Democracy depends on public education about policy needs, not just electoral fundraising and stupid campaign ads. This video is a brilliant piece of political rhetoric, because it says “here’s an issue you should care about”, gets a little technical in ways normal people can understand, and then says “hey we want to do something to fix this, please join us in this effort”.
It’s upbeat, it’s rational. It’s so good.
jvanderbot 2 minutes ago [-]
One issue that I have with many of these videos - what precisely is "this"?
What issue is being addressed and what changes are proposed?
It's entirely issue-adjacent slogans of "Amazon cheats, we will hurt them". And if I've learned anything from the most recent executive branch campaigns/elections, it's that vaguely defined "we'll get them" will get you elected but won't promise any meaningful changes other than power for the elected.
figmert 4 minutes ago [-]
I think if one thing Mamdani is great at, it's that he's a great marketer. His brand is just so much better than any candidate I've seen in the US. Heck even in the UK to be honest.
zombiephysicist 48 seconds ago [-]
You’re all communist and losers being gleeful about this evil idiot that wants to stop gig work. Id expect nothing less of the idiot group think tech left that think you’re elite when you’re pathetic needy to be accepted loser ego whores circle jerking into a froth.
EugeneG 7 minutes ago [-]
Honest question: what are the actual concrete issues where Amazon is shirking responsibility they would have otherwise had? Was there a specific court case where Amazon didn't pay what it would have otherwise? A workplace injury that would have been covered but otherwise wasn't? If these exist, are they systemic - i.e., does it happen more often here than it does with UPS or FedEx delivery workers?
There are insinuations here, and a good video, but it would be good to have actual examples and then an actual demonstration of a pattern of harm, before we introduce new rules that are likely going to make deliveries more expensive.
I understand that a YouTube video isn't a policy document... and I don't expect it to have all of these things. But as a citizen, I do expect - that somewhere - there should be an actual policy document that outlines the facts.
slicktux 18 minutes ago [-]
Honest question; it’s not Amazon that requires them to wear an Amazon vest but rather their contractor. Amazon may set the route but they don’t pay them to run the route.
This should be interesting from a legal perspective.
figmert 2 minutes ago [-]
It's obviously Amazon that requires them to wear the vest. Just because the contractor they work for enforces it doesn't, doesn't mean it's not Amazon requiring it.
jtbayly 9 minutes ago [-]
But… what does it do?!
I’m all about holding Amazon to the same standards, but what precisely does this accomplish? The subcontracting delivery companies already have to follow the same laws as every other company, don’t they?
EugeneG 2 minutes ago [-]
Agree. Unclear on what the actual specific harms are, whether they systemic, and how a new set of laws would help fix it.
Also what are the harms that new rules introduce? Are you going to eliminate a bunch of new small businesses that do deliveries and replace them with everything being under one, giant, multi-trillion dollar company?
stackskipton 3 minutes ago [-]
The act basically makes Amazon responsible for these subcontractors. BTW, they are not only ones who do this, UPS and Fedex have similar setups.
The problem here is Amazon farms out delivery to these companies, set impossible delivery standards that require these subcontractor employees to do things that break the law OR cause damage to their health. However, since Amazon is technically not employing them, they have no liability.
tptacek 3 minutes ago [-]
It requires Amazon to directly employ delivery drivers in New York City and sets up a licensing scheme for last-mile delivery.
pandanube 27 minutes ago [-]
This guy cant stop winning, can we clone him and get one for each state?
slackfan 25 minutes ago [-]
Absolutely, we are SO looking forward to replaying 1918-1922 in Post-imperial Russia.
runako 22 minutes ago [-]
Is that because he's filling potholes, or because rich NYC residents are paying slightly less in tax than they did in 1994?
jasonlotito 23 minutes ago [-]
The irony.
toomuchtodo 17 minutes ago [-]
If this is what Post imperial Russia looked like, sign me up comrade. We tried to hyper individualistic capitalism, and that failed unless your the very top of wealth pyramid. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome.
I’m supposed to be afraid of socialists but not authoritarian technofeudalism paperclip maximizers? If both scenarios are “you’ll own nothing an be happy,” I’ll take the system where someone actually tries to make their constituents happy.
You can’t scare people who realize we’re already at rock bottom. People who are delusional and think they are temporarily embarrassed millionaires and billionaires are always a lost cause, they are in a cult or belief system similar to a religion.
slackfan 9 minutes ago [-]
Modern communists are such reactionaries that they can't even see the value in decimating the petite-bourgeoisie population. Sad.
toomuchtodo 8 minutes ago [-]
I cannot speak to communists, I currently align with democratic socialists and max out campaign contributions to those candidates. Some capitalism, but not too much, and a firm floor under everyone. I am wealthy because I was lucky. Existence is non consensual, no one asked to be here. One should not suffer through their existence because they were unlucky.
slackfan 3 minutes ago [-]
noted, comrade. Don't worry, your wealth will serve the working class future very well.
toomuchtodo 2 minutes ago [-]
I certainly hope so, it’s just a tool, and I can’t take it with me. Would you hoard a hammer or your toolbox? Or let anyone use it who needed it?
Measure impact, outcomes, and improvements in quality of life. Numbers in a database or spreadsheet are none of those.
To die with zero and an overflowing funeral attendance is success.
Rendered at 13:47:43 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) with Vercel.
It’s upbeat, it’s rational. It’s so good.
There are insinuations here, and a good video, but it would be good to have actual examples and then an actual demonstration of a pattern of harm, before we introduce new rules that are likely going to make deliveries more expensive.
I understand that a YouTube video isn't a policy document... and I don't expect it to have all of these things. But as a citizen, I do expect - that somewhere - there should be an actual policy document that outlines the facts.
I’m all about holding Amazon to the same standards, but what precisely does this accomplish? The subcontracting delivery companies already have to follow the same laws as every other company, don’t they?
Also what are the harms that new rules introduce? Are you going to eliminate a bunch of new small businesses that do deliveries and replace them with everything being under one, giant, multi-trillion dollar company?
The problem here is Amazon farms out delivery to these companies, set impossible delivery standards that require these subcontractor employees to do things that break the law OR cause damage to their health. However, since Amazon is technically not employing them, they have no liability.
I’m supposed to be afraid of socialists but not authoritarian technofeudalism paperclip maximizers? If both scenarios are “you’ll own nothing an be happy,” I’ll take the system where someone actually tries to make their constituents happy.
You can’t scare people who realize we’re already at rock bottom. People who are delusional and think they are temporarily embarrassed millionaires and billionaires are always a lost cause, they are in a cult or belief system similar to a religion.
Measure impact, outcomes, and improvements in quality of life. Numbers in a database or spreadsheet are none of those.
To die with zero and an overflowing funeral attendance is success.