Days after the iPhone’s 15th anniversary, President Joe Biden announced that Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs will posthumously receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Biden announced July 1 that Jobs was one of 17 recipients of the award, which will be presented at the White House July 7, 2022. The Medal of Freedom is the highest honor and American civilian can receive, and “is presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.
The honor comes nearly 11 years after Jobs’ death. On October 5, 2011, Jobs died at the age of 56 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. The White House announcement said the following of Jobs’ contributions to the United States:
“Steve Jobs was the co-founder, chief executive, and chair of Apple, Inc., CEO of Pixar and held a leading role at the Walt Disney Company. His vision, imagination and creativity led to inventions that have, and continue to, change the way the world communicates, as well as transforming the computer, music, film and wireless industries.“
Joining jobs in this class of Medal of Freedom recipients is former senator and Presidential candidate. John McCain, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, actor Denzel Washington, soccer star Megan Rapinoe, and U.S. gymnast Simone Biles.
Of the class, the White House said the following:
“These seventeen Americans demonstrate the power of possibilities and embody the soul of the nation – hard work, perseverance, and faith. They have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities – and across the world – while blazing trails for generations to come.“
Steve Jobs was many things to many people… but standing up for freedom? No way in hell. For decades, when Jobs was at the helm, workers at the Foxconn factory in China were jumping out of windows to their deaths. Suicide was rampant and Foxconn hung netting outside of barracks to keep people from jumping out windows. This is the American way. Build a company and then move overseas to use non-free market slave wage labor to make your products. American hubris never ceases. Giving the medal of freedom posthumously to a man who didn’t care about freedom is abhorrent.
He was a genius, but also a tyrant….
And none too soon!