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    Categories>Politics>Corporate-Government Price Collusion Exposed

    Corporate-Government Price Collusion Exposed

    42 min
    |
    16 sources
    |
    Feb 24, 2026
    PoliticsEconomicsSociety

    Uncover how corporations and government work together to manipulate prices, costing Americans hundreds annually through coordinated schemes that transcend traditional politics.

    Corporate-Government Price Collusion Exposed

    This audio lesson was created by a BeFreed community member

    Input question

    I wanna talk about this crazy price gouging that’s going on from big government and unregulated corporations that get to do whatever the hell they wanna do and it’s not necessarily a republican Democrat thing. It’s basically just big government and Corporate collision.

    Host voices
    Lenaplay
    Milesplay
    Learning style
    Deep
    Knowledge sources
    Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy
    The Curse of Bigness
    The Shock Doctrine
    How the World Works (Real Story
    Blowout
    Phishing for Phools

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    "Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

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    "Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

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    "Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

    @Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
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    "Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

    @djmikemoore
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    "BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

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    "The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

    @Leo, Law Student, UPenn
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    "Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

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    "Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

    @Moemenn
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    "I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

    @Chloe, Solo founder, LA
    platform
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    12
    likes
    117

    "Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

    @Raaaaaachelw
    platform
    star
    star
    star
    star
    star

    "Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

    @Matt, YC alum
    platform
    comments
    12
    likes
    108

    "Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

    @Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
    platform
    comments
    254
    likes
    17

    "Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

    @djmikemoore
    platform
    star
    star
    star
    star
    star

    "BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

    @Pitiful
    platform
    comments
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    likes
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    "BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

    @SofiaP
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    @Jaded_Falcon
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    "It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

    @OojasSalunke
    platform
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    star
    star
    star
    star

    "The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

    @Leo, Law Student, UPenn
    platform
    comments
    37
    likes
    483

    "Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

    @Cashflowbubu
    platform
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    Key Takeaways

    1

    Corporate Government Price Collusion Exposed

    0:00

    **Lena:** Hey Miles, so I've been thinking about something that's been bugging me lately - you know how we always hear about inflation and rising prices, but there's this whole other layer that feels like it cuts across party lines?

    0:12

    **Miles:** Oh, absolutely. You're talking about how corporations seem to be working hand-in-hand with government in ways that hurt regular people, regardless of whether you're red or blue, right?

    0:22

    **Lena:** Exactly! I mean, when you look at what's actually happening - like oil executives literally texting with OPEC officials to keep prices high, or software companies helping landlords coordinate rent hikes - it's not really about traditional left-right politics anymore.

    0:38

    **Miles:** Right, and what's wild is that Scott Sheffield from Pioneer Energy actually calculated that their price coordination was costing Americans an extra $20 to $30 per barrel. That's roughly $400 to $700 per person annually just from oil alone.

    0:54

    **Lena:** That's insane! And the crazy part is they weren't even hiding it. Sheffield was publicly threatening other companies not to increase production, saying shareholders would punish anyone who went back to growth.

    1:07

    **Miles:** It's this weird collision between corporate power and regulatory capture that transcends the usual political divides. So let's dive into how this system actually works and why it's so hard to stop.

    2

    When Regulations Create the Monsters They're Meant to Stop

    3

    The Price-Fixing Epidemic Hiding in Plain Sight

    4

    The Conditioning Game: How Monopolists Control Without Contracts

    5

    When Government Becomes the Enabler

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