This photo shows the recent price for a gallon of milk. The price varies from place to place and from time to time. But my question is this: What if Kamala Harris’s economic plan is enacted? What if price controls are placed on food? That is, what if the price tag for a gallon of milk read $1.50? How would the photo of the dairy case be different?

I’ll tell you how. The shelf would be empty. No one can produce milk at that price.

This discussion highlights how government controls can backfire. The government cannot order milk to be sold at $1,50. It cannot order the impossible. The government can only forbid milk to be sold at over $1.50. So you could buy milk at $1.50 if there were any milk. But there is no milk. Congratulations, Harris-Walz, on your complete economic illiteracy.

Same thing for minimum wages. The minimum wage for fast-food workers in California rose to $20. Yes, some workers will have their wages raised to $20. But others will be laid off as restaurants cut back, go to AI, or close down entirely. And still others will not be able to get a job in the first place, as restaurants cut back, go to AI, or close down entirely. But economic illiterates don’t know this, and refuse to learn.

The Catholic Church has a term “invincible ignorance.” I don’t know what it means in theology, but I do know what it means in economics. This is an example.

When my parents visited the UK, they asked for cream with their coffee. The waiter replied, “We don’t serve cream, we serve milk.” My parents replied. “We’ll have milk then.” But the waiter said, “We’re all out of milk.” There you go.