Why Supply and Demand is a GOOD Thing

When I was in High School Economics class, there were two kinds of people who did not get the law of suppy and demand: (1) Rich and spoiled kids who did not understand why you would not buy something, no matter the cost, if you wanted it, and (b) Idealist kids who felt it was immoral to raise prices simply because the market would accomodate it. Well, now we know why matching supply to demand is a good thing

What started as a sale turned into a mob scene as thousands of people pushed their way through the Richmond International Raceway gates to buy a $50 iBook laptop computer from Henrico County Schools Tuesday morning...An estimated 5500 people were on hand when the gates were opened. What followed can only be described as chaos as dozens rushed to get to the head of the line. People were trampled, shoved and pushed...Dustin Coppinger, who attended the sale, said he saw an older man run over by anxious buyers, "An old man in a walker was trampled to the ground. Trampled to the ground... walked all over," he said.

Sigh. I want to say I would *NEVER* do such a thing. But then, I already have my iMac and Powerbook, so my supply keeps my demand low.