Apparently profits die in the darkness too. Well done Bezos, you managed to piss off a huge chunk of your paper’s subscriber base without winning over anyone from the other side.
It’s Bezos trying to out-Musk Musk when it comes to boneheaded business decisions? A race to the stupidity bottom among the 21st century titans of business… What a time to be alive!
Bezos probably does give a shit about using WaPo as influence though, so whilst he might not be losing money, he’s certainly losing influence (however small that may be).
And it’s not necessarily influence over the election, but influence over Amazon’s presentation in WaPo to its readers.
If 10% of WaPo’s subscribers aren’t reading WaPo anymore, as is the implication with cancelling their subscription, then Bezos loses that influence, however small, with those people.
Unfortunately whilst e-commerce is their main revenue earner, Amazon Web Services (AWS) that the e-commerce platform is built rakes in a good ~20% of their revenue. So not only do you have to convince enough people worldwide to stop buying on Amazon you also have to convince large corporations who use AWS cloud to move away as well.
It’s like trying to organise people to stop using Google search. It’s nearly impossible, but an admirable goal.
I suspect he only gives a shit about forcing Amazon Fullfilment employees to build some hideous bronze statue of him in space. “The peons will worship me!” he marvels, as they actually fill its cavernous hollow interior with bumslime.
8% is not that huge a chunk. All they have to do is lay off 20% of staff, and they make it back with some margin. The quality of the reporting will suffer, but isn’t it going to suffer regardless, now that we know that the owner is under Trump’s tiny thumb?
Yeah, that’s the real damage, honestly. The short-term loss of subscribers will pinch them. But the longer term reputational/credibility damage is the real problem.
They are never going to win over the right. They are basically doing what CNN tried - to play both sides. It didn’t work for CNN, and it won’t work for the WP.
you managed to piss off a huge chunk of your paper’s subscriber base without winning over anyone from the other side
This never had anything to do with winning over MAGA voters. It was only ever about Bezos fearing retaliation from a future Trump administration if he manages to win a second term.
There’s a reason people like Musk are bending over backwards to suck Trump’s dick: They’ve all seen what happened to oligarchs in other countries who didn’t bend the knee when a new dictator came to power. Putin is probably the best and most relevant recent example, but the “Saudi Arabian purge” is another, and similar things have been happening all over the world this century.
Being in Trumps good graces… or at least bit on his bad side is something very valuable. The Dems will do NOTHING to the fascists and robber barons, but Trump will be a vengeful dictator. So this is the only logical thing to do for him.
I’d suggest if the Dems win, they actually step on the fascists instead of placating them. This means trials and prison.
Apparently profits die in the darkness too. Well done Bezos, you managed to piss off a huge chunk of your paper’s subscriber base without winning over anyone from the other side.
It’s Bezos trying to out-Musk Musk when it comes to boneheaded business decisions? A race to the stupidity bottom among the 21st century titans of business… What a time to be alive!
Amazon probably shits out more profits in a single day than the entirety of Washington Posts yearly running costs.
Jeff Bezos does not give a shit.
I bet you Amazon’s New World MMORPG lost more money than all of these subscribers gave put together.
Bezos probably does give a shit about using WaPo as influence though, so whilst he might not be losing money, he’s certainly losing influence (however small that may be).
And it’s not necessarily influence over the election, but influence over Amazon’s presentation in WaPo to its readers.
If 10% of WaPo’s subscribers aren’t reading WaPo anymore, as is the implication with cancelling their subscription, then Bezos loses that influence, however small, with those people.
Good point.
Also a good reminder for me (and probably others) to move away from Amazon. Not that there are that many other general e-tailer options.
Unfortunately whilst e-commerce is their main revenue earner, Amazon Web Services (AWS) that the e-commerce platform is built rakes in a good ~20% of their revenue. So not only do you have to convince enough people worldwide to stop buying on Amazon you also have to convince large corporations who use AWS cloud to move away as well.
It’s like trying to organise people to stop using Google search. It’s nearly impossible, but an admirable goal.
True. And AWS is so far ahead of the competition when it comes to reliability and scope of services offered. It’s kind of insane.
I suspect he only gives a shit about forcing Amazon Fullfilment employees to build some hideous bronze statue of him in space. “The peons will worship me!” he marvels, as they actually fill its cavernous hollow interior with bumslime.
8% is not that huge a chunk. All they have to do is lay off 20% of staff, and they make it back with some margin. The quality of the reporting will suffer, but isn’t it going to suffer regardless, now that we know that the owner is under Trump’s tiny thumb?
Yeah, that’s the real damage, honestly. The short-term loss of subscribers will pinch them. But the longer term reputational/credibility damage is the real problem.
They are never going to win over the right. They are basically doing what CNN tried - to play both sides. It didn’t work for CNN, and it won’t work for the WP.
This never had anything to do with winning over MAGA voters. It was only ever about Bezos fearing retaliation from a future Trump administration if he manages to win a second term.
There’s a reason people like Musk are bending over backwards to suck Trump’s dick: They’ve all seen what happened to oligarchs in other countries who didn’t bend the knee when a new dictator came to power. Putin is probably the best and most relevant recent example, but the “Saudi Arabian purge” is another, and similar things have been happening all over the world this century.
Hey, falling out of high windows is a very natural and common death!
It has nothing to do with ANYTHING else. You understand that, right comrade?
…. RIGHT?
Being in Trumps good graces… or at least bit on his bad side is something very valuable. The Dems will do NOTHING to the fascists and robber barons, but Trump will be a vengeful dictator. So this is the only logical thing to do for him.
I’d suggest if the Dems win, they actually step on the fascists instead of placating them. This means trials and prison.
I’m sure he’ll be really sad when he fires all those people who work there, while this has 0 effect on how many yatchs he’s planning to buy this year.