When the shortage is the strategy
This article argues that corporations are intentionally maintaining supply shortages to justify high prices and record profits, a strategy solidified during the pandemic. It highlights the growing economic strain on American consumers, noting record-high credit card debt and stagnant real wages.
Why it matters
It provides a critical perspective on modern inflation, suggesting that corporate behavior rather than just market forces is driving the cost-of-living crisis.
I commonly hear two different responses when people discuss whether the United States is in a recession. I hear “What recession?” and “Everything is expensive now!” All while credit card debt hit an all-time high last year ($1.28 trillion, Q4 2025). More “regular” people are living paycheck to paycheck, and closer to homelessness than ever before. 111 million Americans, ~40% of adults cannot pay their credit card balance in full each month. [ 1 ] Contributing to the issue is a single, simple business practice: constrain supply, raise prices far beyond what the constraint justifies, and then refuse to lower them.
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