Opportunities for price gouging increased due to supply chain disruptions.

This article lays out arguments for and against this theory:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/03/business/economy/price-go...

> supply chain disruptions

Government meddling in the market though lockdowns, embargoes, and other limiting of supplies.

If not government you mean China, sure. Massive supply chain problems.

The Russian government invading a sovereign country didn’t help either.

I can't dictate policy to foreign nations but I can lament my own countries inane policies on these issues.

Regarding the coof: No need to go all Papers Please and ban people from working, fine and arrest people traveling more than 1km from home, or repress morally justified protest over those actions. It was the most horrendous expansion of government power I've seen, probably since the patriot act.

Regarding russia: No need to harm energy markets more than war normally does with embargoes and destruction of infrastructure. No need to deplete local stockpiles by giving them away to foreign civilians rather than your own. No need steal people's money to give away.