The banks got bailed out in 2008.
The auto industry got bailed out in 2009.
The airlines got bailed out in 2020.
The corporations got PPP loans forgiven in 2020.
Every time the system fails the powerful the government writes a check.
Every time the system fails you they say pull yourself up.
Socialism for the rich.
Personal responsibility for everyone else.
Same country.
Every single time.
Her Amazon orders were 18% more expensive than her sisters for the exact same products.
They lived in the same city. Had Prime accounts on the same plan. Were buying the same brands. Often within hours of each other.
Yet every single time they compared receipts, her totals were higher.
A laundry detergent her sister bought for $14.99 cost her $17.49. A pair of headphones her sister got for $79 cost her $94. A printer ink cartridge her sister paid $32 for showed up in her cart at $39.
She thought maybe she was looking on the wrong day.
Then a friend who used to work in Amazon's pricing team explained the truth over dinner.
"Amazon doesn't have one price. They have millions of prices, one for every customer. The price you see is calibrated specifically for you, based on what Amazon has learned about your behavior. Your sister is paying less because Amazon has decided she'll only buy at lower prices. You've shown them you'll pay more."
She asked how that was even legal.
He smiled.
"It's not just legal. It's the entire business model. Most shoppers have no idea this is happening and Amazon would prefer to keep it that way."
Here's everything he explained over the next 30 minutes. 🧵
@CXCarroll@VladTheInflator It’s one of those businesses that you have to be in it to see the volume they do at stores. Or read the 10ks.
It’s like dealerships….it looks empty..but go on a Saturday morning or afternoon….
Let me reframe this for you. This is the government questioning the government to see if the government covered up for the government in the Epstein files. Shockingly, the government told the government that the government did nothing wrong.