Left-leaning outlet Axios carried water for Kamala Harris’s communist price controls proposal, urging voters not to call her scheme “price controls.”
“Don’t call it price controls: How price gouging bans really work,” the outlet wrote on X with the article justifying price controls.
Don’t call it price controls: How price gouging bans really work https://t.co/tyPKx1nayt
— Axios (@axios) August 20, 2024
The outlet conflated price-gouging laws — already in place in some states in the event of an emergency triggered by a natural disaster or pandemic –with Harris’s price control scheme.
One of Kamala Harris’ most controversial policy proposals is a ban on grocery price gouging — critics are conflating the idea with Soviet-style price controls, and calling the plan “Kamunism.”
If banning price gouging is communist, then the U.S. went Marxist long ago. Most of us live in states that already have bans in place.
Harris hasn’t provided much detail. That’s led to wild speculation about what the plan could mean, including opinion pieces expressing fears that retailers won’t be able to, say, set the price of a gallon of milk, and that it would lead to widespread shortages, black markets and hoarding.
What Axios failed to mention is that America is currently not under a formal national emergency declaration, so a ban on price-gouging isn’t even relevant.
In its attempt to defend Harris’s policy, Axios inadvertently acknowledged her plan wouldn’t “make much of dent” in improving the lives of voters if her actual goal is preventing price gouging given most states already have similar laws in place.
“If a national price gouging ban is structured like these local bans, only triggered by emergencies and targeted to specific firms, it’s not clear it would make much of a dent,” the outlet reported.
The grocery industry lashed out at Harris’ plan, noting the skyrocketing prices of food and goods is due to rising inflation, not price gouging, which means Kamala’s plan is effectively aimed at controlling prices.
“We understand why there is this sticker shock and why it’s upsetting,” said Andy Harig, a vice president at FMI, a trade group representing food retailers and suppliers. “But to automatically just say there’s got to be something nefarious, I think to us that is oversimplified.”
The National Grocers Association likewise said its members are hurting from the same inflation pain points as customers.
“The proposal calling for a ban on grocery price gouging is a solution in search of a problem,” the group said.
Recall that former Republican President Richard Nixon tried to implement price controls in 1971 to combat inflation, which inevitably led to shortages, misallocations of resources, and black markets.
His price controls were phased out several years later, but inflation was still a persistent problem.
When elected in 1980, Ronald Reagan worked with the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates to combat inflation, which led to the economic boom of the 1980s.
Axios was promptly ratioed on X for essentially giving Harris an in-kind campaign contribution:
— Mostly Peaceful Memes (@MostlyPeacefull) August 20, 2024
Don’t call it breadlines: How communism really will work this time.
— TWEETO BANDITO (@DjptrsnMana) August 20, 2024
Rebranding doesn’t change what it is.
Price controls never work. Ever. They lead to shortages and black markets.
— Jerry Grey
(@Jerry__Grey) August 20, 2024
Take it easy when you carry that water for the democrats. You could hurt your back.
— TheBigO99 (@TheBigO1999) August 20, 2024
Axios rebranding propaganda for the low info masses that no nothing about history
— WestCoast_Life (@westcoast_lyfe) August 20, 2024
This is called an in kind campaign donation.
— TimOnPoint (@TimOnPoint) August 20, 2024
The extent of your partisanship is astounding. Wow.
— Erich Hartmann (@erichhartmann) August 20, 2024
It’s definitely price controls by an inept government
— The Dank Knight
(@capeandcowell) August 20, 2024
Spin it all you want @axios, she wants you to control the price of food. That is called socialism, and socialism always fails, look at Venezuela. FKH
#Trump2024SaveAmerica
— Millie (@MillRuss2020) August 20, 2024
Does Axios Actually work for the DNC. This is so Typical it’s Halarious.
— Frank Jemela (@FrankJemela) August 20, 2024
Yes let’s ask Venezuela how price controls work shall we. #Kamunism pic.twitter.com/HzA37ZgUvH
— Sir Chugs (@vitale1776) August 20, 2024
Unlike Axios, CNN and the Washington Post — both outlets friendly to Harris — couldn’t help but admit her “price-gouging ban” proposal amounted to communist-style price controls, which have never been successful.
CNN admits Kamala’s plans for price controls has been a disaster everywhere.
“We‘ve seen this kind of thing tried in lots of other countries before. Venezuela, Argentina, the Soviet Union…it leads to shortages” and would “cause a lot of harm.”
— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) August 16, 2024
Even WaPo knows price controls are wack pic.twitter.com/wGLQP05jAz
— The Rabbit Hole (@TheRabbitHole84) August 16, 2024