I am an avid podcast listener and, while I think that the New York Times as an organization that fails it’s readers by lacking to present a balanced perspective, I do like and listen to ’The Daily’ a few times a week. The topics are timely, the discussion while blatantly partisan is broadly good, and I learn. Ergo, I leave the echo chamber to make time in my day for it.
The most recent episode focused on the baby formula shortage. The short of it is there is a cronobacter germ that thieves in dry environments, like baby formula, and while it commonly exists in your sink and on your counter, it doesn’t impact those with a more developed gestation system. Abbott Laboratories discovered it in their plant in Michigan and the FDA shut the plant down after some concerning batches and the state of the equipment and facility. With less production and demand staying constant, with a twist of pandemonium, consumers went all 2020 toilet paper and bought all the stores out of formula. The government response? Loosen regulations to allow the importation of European formula and invoking the defense production act.
The irony is the tacit implication that the involvement of government in an industry makes it less efficient, doesn’t really protect the consumer and ultimately exacerbates problems in an emergency that only dropping regulation can resolve. Moreover, and I know I’m not a woman (which I define as being able to lactate), but where is the FDA or CDC or Kamala Harris talking about this suggesting that this is an opportunity to remind people that the best source of nutrition for your child is breast milk? That’s sort of how God made us, isn’t it? Where is the CDC issuing “work from home” guidance allowing all nursing mothers to work from home until the formula crisis has passed and thus reducing demand for formula? Noticeably absent from the discussion, like during COVID, was the low cost choices like breast feeding and exercise that could make a huge difference in the crisis,
It’s an interesting thought when you consider diesel shortages across the county, natural gas prices, the demand to convert energy grids to be 85% renewable and what has happened to vaccine demand since the government stopped forcing consumers to take it.
Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna: “it’s sad to say, I’m in the process of throwing 30 million doses in the garbage because nobody wants them. We have a big demand problem.”
Markets work, just not when the government intervenes. Something to think about.
"No matter how much the government controls the economic system, any problem will be blamed on whatever small zone of freedom that remains". - Sheldon Richman
I believe the name is misspelled. It’s Kamala Harris, not Kamela.