Yes I came here to remind FReepers that the free market will stabilize supply of whatever we need and we should not demonize “gougers.”
It sounds outrageous to charge $400 For hand sanitizers. Maybe a few hundred bozos will buy it. Wealthy bozos.
Then entrepreneurs like the My Pillow Guy say wow I Can make that for $1 and sell it for $350 easy. And a few more buy. And then demand lessens and he drops it to $300. A few more sell and it goes down to $250. Etc.
Meanwhile all across the country all the producers and many new ones are churning them out like mad. THE PRICE WILL DROP AND AVAILABILITY WILL INCREASE UNTIL SUPPLY MEETS DEMAND AT AN ACCEPTABLE PRICE.
Gougers are just the first phase of ramping up a sudden supply to meet a sudden demand. They aren’t demons.
Good comment on price gougers.
You forgot however that all our laws, taxes, regulations, and license structures protect existing producers against sudden new competition.
The little grey cells are wondering how you could legalize the selling producing you imagine, how all of it would have to be changed.