The Organic Prepper recently published an article on the activation of the Defense Production Act, a Korean War-era Act, in order to address infant formula shortages. On June 6, the White House announced another activation of the Act in order to address the looming energy crisis.  

Congress originally enacted the DPA in 1950 to prioritize weapons manufacturing. It gives the government sweeping powers to manipulate markets, described in further detail in the above-referenced formula article. 

We should never, ever have needed it for something as basic as infant formula, and we shouldn't need it in terms of energy production.

Image out of Washington State. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The fact that this Act, originally intended for wartime munitions production, has been activated twice in the past month merits some scrutiny.  

As stated in the previous Organic Prepper article, the formula shortage has been the result of over-regulation and industry consolidation. 

The United States has more than enough resources for the production and distribution of infant formula. The problem has been bureaucratic incompetence. The same bloated government agencies that can't seem to figure out how to have a resilient food supply for the nation's tiniest, most helpless citizens have not managed the nation's energy resources any better.