[MarkusQ]

Totally agree with the core of your position. But the two perspectives are complementary, and perhaps even more deeply linked.

Initial attempts to alleviate any shortage are likely to result in a decrease in quality; initial attempts to improve quality are likely to reduce variability and thus variety. My point (and my reading of the article) is that we're at the stage where we've figured out how to turn out enough Hostess Twinkies that "let them eat cake!" is a viable option, and starvation is being driven back.

This is definite progress, but also highlights previous failures and future work.