You coming along later, not well informed and self important, doesn’t trump the past.

It happened. Work to change what you don’t like, but the whinging isn’t going to make you many allies.

Incidentally, it’s not the profit motive itself that is “evil.”  It’s what you can do with it.  Yes, it’s not obvious what point I’m making.  Think about it.

Unfortunately in practice what’s more likely is someone with a lot of
disposable income will outbid everyone else so they can play xbox.

No way man, a bunch of other people in the thread assured me that this couldn’t happen.  Because only the neediest will get the overpriced fuel, and besides people are either cash-rich or time-rich and never both so no one who can afford $20 a gallon has time to play X-Box.

If you want to pay $10 for gas go ahead and pay it.  No one’s singling you out here.

You see others not agreeing with you… maybe it’s you.

LOL.  “If I disagree with you then you’re wrong.”  Great argument, dude.

Given that most consumers (me included) generally have no loyalty to gas stations outside of the lowest price, I scarcely expect the gas station to turn around and show any great loyalty to me.  We’re each trying to extract the most for the least.

Which of these is the neediest? Which of these is the richest? Which of these is the poorest?

Ie, those with the greatest need will do what it takes to get the good or service in question.
Those with a lesser need will give up, do without, or find something else.

If you wait in line for two days and shell out $20 a gallon, you are needy (in this context).
If you give up after two hours and say “$5 a gallon, that’s terrible!” and go chop some wood for your stove, you are not needy (in this context).

Donald Trump can afford to arrange for special deals to secure gas for his show. Consumer and supplier engaging in mutually beneficial transaction… to the detriment of the public good by locking up and hoarding an outsized amount of a resource in short supply. This is the face of profiteering. This is what happens. It doesn’t get gas to people who desperately need it to keep their lives from completely falling apart. It goes to keeping some rich dirtbag’s shitty show on TV.

That you would call the well established and enshrined in law market regulations restricting disaster profiteering that exist in every functioning economy in the world a “fantasy called fairness” demonstrates the sheer bloody minded ignorance of your viewpoint. It’s YOUR free market fantasy that’s a goddamn evil nightmare. You’d reduce the U.S. to third world conditions to alleviate yourself of a short term inconvenience.

No.

Look at some of the pics attached to this article. Go to craigslist and search for gas or gasoline.

You’ll find ads for people willing to bring gas. That is the price system working. You’ll find ads for gas right after Sandy hit.

If you consider that long term, then I don’t know what to say.

“Even in the worst of times, someone makes a profit”

I think we can all take comfort in that.

By the time new producers could enter the market, the emergency would be over.