If obtaining more of the good at its normal cost could fix the shortage, it wasn’t a very severe shortage. The serious ones do require obtaining more units of the good at higher cost per unit, one way or the other. Imagine a drought that makes bread production more expensive, or a snowstorm that increases transport costs for bringing snow shovels from the next town over.
As I said in the other comment, if society feels that some good should be offered for cheap to people in need, then it should actually offer that good for cheap, funded by taxes. Banning private actors from offering that good at higher price is just an empty way to pretend you’re helping.
So what’s stopping you obtaining more of the good at the normal cost? The fact that it is not profitable to make more of the good was offered as a reason, but it’s not actually true in general.
Edit:
You can’t take the fact that price rises happened to mean that they were necessary.
As I said in the other comment, if society feels that some good should be offered for cheap to people in need, then it should actually offer that good for cheap, funded by taxes.
That’s how you end up with the US medical system: everyone has to pay a lot, including the taxpayer,who has to fund other people’s expensive healthcare.
If the taxpayer is forced to buy something, they can reasonably hope that it is being obtained cheaply.
Also on price gouging:
Sure there is, so long as the price ceiling allows some level of profit per item.
If obtaining more of the good at its normal cost could fix the shortage, it wasn’t a very severe shortage. The serious ones do require obtaining more units of the good at higher cost per unit, one way or the other. Imagine a drought that makes bread production more expensive, or a snowstorm that increases transport costs for bringing snow shovels from the next town over.
As I said in the other comment, if society feels that some good should be offered for cheap to people in need, then it should actually offer that good for cheap, funded by taxes. Banning private actors from offering that good at higher price is just an empty way to pretend you’re helping.
So what’s stopping you obtaining more of the good at the normal cost? The fact that it is not profitable to make more of the good was offered as a reason, but it’s not actually true in general.
Edit:
You can’t take the fact that price rises happened to mean that they were necessary.
That’s how you end up with the US medical system: everyone has to pay a lot, including the taxpayer,who has to fund other people’s expensive healthcare.
If the taxpayer is forced to buy something, they can reasonably hope that it is being obtained cheaply.