Chicago has gone gaga over Apple and Amazon. My friends are calling me to visit the new Apple store with the same enthusiasm they would have for an exhibition or other cultural event.
Amazon has set up a competition for a corporate headquarters not unlike the bids for the Olympic Games. And the hungry cities dig deep into their taxes and real estate in the hope of "winning" the "prize."
In our city of big shoulders, the ghost of Steve Jobs and Amazon's siren call of jobs, jobs, jobs is creating a dazzling devotion to corporate commerce.
I'm afraid we're going to feel pretty duped, maybe like Greece and Brazil, when the robots that are dazzling the corporate lords snap up those same jobs we fight so hard for today.
Glad to hear you remember Martin Ford, Joan!
ReplyDeleteSpot On, Joan - my thoughts exactly. In addition, every major city in which Amazon has been ensconced has experienced a strain on affordable housing. I just hate to see huge, corporate behemoths becoming so powerful.
ReplyDeleteAs we used to say everyone is chasing a blue bird. How about spending some money on all the forgotten troubled kids that really need jobs?
ReplyDeletewell, thats possible down the road but this is the here and now and we should go for it now.
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