[MEGoody]

The result is that these items are sold at their usual price and are wiped out by the first few people who show up.

Those things get wiped out anyway. Didn't you see the pictures of the stores before Sandy?

If you are truly concerned about the food and water supplies getting spread around appropriately, a rationing system makes more sense. Someone can still come in and buy it all up. Jacking up the price dosn't stop that - it just changes who has the resources to do it.

If the airline had raise the price from (for example) $400 per ticket to $450, it wouldn't have been a huge deal in my view. But to jack it up to $4,000 is appalling - and immoral in my view.

[Straight Vermonter]

Those things get wiped out anyway. Didn't you see the pictures of the stores before Sandy?

Yes, because "price gouging" is illegal.