The whole economy pays the Amazon tax

9 hours ago

Amazon's monopoly forces sellers to pay high fees (50-60% of product prices), which leads to higher prices across the entire economy due to 'most favored nation' (MFN) pricing policies.
The U.S. economy is 'K-shaped,' where the top 10% of earners thrive while the bottom 90% struggle with debt and stagnant wages, making them unable to afford purchases outside of Amazon.
Amazon's pricing power comes from Prime subscribers, who predominantly start and end their shopping on Amazon due to prepaid shipping and competitive pricing.
California's Attorney General is suing Amazon for price-fixing, revealing internal documents that confirm Amazon's manipulation of prices economy-wide.
Attempts to boycott Amazon individually are ineffective; organized collective action is needed to challenge monopolistic practices.
Amazon's dominance is supported by policies favoring creditors over debtors, exacerbating financial struggles for average Americans.
Other corporations, like Pepsi and Walmart, have engaged in similar anti-competitive pricing schemes, though enforcement has been inconsistent.
State-level antitrust actions, like California's lawsuit, offer a path to hold Amazon accountable despite federal inaction.
Amazon's profits fund political agendas, including support for policies that undermine democracy and workers' rights.
Future legal actions should target corporate mergers and financial incentives that enable monopolistic behavior and political corruption.

Hasty Briefsbeta