Justice
"It is astounding to me, the level of greed that someone must have in their soul to be willing to take advantage of someone suffering in the wake of a hurricane," such practices are essentially unethical and morally wrong (Sandel 3). Taking advantage of anyone at their weakest point is something that should never be condoned by society, or the law that governs it. Thus, when asking the question should the government pass legislation to prevent the inflated price, the answer should definitely be yes. It is crucial for local governments to protect the welfare and health of their citizens, and thus need to place price controls in order to do so, especially in times of great emergency.
In his work, Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?, Michael Sandel explores the topic of price gouging within the context of a major natural disaster. In 2004, parts of Florida were devastated by the violence that was Hurricane Charley. Not only did 22 people loose their lives in...
However, this time of great suffering and danger also created a situation where many where taking advantage of those in dark time. Many instances saw $2 bags of ice being sold for over $10 at some gas stations. In Florida in the middle of August, many had to pay the $10 in locations where there was no power or air conditioning. Generators being sold for $2,000, when they were normally worth $250. Yet, Florida already had laws against the price gauging practices that were being seen in the wake of the hurricane. Thus, many vendors eventually had to pay fines afterwards because of their illegal practices during the roughest time.
Still, there are many within the economic community that tend to believe price gauging, like what was seen in Florida in 2004, is a normal product of capitalism. Essentially, the opposition for price control legislation is based on the laws of supply and demand. In capitalism, when…
