[Klinky]

The questions were rhetorical. There isn't a free market, and yes, markets should be regulated.

It just seemed odd to laude market competition keeping prices low, while also complaining of people taking advantage of those prices.

[salawat]

They weren't taking advantage of those prices in the sense of getting access to something needed they couldn't otherwise afford. They were exploiting arbitrage opportunities to inflate prices in order to decrease overall access to a universally needed resource.

That represents scarcity inducement via supply chain disruption due to supply that is generally sufficient for a particular area's needs getting diverted to parts undisclosed without the tight feedback chain created by integration of distributor's inventory/purchasing systems. Those are the important signals. Not some idiot chucking things around Willy nilly through Amazon.