• Viking_Hippie
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    7 months ago

    Nowhere near as much as price gouging does. The people selling wares decide the price of them regardless of the money supply, which is mostly meaningless in a predominantly digital economy.

    The fed affects the interest rate, which has an indirect effect on prices, but the ones actually deciding what to charge for food, rent, or utilities are the final arbiters artificially increasing prices higher than they need to in order to maximize profits.

    • LibreHans
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      7 months ago

      Which company do you think is price gouging?

      • Viking_Hippie
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        7 months ago

        Just off the top of my head, some major ones are Walmart, Tyson, Perdue, At&T, Verizon, PG&E and there’s many, many more.

        • LibreHans
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          7 months ago

          Go look up their net profit margins, they are going sideways.

          • Viking_Hippie
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            7 months ago

            Yeah, those numbers are what’s left AFTER they’ve done a bunch of creative accounting to avoid taxes.

            Their ACTUAL profit margins are significantly larger and growing.

            • LibreHans
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              7 months ago

              Their ACTUAL profit margins are significantly larger and growing.

              Their gross profits are up because money is worth less because of inflation. The purchasing power of those “growing” profits has basically not changed.

              • Viking_Hippie
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                7 months ago

                That’s just not true. And since this is the point where it’s clear that you’ll just keep repeating the same piece of misguided conservative orthodoxy over and over again, I’m gonna leave you to it.

                  • Viking_Hippie
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                    7 months ago

                    Thanks to the corporations you shill for. I’d say I hope that they’re paying a fair price for your dignity and integrity, but paying workers fair compensation is not something most corporations do…