Government Tells Stores What to Sell

As levels of pandemic hysteria continue to set new highs, some local governments have started telling stores what they can and cannot sell.

Grocery stores and big-box retailers mostly escaped the government’s dreaded “non-essential” label. Therefore, local governments allowed many stores to stay open throughout the outbreak. However, the government is tightening the leash on essential businesses.

Some local and state governments are placing restrictions on the types of items that essential business can sell during the outbreak. Despite being open, some stores are being forced to empty shelves or rope of aisles in order to prevent shoppers from browsing non-essential goods.

In Vermont, the local officials advise businesses across the state to suspend sales of electronics and other goods deemed nonessential. The state is justifying the overreach of governmental authority by telling the public that is for their own good. Officials say they don’t want bored quarantined shoppers lingering in stores browsing for nonessential goods. This is because it creates more traffic in the stores. Instead, the state says these customers should shop for these items online.

While some shoppers have expressed support for the measures, the climate is drastically different among business owners. These companies have already been struggling to stay open and pay their staff. Now, they can’t even sell all of the goods they have in stock. The ruling is especially problematic for smaller businesses that lack e-commerce sales channels.

Many business owners are beginning to feel like the government is using the crisis as an excuse to overstep its boundaries. In fact, this kind of government economic micromanagement is strikingly similar to socialist policies in place in countries like Cuba and Venezuela. It certainly doesn’t seem appropriate for the government of the world’s foremost capitalist country to impose on its citizens in this matter.

The Role of the Government

The coronavirus outbreak has led to a massive expansion in the size and scope of the federal government. Coronavirus relief legislation alone has added trillions of dollars to the national debt. Also, governmental restrictions are threatening to bankrupt many businesses. There have even been reports that the government will take equity stakes in any airlines that want to accept government bailout money.

The obvious question is, where does this all end? Did the government suddenly become an all-seeing, all-knowing force that people should trust to regulate all aspects of day-to-day life? Many Americans understandably see the government’s draconian restrictions as a direct affront to their personal liberties. It seems like new restrictions are put in place on a daily basis. Additionally, some conscientious Americans are wondering if the government will ever relinquish its newfound grip on the day-to-day economy.

Between the sensationalist media and the power-hungry government, the official narrative of the coronavirus outbreak has terrorized many Americans. However, it’s important that we realize what’s being done in the name of security could ultimately be a ploy to implement more government control.

America has survived dozens of crises in its history. However, it always managed to hold onto its reputation as a bastion for personal liberty and economic freedom. We can’t afford to sell out our core values because of a relatively pedestrian cold virus. At some point, the public needs to stand up and say, “enough is enough”.

Up Next:

• President Trump: More Than $70 Billion Has Been Processed for Small Business Loans
• Coronavirus Forces Fast-Food Chains to Pause Feuds, Reach Truce
• Fauci Says ‘Rolling Reentry’ of US Economy Possible in May