The profiteers have struck Squeezebox Touch $750

I have no problems with incentive in helping is purely financial. With no easy access to the victims, entrepreneurs can make an extra buck getting supplies to them. If I had no water, I want the opportunity to pay $5 for a bottle of water or go thirsty or die.

Of course gov wants to PROTECT us so ban over charging and victims have no access to any supplies at any cost. Another unintended consequence of BIG gov which is not surprising.

I guess you can always wait for FEMA but I'm afraid you will probably be dead before they get to you.

There is a big difference between taking advantage of people in need of indispensible basic commodities in times of crisis, and selling a piece of electronics at market prices in my opinion.

Edorr- You are correct, but I still think it's unethical. Knghifi- I sincerely hope that your 88 y.o. father never needs needs a medication that costs about $200/day to stay alive, which is not covered by either your private insurance (if you are lucky enough to have it) or big bad medicare. Unless that day occurs, you will never know the evils of an unrestrained "free market". BTW, I've never heard anyone who rails against a government mandate for health care complain about his or her parents being "forced" to buy medicare.

Interestingly, the foes of gov't intervention in the marketplace never seem to have a problem with the benefits that they themselves utilize (think interstate highway system, huge tax incentives for oil and natural gas production, etc). Maybe we should go back to the days when instead of big brother forcing you to pay taxes, you could buy a membership in the local private fire department. If not, they would protect your neighbor's house from embers, while watching yours burn to the ground. Ah, those were the good old days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And as far as FEMA goes, also interesting how the Representative who killed a chunk of the aid to the Northeast to repair damage from Sandy was from Louisiana, which got every penny they asked for to rebuild from Katrina. Sandy state (CT, NY, and NJ) residents paid $1.9 TRILLION dollars more in federal taxes from 1999 - 2009 than they received from " big gov't"; while the Gulf States received $645 BILLIOM more from "big gov't" than they paid in taxes. Maybe Lincoln was wrong, we should have let them secede! OK rant over, sorry to confuse you w the facts.

BTW,the figures on federal spending vs. taxes by state are from The Economist, a highly respected British (no American political bias) weekly, and can be accessed here.

Wow. Good thing we're still on topic here.