Bits and Pieces

Balancing Supply and Demand: spiking energy bills? Higher food costs? Want someone to do something about these things? Who do you think will come to your aid?

Large shifts in supply and demand usually are caused by man-made actions, or lack of actions. Threats to food supplies is mostly nature made, but those can be anticipated, and reserves built to blunt the effect of the temporary supply shortfall. Mankind has been doing just that for centuries. Grain storage buildings and siloes have been a feature of agricultural economics for a very long time. So too have been animal herd sizes. And refrigeration and freezers.

Major climate change – and the argument of whether it exists or not, or what to do about it – is seemingly a thing of nature. It isn’t when studied and viewed through the lens of science. Mankind has helped cause long-term weather patterns that must be reversed if ‘mother nature’s’ hands are to be calmed.

And then there is the manmade manipulation of markets – supply and demand – performed by owners of such assets and means. Shortage of oil is usually caused by manipulating the supply chain, exploration and drilling of new sources, or merely clamping down on production. These restrict supply and thus boost price on the short-term market. Same with food, really. Withhold production storage, prices will rise.

War also affects supplies. War is not natural. The forces of nature do not cause war. Man causes war. Avoiding war – finding lasting routes to peace – is a manmade solution fraught with peril, discomfort and variable results.

Who can best control the above? Mankind working cooperatively and collaboratively. That’s the answer. But it takes large programs of effort in the halls of government, universities and research institutions to make a difference.

These efforts must be large to have a huge effect. That usually takes government agencies to make happen. Those against government involvement forget the basics of human nature. That nature is competitive and personal. It is not altruistic enough to gather the resources needed to solve big problems. Government is the answer in most cases. Not trusted, I know, but really this is the only way forward.

Churches and their central institutions have always been fraught with competition and bureaucracy. They have not worked well together over the ages. Thus, their efforts are thwarted and at cross purposes. Governments act the same, especially among their very own agencies.

So, it comes down to this: problems and solutions are in the hands of manmade forces. Making them function for the best outcomes is the major challenge. That’s what needs attention and support.

Capitalism can do its good only so far. Same with any other form of economic structure. It takes mankind working in collaboration through government agencies to do the best for all.

Don’t like that? Then invent something better and prove it works better than anything else.

August 29, 2022

 

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