Credit.Doug Strickland for The New York Times
Responding to this article
There may not be a simple answer to whether or not increasing the price of goods during pandemics is moral or not. In reality, the problem is much more nuanced/ complex than that. On the surface there may be two clear sides, the business side and the emotional side, however, it is useful to think about all perspectives of the issue, such as the political and geographical side. The way Mr. Colvin’s situation was handled, left him with minimal profit and an excess supply of goods that he finds difficult to donate (due to lockdown). This was an ineffective way for the government to reallocate his resources. From the perspective of a business person, the objective tends to be to find a gap in the market, fill it, and profiteer. It is hard to draw the line when it comes to ethics in the current situation, as it is hard for us to realize the reality of this situation. It may be immoral to hoard up a lot of supply, but I think that if they are redistributing it, even with means of making a profit, it may be alright.