#Tag · bonfire.cafe

" #Republicans effectively rewrote the 2021 #infrastructure bill (they voted against) to ensure that billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded broadband grants (intended to be spent on affordable, next-generation fiber) was stolen from local communities, and instead given to #ElonMusk & #JeffBezos...

It’s a coordinated hijacking of taxpayer money that will actually undermine affordable #internet access."
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/12/30/the-wall-street-journal-applauds-republicans-corrupt-illegal-theft-of-billions-in-taxpayer-dollars/

#GOP #Corruption #Politics #Tech #Technology #News #US #UnitedStates

Headline and text from article:
The Wall Street Journal Applauds Republicans’ Corrupt, Illegal Theft Of Billions In Taxpayer Dollars

Tue, Dec 30th 2025 05:27am - Karl Bode

I’ve written repeatedly about how Republicans effectively rewrote the 2021 infrastructure bill (they voted against) to ensure that billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded broadband grants (intended to be spent on affordable, next-generation fiber) was stolen from local communities, and instead given to Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos for expensive, congested satellite service.

I’ve also explained in detail why that’s a problem: These networks may be initially cheaper to deploy, but the networks lack the capacity to actually scale to meet demand. Data indicates they harm astronomy research and the ozone layer. They’re ultimately more expensive for consumers than fiber deployments, especially if those fiber deployments are by cooperatives or community owned.

In short, taxpayer money directed toward Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk is also money directed away from higher-capacity, faster, locally-owned (and usually cheaper) fiber and wireless alternatives. And it’s money given to billionaires for technology they already had deployed or would have deployed anyway. It’s a coordinated hijacking of taxpayer money that will actually undermine affordable internet access.

Enter the Wall Street Journal editorial board, which aggressively lies about all of this all of this in a new, comically terrible editorial.... — Headline and text from article: The Wall Street Journal Applauds Republicans’ Corrupt, Illegal Theft Of Billions In Taxpayer Dollars Tue, Dec 30th 2025 05:27am - Karl Bode I’ve written repeatedly about how Republicans effectively rewrote the 2021 infrastructure bill (they voted against) to ensure that billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded broadband grants (intended to be spent on affordable, next-generation fiber) was stolen from local communities, and instead given to Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos for expensive, congested satellite service. I’ve also explained in detail why that’s a problem: These networks may be initially cheaper to deploy, but the networks lack the capacity to actually scale to meet demand. Data indicates they harm astronomy research and the ozone layer. They’re ultimately more expensive for consumers than fiber deployments, especially if those fiber deployments are by cooperatives or community owned. In short, taxpayer money directed toward Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk is also money directed away from higher-capacity, faster, locally-owned (and usually cheaper) fiber and wireless alternatives. And it’s money given to billionaires for technology they already had deployed or would have deployed anyway. It’s a coordinated hijacking of taxpayer money that will actually undermine affordable internet access. Enter the Wall Street Journal editorial board, which aggressively lies about all of this all of this in a new, comically terrible editorial....

Techdirt

The Wall Street Journal Applauds Republicans’ Corrupt, Illegal Theft Of Billions In Taxpayer Dollars

I’ve written repeatedly about how Republicans effectively rewrote the 2021 infrastructure bill (they voted against) to ensure that billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded broadband grants …

Zhi Zhu 🕸️

@ZhiZhu@newsie.social · 3 weeks ago

#GOP #Corruption #Politics #Tech #Technology #News #US #UnitedStates

Techdirt

The Wall Street Journal Applauds Republicans’ Corrupt, Illegal Theft Of Billions In Taxpayer Dollars

I’ve written repeatedly about how Republicans effectively rewrote the 2021 infrastructure bill (they voted against) to ensure that billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded broadband grants …

hypebot boosted

Marc-Uwe Kling

@marcuwekling@cultur.social · last month

Wir waren in Hamburg! Gemeinsam mit Euch haben wir in der Elbphilharmonie diesen kurzen Comic-Strip für Elon & Jeff auf dem Mars erfunden. Dreimal dürft ihr raten, welche Begriffe sich das Publikum gewünscht hat.
#Hamburg #elbphilharmonie #elonmusk #jeffbezos #mars #marcuwekling

3 media

Comic Elon Musk & Jeff Bezos spielen Golf auf dem Mars. Im Hintergrund ist die Elbphilharmonie zu sehen. Drüber steht „ELON & JEFF on Mars“ und „Das haben wir mit Euch in Hamburg gezeichnet:“

4 Bilder. 1. Bild: Elon isst Banane, denkt „ICH BIN SO FROH, DASS ICH BANANEN MIT ZUM MARS GEBRACHT HABE“ 2. Bild Astronaut (Jeff oder Elon) läuft neben Elefant, denkt „ICH BIN SO FROH, DASS ICH DEN ELEFANTEN MIT ZUM MARS GEBRACHT HABE“ 3. Bild Zwei Astronauten (Elon & Jeff) neben Titanic, denken beide „ICH BIN SO FROH“ „DAS WIR DIE TITANIC AUF DEN MARS GEBRACHT HABEN“ 4. Bild Elon und Jeff schauen sich an und sagen gleichzeitig: „ABER DASS DU HIER BIST, IST IRGENDWIE UNNÖTIG!“

Das Comicbuch „ELON & JEFF ON MARS“ mit Mars-Hintergrund

Marc-Uwe Kling

@marcuwekling@cultur.social · last month

3 media

J Miller boosted

William Lindsey :toad:

@wdlindsy@toad.social · 2 months ago

"The Center on Faith & Justice at Georgetown University recently launched a new campaign encouraging people to pledge not to shop on Amazon during this Advent season. The 'No Amazon for Advent' effort is also backed by numerous other groups, including Faithful America, Red Letter Christians, and state councils of churches in California, Maine, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin."

~ Brian Kaylor

#Trump #EconomicElites #SuperRich #corporations #JeffBezos #Amazon
/17

https://publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/no-amazon-for-advent

No Amazon for Advent

For many businesses, it’s almost the most wonderful time of year — the Christmas shopping season.

William Lindsey :toad:

@wdlindsy@toad.social · 2 months ago

~ Brian Kaylor

#Trump #EconomicElites #SuperRich #corporations #JeffBezos #Amazon
/17

https://publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/no-amazon-for-advent

No Amazon for Advent

For many businesses, it’s almost the most wonderful time of year — the Christmas shopping season.

William Lindsey :toad:

@wdlindsy@toad.social · 2 months ago

"Amazon earns millions each year by providing cloud computing services to ICE—services that ICE relies on to conduct its operations. Amazon represents a moral crisis in corporate America."

#Epstein #Trump #EconomicElites #SexualAbuse #pedophiles #coverup #SuperRich #CEOs #corporations #JeffBezos #Amazon #ICE #surveillance
/16

William Lindsey :toad:

@wdlindsy@toad.social · 2 months ago

"Amazon has stood complicit in the current administration's attack on democratic norms and human dignity by continuing to profit from government contracts and surveillance technologies that enable these injustices."

#Epstein #Trump #EconomicElites #SexualAbuse #pedophiles #coverup #SuperRich #CEOs #corporations #JeffBezos #Amazon
/16

William Lindsey :toad:

@wdlindsy@toad.social · 2 months ago

"The close relationship between Donald Trump and Jeff Bezos is indicative of an alarming trend of the ultra-wealthy gaining access to political power at the highest levels, solidified through exchanges like Amazon’s $1 million donation to Trump’s 2025 inauguration."

~ No Amazon for Advent

#Epstein #Trump #EconomicElites #SexualAbuse #pedophiles #coverup #SuperRich #CEOs #corporations #JeffBezos #Amazon
/15

https://noamazonforadvent.com/

The Japan Times

@thejapantimes@mastodon.social · 2 months ago

After developing a unique leadership style at Amazon, Jeff Bezos now brings his management skills to an AI startup with fewer than 100 employees. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/11/18/tech/jeff-bezos-6-billion-ai-startup/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #tech #jeffbezos #ai #startups #amazon

Hacker News

@h4ckernews@mastodon.social · 2 months ago

Jeff Bezos Creates A.I. Startup Where He Will Be Co-Chief Executive

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/technology/bezos-project-prometheus.html

#HackerNews #JeffBezos #A.I. #Startup #CoChiefExecutive #Technology #Innovation #ProjectPrometheus

https://www.nytimes.com

Jeff Bezos Creates A.I. Start-Up Where He Will Be Co-Chief Executive

Alex Akselrod boosted

DoomsdaysCW

@DoomsdaysCW@kolektiva.social · last year

#BernieSanders Lays Out Plan to Fight #Oligarchy as Wealth of Top #Billionaires Passes $10 Trillion

"If there was ever a moment when #progressives needed to communicate our vision to the people of our country, this is that time," wrote Sen. Bernie Sanders. "Despair is not an option."

Jake Johnson
Dec 31, 2024

"A Bloomberg analysis of billionaire wealth published Tuesday found that the combined fortunes of the 500 richest people on the planet surpassed $10 trillion this year, a finding that came shortly after U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders issued an urgent call to action to prevent the emergence of 'an oligarchic and authoritarian society.'

"The new analysis notes that the world's top 500 billionaires 'got vastly richer' this year with the help of "an indomitable rally in U.S. technology stocks."

"Just eight billionaires— #ElonMusk, #MarkZuckerberg, #JensenHuang, #LarryEllison, #JeffBezos, #MichaelDell, #LarryPage, and #SergeyBrin—added more than $600 billion to their collective wealth in 2024 and accounted for 43% of the $1.5 trillion increase in net worth among the world's 500 richest people, according to Bloomberg.

"'But it was Musk—the so-called 'first buddy' of President-elect Donald Trump after unprecedented support for his reelection campaign—who dominated the world's wealthiest in 2024,' Bloomberg observed, adding that Trump himself also saw his fortune surge to a record high this year, 'boosted by the performance of his majority stake in Trump Media & Technology Group Corp.'

"Musk's use of his enormous fortune to influence the U.S. political system—including via his purchase of one of the world's largest social media platforms and donations to Trump's 2024 campaign—amplified existing concerns about the corrosive impact of massive wealth concentration on democracy.

"And #WealthInequality in the U.S. could soon get worse, with Trump and the incoming Republican-controlled Congress set to pursue another round of tax cuts for the #UltraRich and large #corporations."

#TaxTheRich #EatTheRich #Oligarchy #CorporateColonialism #Corporatocracy #Authoritarianism #TechBros #CapitalismMustDie

Lazarou Monkey Terror 🚀💙🌈

@Lazarou@mastodon.social · 2 months ago

James Bond relies on the absurd myth that the British are super-competent and would fight AGAINST supervillainy rather than enable it.

Also, Amazon is owned by a Supervillain, you're asking Blofield to make a Bond Movie

https://gizmodo.com/amazon-james-bond-movie-no-time-to-die-death-2000684175

#JamesBond #Amazon #JeffBezos

Autiste à :ch_Vaud:🌊 #woke

@ariane@tooting.ch · 2 months ago

Le propos de Sadin est assez brouillon, notamment sur le #technofascisme, mais il pointe du doigt l'énorme faille des raisonnements politiques et médiatiques sur les #IA et le #numérique en général, à savoir l'admiration béate vis-à-vis d'hommes d'affaires certes très habiles, mais dont la réflexion philosophique et politique ne dépasse pas la surface d'une calculette. Je ne sais pas si je vais lire son livre, par contre, parce qu'il ne vole pas très haut non plus.

https://usbeketrica.com/fr/article/eric-sadin-la-notion-de-technofascisme-ne-correspond-a-aucune-realite

Autiste à :ch_Vaud:🌊 #woke

@ariane@tooting.ch replied · 2 months ago

Contrairement à ce que semble penser #Sadin, le #fascisme n'a pas disparu en 1945. Il a continué de prospérer grâce aux multiples alliances entre #autoritarisme et#capitalisme. Et le #totalitarisme reste un horizon vers lequel penche une partie importante du monde industriel, notamment du sein de la #SiliconValley. Les #ElonMusk, #JeffBezos, #SamAltman, #KurtisYarvin, ne sont pas des figures marginales. Parler de #technofascisme en référence à leur idéologie est totalement justifié.