Also known as a command economy, a staple stalinist recipe.
No. That’s an extreme, just like your idea of what you call a “social service” performed by scalpers.
There’s a middle ground, and it’s certainly possible to regulate a market to mitigate the most pathological consequences of capitalism without Stalinism. In fact, that happens all the time.
- cheaper access to masks for the general population
- no mask shortages in critical infrastructure such as hospitals or other health care institutions
- general better handling and health outcomes during the pandemic
Leave it to the Americans that would consider sound policy and good health outcomes stalinist or communist recipes.
1. You want the government to control production of some resources.
2. Stalin controlled production of some resources
3. Stalin killed millions of people
4. Therefore, you want to kill millions of people
See here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19970544 for an example that illustrates the point nicely.
When they finally made that step it did help. Incompetence caused scalpers to rise and profit while the rest suffered until the Government finally got their heads out of their asses.
Nothing about stalinism or communism in here. Just general incompetence.