Why is Jeff Bezos launching his vanity space flight today when one his Amazon facilities just got ..

[Botany]

... flattened in Illinois killing and or injuring some of the people who have helped make him so successful?

Couldn't he have held off for a few days?

Is it just me? The timing seems a little gouache.

[marble falls]

1. Because he's clueless and totally self absorbed?

[11 Bravo]

20. Or maybe Google "launch window".

[marble falls]

27. I think it spent about ten minutes in space. I imagine for something like a vanitly trip ...

... into space there would have to be a multitude of huge windows. This was much more about public relations than rocket science. Or the other thing.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

28. Lol. Let's hear what the "launch window" is for a ten minute sub orbital flight?

Does Venus have to align perfectly for something like this?

[11 Bravo]

29. I don't know. Do you?

[ForgoTheConsequence]

31. Yep, there will never be another one.

What a clueless and heartless response.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

2. His money he made. Can build a rocket shop and fly it if he wants.

I would.

[Crunchy Frog]

48. I'd probably be a little more attentive to optics.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

52. Fuck the optics I would say, and have another toke.

[Crunchy Frog]

55. Yeah, I know you would.

[eppur_se_muova]

3. There are hundreds of people involved in a rocket launch, as well as official certifications ...

one does not change such things in a hurry, unless there is a danger to craft or crew.

When the boss is out of town, he delegates authority to seconds-in-command. That is what they are paid for.

There's plenty of reasons to criticize Bezos, this just isn't one of them.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

4. Bezos has his own rocket ship? Many are jealous I think...me included.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

32. I'm not jealous.

I couldn't sleep at night knowing I made a fortune exploiting people and using that money to do nothing but vanity projects.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

34. NASA would then be a vanity project of the American taxpayer?

[ForgoTheConsequence]

44. Are you high?

Bezos =/= NASA

[Alexander Of Assyria]

51. Is that space math?

[Polybius]

43. I could sleep pretty good with 200 billion

I'd have a beautiful girlfriend, fast cars, a mansion, and an arcade and computer room in the west wing. Oh I'd sleep like a baby.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

45. Spend 12 hours a day running a shelter for 10 years.

Your perspective might change when your begging for donations of clean socks.

[Polybius]

46. I'd donate a ton to charity and friends and strangers alike

That would offset my flamboyant lifestyle.

[Botany]

5. My SiL works for NASA and i don't begin to understand all the things that go into a space shot I ...

... do know they had plenty of time to give a stand down order. The plant in Illinois was hit last night
@ midnight (?) they could have given it a day or so. It was after all an exercise in vanity.

[eppur_se_muova]

6. Should the Washington Post shut down as well ? Bezos owns that too.

Just because you might be able to shut down doesn't mean you should. It would wipe out the work a lot of people have already done.

[Crunchy Frog]

50. The Washington Post fulfills an actual function.

[RandomNumbers]

15. Think of it this way. It costs a SH*T ton of money to scrub a launch.

Wouldn't it be better to spend that money helping recover from the tornados? Than just throw it down the toilet?

Not saying Bezos would put said $$$ in the right place, but it seems dumb to scrub a launch just for symbolism. eppur_se_muova is correct - a lot goes into planning it.

[onenote]

7. Should Amazon suspend all deliveries today?

[BlackSkimmer]

10. Lol, well played. nt

[Botany]

11. yes

and i want Bezos to check in w/me before he does anything.

[ARandomPerson]

18. LOL (nt)

[lame54]

22. And tomorrow...

How many pee bottles burst open in the collapse

[edbermac]

8. No, if I had the $$ I'd buy a seat.

Not a fan of Bezos or Musk trying to duck out of paying their fair share of taxes but I am enthralled by the idea of space travel. I was intrigued by Alan Shepard’s daughter making that flight, sort of carrying on the family tradition.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

53. Yes. Thats my point in this thread. Be thrilled by the space flight advancements, not

Sorrowful.

To a person we would all pay for a space flight seat, if possible.

[calguy]

9. Because life goes on.

[msfiddlestix]

12. Right? Love this image btw...

terrible optics afaic, the timing is simply terrible. but you know betcha he has a sort of "that's life" ...you win some, you lose some" kind of attitude.

[Botany]

14. The one thing I love about DU is the smart people here.

And yes, my life has been and still is a bit quixotic. Maybe I shouldn't have posted but with 10 minutes
I was seeing video of the flatted Amazon BLDG in IL and then the lift off Bezos' vanity shot. It just
struck me as strange.

[msfiddlestix]

19. agree..

I know of the event because I've read the headlines, however I haven't yet checked out the details on the cause of the building collapse.

that actually seems strange, to me too. Ar some point I'll read the details regarding cause. Storm related?

I feel like my reactive inclinations go to ct stuff you see in the movies or read in Tom Clancy books, entertaining curious possibilities like sabotage. Betcha lots of competitors were toasting champagne and doing high fives... you know, clash of the titans and all that.

Anyway, I think your post reflects and understandable view, regardless.

[Owl]

13. What's the environmental damage from these damn vanity space flights?

[RandomNumbers]

16. Yeah, I much more agree with this question about the launch.

If it was worth doing in the first place, it shouldn't be scrubbed just because of bad optics, as I just posted above that's like throwing money down the drain that could be used to help people harmed in the catastrophe.

But your question is excellent. I do not know. I do believe Bezos thinks there's value in doing it, or he wouldn't be doing it. Not just value for himself (although that definitely matters to him), but I do think he is trying to maintain a perceived status as a "visionary" and do another big thing that will actually bring value to humankind in the long run. Except, I personally think he is mistaken in that judgement and rather suffering from tunnel-vision due to where he is placed in society these days. There is a cost to getting too wealthy, even if the cost is not noticeable to the wealthy person themselves.

[48656c6c6f20]

17. I know and to top it off

Amazon is delivering my packages today! I am outraged! There should be at least a 6 months cease of all Amazon activities. Heartless bastard. No let me go check and see where that pour over coffee maker is.. Ahh yeah in the package room.

[Vinca]

21. When I watched the coverage of that flight today - what did it last, 2 or 3 minutes - all I could

think of were the taxes we mere mortals pay so Bezos can enjoy his hobby tax free.

[JI7]

49. Bezos could pay more in Taxes and still do the Space thing

[Alexander Of Assyria]

54. Funny cause I thought what a magnificent machine.

[radius777]

23. Bezos sucks, typical greedy dork.

Just blast him into space ('prime delivery' ha) and don't let him come back until he pays taxes and pays workers a fair wage.

[Botany]

24. Jeff does pay his workers well and has provided thousands and thousands of jobs

n/t

[radius777]

25. He's a monopolist oligarch and traitor to America. /nt

[Botany]

26. Well he did start "his kind of skipping the brick and motor store biz" and that biz pays ...

... 1,298,000 full- and part-time employees in America living wages and benefits too.
I would hardly call him a traitor.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

33. No "Jeff" doesn't.

His employees live in poverty and piss in bottles. During rough times I worked at a warehouse for a year. You're making things up. Do you defend the Walton family, too?

[VGNonly]

30. Well Aristotle Onassis had a luxury ship

with barstools upholstered from whale foreskins. He had the $$$$, so why not?

[iemanja]

36. whale foreskins?

[VGNonly]

38. Yes... believe it or not

about 2:17

[link:

|

[iemanja]

39. that's awful

The whale teeth are bad enough, but I don't get the attraction to foreskins.

[VGNonly]

40. Lifestyles with the rich

and pretentious.

I've seen wastepaper baskets made from elephant feet.

[iemanja]

41. I don't want to ever meet those people

Elephant feet. SMH. Such magnificent creatures. Whales are too.

[helpisontheway]

35. He is a total jerk but he is no longer CEO. He stepped down to focus on his rocket. Nt

[Botany]

37. Thanx

I did not know that

[SYFROYH]

42. It would have just been performative if he had

And i just just dont care about gesture anymore.

[jalan48]

47. Collateral damage when you're a multi-billionaire.