Amazon's workplace culture doesn't bother most customers and investors

We previously talked about the questionable labor practices at AMZN's DCs, and here is the corporate/tech perspective:

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/technology/inside-amazon-wrestling-big-ideas-in-a-bruising-workplace.html?referrer=&_r=0
https://www.reddit.com/r/Seattle/comments/3ce0s8/dear_amazon_interns_some_advice_from_an_old_man/

After 9/11, we empowered sociopaths in the military-industrial complex to keep us safe and didn't want to know the details - so of course abuses like torture and extra-judicial murder/snooping were bound to occur. Similarly with AMZN, I don't think we should be surprised to hear about allegations of their perverse culture/practices. Our society prioritizes ubiquitous, limitless, instant-gratification consumerism, and AMZN delivers that better than anyone else in the US. Wall Street rewards huge growth and exceeding expectations, even if AMZN never turned a profit until 2015. But we customers and investors never bothered to ask the tough questions about the details - how exactly is AMZN able to deliver such "magic" to us? Eh doesn't matter, I can get my Coach handbag with free overnight shipping! It's also not surprising that AMZN is among the best for customer sat. and brand image.

The sick culture (though it's not a horrible company for everyone, too many independent sources have corroborated it, making it highly unlikely that it was just a few "bad apples") is not unique to AMZN though. Apple is almost as rotten if you forgive the pun (you should see how they treat their vendors). The coolness of their products/brand and corporate mythos make a lot of employees/public see them with rose-colored lenses. Their amazing profits and appreciation doesn't hurt either. Like the NFL and military, Apple is now a cultural fixture, and some sins are given a pass because of the prevailing positive sentiment. Other tech companies work you to the bone too, but at least they give a lot of comp and cash-free gourmet food (AMZN's culture is "frugal"). Also, mgmt. consulting, some law/medicine, and Wall St. are just as bad if not worse - but tech is in the spotlight now and "changing the world" faster than ever before. You kind of expect Wall St. and corporate lawyers to be a-holes, but tech is ostensibly benevolent (and almost omnipotent), so shouldn't they hold themselves to a higher standard?

The scammy, cultish nature of AMZN's employee policies (heavily rear-loading equity grants, putting company over health/family) are fairly extreme... I guess like Scientology? Why don't the complainers just quit? Similar to a cult, it can be hard for some Amazonians to leave because SEA doesn't have a lot of tech employers (until recently), and maybe they are able to indoctrinate the psychology that type-A high achievers have to survive and thrive at AMZN, so they don't feel like failures. They've been winners all their lives and they won't let a few workplace challenges stop them now (even if it costs their marriage or health). Everyone else seems to handle it or even love it (survivor bias), so they can't come up short. Yes, employment is at-will, but it's not so simple in many cases. I just wonder what will be the next chapter of this opera.