The author: "That's the unappreciated benefit of freely fluctuating prices. They get people to do voluntarily what's in the social interest -- conserve on goods and services that have become scarce."
So-- If the price of a loaf of bread doubles, so I can only afford to buy half a loaf and be hungry most of the day, that's a good thing?
Here's a which-is-better question for you. Suppose a New Jersey motel room rented for $125 a night prior to Hurricane Sandy's devastation. When the hurricane hits, a husband, wife and their two youngsters might seek the comfort of renting two adjoining rooms. However, when they arrive at the motel, they find that rooms now rent for $250. At that price, they might decide to make do with one room. In my book, that would be wonderful. That decision would make a room available for another family who had to evacuate Sandy's wrath. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and others condemn this...
And the hunger will motivate you to take action to improve your circumstances rather than depend on others.
First, the other half of the loaf will feed someone else.
Second, the chance to make a profit on bread will cause someone from outside the area to bring in a truckload of bread for sale that would not otherwise have been there and more people will be fed.