“To each according to what he wants; from each according to his ability to pay”
That could become a common corporate mantra in the United States of America.
Under the increasingly pervasive personalized pricing system, corporations set prices based on what they know about for you.
Need a toothbrush? If your data file reveals you earn twice the average income, you’ll pay twice as much for a toothbrush.
It works like the core Marxist-Leninist doctrine, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” It’s a great socialist leveling mechanism; everyone will have the same standard of living regardless of their income. It’s capitalist communism.
The Biden administration opposes it, and wants new regulations to keep this practice from spreading (see article here). Right now it’s easiest to implement in the realm of online shopping, where there are no shelf tags and you don’t know what other customers are being charged for the same item.
Biden’s FTC commissioner says until now, charging on the basis of individual willingness to pay has been a “thought experiment,” but now that technology is making it practical, companies are getting interested in it.
For years, Republicans have called Democrats “socialists,” railed against social safety net programs as “socialism,” and Trump campaigned on a platform of “America will NEVER be a socialist country!”
But Republicans oppose business regulation, while making an exception for corporate socialism. Trust Democrats, not Republicans, to protect you and other consumers from this predatory corporate communism.