There are no 50-plus-year skill shortages in market economies. The point is that there is lying going on. Which is not surprising, but that doesn't mean it's not the primary problem or that it somehow goes without saying. It needs to be said early and often.

If you redefine shortage to mean literally anything that people wish was cheaper, then it becomes entirely detached from reality and economics. But if you think it's the appropriate definition, then let's make sure everyone is on the same page. We don't want half the population thinking that shortage means something acute, negative, and resolvable.