Yeah, this is silly. Elsevier and the like should be burned down for crimes against humanity. I mean, it generally is illegal to price gouge during famines.
Elsevier is a useless profiteer, but let's please remember that scientists are voluntarily submitting their articles to Elsevier journals, and the funding agencies (and universities) are doing nothing to stop them. I find it a little frustrating to read the wailing from institutions like UC (where I used to work) about subscription prices when they are part of the problem in the first place.