scores for movies/TV shows.

Many whites (myself included), believe that American culture has been drastically weakened in the past 50 years. There no longer exists a majority cultural narrative. That has generally been a necessary element to proceed civilizational collapse. Diversity is not a strength as evidenced by the perception difference in America about Trump and the perception difference in the benefit of a nonwhite America. It is hard to imagine a unified America ever again.

Looking to the Future, Public Sees an America in Decline on Many Fronts

When Americans peer 30 years into the future, they see a country in decline economically, politically and on the world stage.

www.pewsocialtrends.org

The end result of this cultural weakness is that American elites sell out our secular Democratic values and actively shill for a Chinese government that is ethnically cleansing a minority population, attempting to erase Democracy in one of the freest countries in the world (Hong Kong) and enacting the most repressive method of population control in human history (via social media). China has a united culture that grows stronger every year. They do not apologize for their values and instead enforce their values on Western trading partners. People criticize Trump for engaging in a trade war with them and I do not understand why. The more we trade with China, the stronger they become and the weaker we become. Our cultural makers (Disney, etc....) are now adjusting their content to meet the requirements of Chinese censors.

Dying empires are seldom aware that they are dying and they seldom recognize the empire that is replacing them. This time it is different and it is blatantly obvious. Given the wealth of data available, it is hard to imagine a world 30 years from now that is not a Chinese hegemony. The West is divided, the West is increasingly not driving innovation and the culture of the West increasingly not a thing (instead we have a zombie approximation of Western culture).

Innovation is moving to the east: Asia now covers half of Top 100 Global Innovators

Almost half of the 100 most innovative companies on earth comes from Asia. Japan is the top country with 39 entries; Korea, Taiwan and China each have 3.

innovationorigins.com

How's the Fox-CON plant working out for you?

OH RIGHT! You aren't the same poster, which is why you deleted all of those posts in that thread you created, back when you were the original bshole.

Still, Any comments about FoxCON?

 

[ivwshane]

How's the Fox-CON plant working out for you?

OH RIGHT! You aren't the same poster, which is why you deleted all of those posts in that thread you created, back when you were the original bshole.

Still, Any comments about FoxCON?

I’m pretty sure it’s the same poster, unfortunately it appears that he’s had some sort of mental break down (I’ve read that an early sign of Alzheimer’s is a major personality change including ones politics).

If it is another poster then I’m sure the mods can look at the IP address.

 

[zinfamous]

I’m pretty sure it’s the same poster, unfortunately it appears that he’s had some sort of mental break down (I’ve read that an early sign of Alzheimer’s is a major personality change including ones politics).

If it is another poster then I’m sure the mods can look at the IP address.

Yeah, maybe it's a descending case for the family going "OK, who let grandpa on the internet again?"

 

[Zorba]

I'm sorry, but aren't you and I pinko commies? I mean, we don't lick boots at the altar of Trump... so we must be, right?

How can you look at both sides of America today and say they still share things in common? We've been "other"ed to death, and violence to oppose each other is just around the corner. With a wanton disregard for others as people feel pain, a detachment from both reality and each other, plus a desperate desire to win power at all costs. To win power from the "other".

Mitch McConnell does not hail from a society that I recognize, or that I want in my country. Nor do his supporters.
Likewise, they do not want a society where I get to help our fellow Americans. You will take your trickle down and thank them for it... or else.

You know what? With the advent of Trump and the depths they reach to stand by their man, America has reached "or else". Our darkest moment may be upon us. Borne of our divisions. Yes, for the direction our future... but because we no longer share anything in common with the other side. Alt-reality is a real affliction that they share, in mass. We can win election and peacefully try to help them.... or, more likely, they'll prevent their own salvation. I fear for us all when Congressmen peddle conspiracy theories instead of reality. They sound more like Alex Jones, rather than sane rationale people that I can share a country with.

How do you see it?

Don't you live in Alabama? I'm going to guess that you you have no problem interacting with the vast majority of people you see in your daily life, even though most of them are deeply conservative and you aren't. I don't know where this two Americas crap comes from, but it really seems like some type of propaganda trying to further insight dislike of each other over relatively small differences in political leanings.

I've traveled all over the US and pretty much everywhere within our borders is more similar in culture to each other than even with out closest neighbors.

 

[Victorian Gray]

and yes, AOC had nothing to do with anything regarding Amazon.

Why do you perpetuate the most obvious lies?

I've noticed that some folks on the interwebs seem to derive great amusement by posting shit and having other folks treat it as serious commentary/discussion. Not to mention the thrill of setting off a good snipe hunt upon occasion.

The Shadow knows...

 

[Jaskalas]

I'm going to guess that you you have no problem interacting with the vast majority of people you see in your daily life, even though most of them are deeply conservative and you aren't.

Most people and vast majority of IRL interactions are expressly avoiding the big subjects. The questions of politics, of leadership, of changing the nation. People do their best not to out themselves for judgement, and retaliation. Least, smart people aim to avoid it. To not make waves. To keep their jobs and connections. To stay fed and housed. Others aren't so smart, or lucky.

Or, would you argue that you have a lot in common with white supremacists? Sure... you've probably gone out and grabbed a burger with one, but that doesn't mean you would have done so after checking who they actually are. The idea that Americans can live in ignorance of each other does not mean we are bonded, or share any kinship. Today's degree of polarization is legendary, driven by 24/7 news and social media beeping in people's ears each and every minute. Fueling fresh feelings of hatred towards one another with no time to stop and smell the roses.

And the Elephant in the room. Today's Republicans actually stand by Trump and his vile actions and behaviors. They want migrant children caged, they want LGBT harassed and confronted, they want people to starve lest they pull themselves up by their bootstraps. They actively engage in actions to BLOCK aid and assistance to others. They watch Hannity and nod their empty heads, Trump is the messiah. Trump can do no wrong. You, however, are the devil if you don't lick his boots properly.

So tell me again Zorba, no problem interacting with that.... if you truly knew them? A solid ~30% of the nation is living in an Alternate Reality. And each year trickle down squeezes us harder, it becomes more difficult for our people to not want the use of force to bypass the gridlock of divided government and actually "solve" these problems. Trump being President means American civility has crossed the Rubicon. Agree / Disagree?

 

[Starbuck1975]

and yes, AOC had nothing to do with anything regarding Amazon.

Her recent tweets seem to indicate she thinks otherwise, independent of the FoxNews/right wing media.

 

[cytg111]

Her recent tweets seem to indicate she thinks otherwise, independent of the FoxNews/right wing media.

But People are saying.

 

[theeedude]

The right wing surely thought she had a lot to do with it when Amazon "left." It was all AOC, AOC, AOC on Fox, CNBC, etc. Well, she was right. And now all of the sudden it has nothing to do with her

 

[Starbuck1975]

It would have priced her existing constituents out and replaced them with techie yuppies. So yeah, it would have helped her district, but not its current residents.

Her district contains several large housing projects and low income row houses fairly common to outer borough working class neighborhoods. I expect a visionary politician could have negotiated to ensure that HQ2 trade work got allocated to the local tradespeople, not to mention the community outreach opportunity from tech yuppies visiting local schools to excite kids about STEM. Building maintenance, catering and “side hussle” jobs for things likefood delivery. The district is underserved by public transportation, so lots of Uber demand. Opportunity for Amazon to inject Fire devices into inner city NY schools.

There were many ways HQ2 could have benefitted the district.

 

[theeedude]

Her district contains several large housing projects and low income row houses fairly common to outer borough working class neighborhoods. I expect a visionary politician could have negotiated to ensure that HQ2 trade work got allocated to the local tradespeople, not to mention the community outreach opportunity from tech yuppies visiting local schools to excite kids about STEM. Building maintenance, catering and “side hussle” jobs for things likefood delivery. The district is underserved by public transportation, so lots of Uber demand. Opportunity for Amazon to inject Fire devices into inner city NY schools.
There were many ways HQ2 could have benefitted the district.

If Amazon gave a sh!t about local communities, infrastructure, schools, etc, Amazon could simply have just paid the same taxes that other businesses in the district paid.
Amazon isn't interested in negotiation, it is interested in capitulation, so they "left."

 

[Starbuck1975]

But People are saying.

That’s what people tend to do. Occasionally, they might even say something you disagree with.

 

[Blackjack200]

Her district contains several large housing projects and low income row houses fairly common to outer borough working class neighborhoods. I expect a visionary politician could have negotiated to ensure that HQ2 trade work got allocated to the local tradespeople, not to mention the community outreach opportunity from tech yuppies visiting local schools to excite kids about STEM. Building maintenance, catering and “side hussle” jobs for things likefood delivery. The district is underserved by public transportation, so lots of Uber demand. Opportunity for Amazon to inject Fire devices into inner city NY schools.

There were many ways HQ2 could have benefitted the district.

LMAO. Tech nerds will save your poor children with their magic tech pixie dust. Maybe they can go into the schools and show the kids how to pee into bottles like they'll have to do when they're working in the fulfillment center.

 

[fskimospy]

Her district contains several large housing projects and low income row houses fairly common to outer borough working class neighborhoods. I expect a visionary politician could have negotiated to ensure that HQ2 trade work got allocated to the local tradespeople, not to mention the community outreach opportunity from tech yuppies visiting local schools to excite kids about STEM. Building maintenance, catering and “side hussle” jobs for things likefood delivery. The district is underserved by public transportation, so lots of Uber demand. Opportunity for Amazon to inject Fire devices into inner city NY schools.

There were many ways HQ2 could have benefitted the district.

How would AOC have negotiated anything with Amazon? She had no approval authority over any aspect of it.

Also, those saying that this is somehow Amazon coming to NYC without the subsidies should note that this is somewhere around 5-10% of the jobs Amazon was committed to bring with the other deal. It's not even remotely the same thing.

 

[ivwshane]

I've noticed that some folks on the interwebs seem to derive great amusement by posting shit and having other folks treat it as serious commentary/discussion. Not to mention the thrill of setting off a good snipe hunt upon occasion.

The Shadow knows...

It's not just on the internet but all media platforms. The culture we've created is one that says fair and balanced means giving opportunity to different points views to be expressed when talking about an issue, no matter how ridiculous and factless their arguments are.

 

[Zorba]

So tell me again Zorba, no problem interacting with that.... if you truly knew them? A solid ~30% of the nation is living in an Alternate Reality. And each year trickle down squeezes us harder, it becomes more difficult for our people to not want the use of force to bypass the gridlock of divided government and actually "solve" these problems. Trump being President means American civility has crossed the Rubicon. Agree / Disagree?

I live in Oklahoma, if I couldn't interact with conservatives I'd have a pretty hard life. At the end of the day, most people want the same things in their own life, and the vast majority want what is best for the country. Although I obviously disagree with with them on what is best for the country, I can understand they don't just have malicious intent for the country.

The real issue is they are duped into believing nonsense due to propaganda via RWM and church. Through a handful of wedge issues, they've been trained that democrats are bad for the country, therefore they won't vote for them. Most republicans I know want a better health care system and want proper school funding, yet don't understand that means they need to vote for democrats.

Regardless, Americans are more similar than dis-similar for the most part. We disagree on some issues, but that doesn't mean we have splitting cultures on the verge of war. I do not think we have cross the Rubicon. I think Trump is a POS, but he has just emboldened people that were already racist. My republican voting boss loves his black son in law, and fought light hell to promote my coworker who came to America illegally in 1985 (got a green card from Reagan).

Talking of an incoming civil war is just delusional and plays right into Russia's goals at weakening America.

 

[Zorba]

Her district contains several large housing projects and low income row houses fairly common to outer borough working class neighborhoods. I expect a visionary politician could have negotiated to ensure that HQ2 trade work got allocated to the local tradespeople, not to mention the community outreach opportunity from tech yuppies visiting local schools to excite kids about STEM. Building maintenance, catering and “side hussle” jobs for things likefood delivery. The district is underserved by public transportation, so lots of Uber demand. Opportunity for Amazon to inject Fire devices into inner city NY schools.

There were many ways HQ2 could have benefitted the district.

Yay. A few employees will come talk at the schools, while they pay no taxes and suck up resources.. WTF would Fire devices in the inner cities do?

 

[Blackjack200]

How would AOC have negotiated anything with Amazon? She had no approval authority over any aspect of it.

Also, those saying that this is somehow Amazon coming to NYC without the subsidies should note that this is somewhere around 5-10% of the jobs Amazon was committed to bring with the other deal. It's not even remotely the same thing.

The 25,000 jobs was over a period of many years, and it was never a guarantee to begin with. There's no reason to believe Amazon won't ultimately bring just as many jobs as they would have anyway.

 

[brycejones]

The 25,000 jobs was over a period of many years, and it was never a guarantee to begin with. There's no reason to believe Amazon won't ultimately bring just as many jobs as they would have anyway.

There is no reason to believe they will.