re: Coronavirus price gouger stuck with 18,000 bottles of sanitizers after Amazon bans him

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The regulations create monopolies and create artificially high prices. More competition means lower pricing. When you grow up and learn basic Econ, these concepts will make sense.

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Yeah here I was imagining what would happen with water absent all regulation.

At first, it’s great. Competition means everyone can get into the game, everyone is trying to undercut everyone to gain market share. Water is super cheap, we all benefit from competition! But as the pricing war wages on, companies can’t stay afloat and go out of business. Those with the most capital can absorb the losses the longest. It becomes a war of attrition until there are a few monopolies who survive and control the mass supply of water. Well now these companies decide they don’t need to undercut prices, they have monopolized the market. They can charge wtf they want to because people are gonna pay for it! Supply and demand! Its fair if people will pay it!! It’s gonna suck paying $1,000/gallon for water and poor people might die because of it but don’t worry the market will adjust! Someone will see the opportunity and get into the water game. All we have to do is wait for this company to build up the infrastructure to mass produce water. Then the prices will get back under control and the price war begins again until someone can’t cut it, prices go back up. Rinse and repeat this cycle for eternity.

But again, you’re the economics expert so you’re probably right - regulation here creates artificially high prices. I’d much rather go through cycles of super cheap water and taking out mortgages to pay for water.