Why has the world's supply chain broken?

M / L size of 'French fries' was suspended at McDonald's, and 'Karaage stick' was suspended at Seven-Eleven. There is a situation where you cannot enter. The American Prospect, the American media, explained why such a supply chain turmoil occurred.

How We Broke the Supply Chain --The American Prospect
https://prospect.org/economy/how-we-broke-the-supply-chain-intro/

Maximizing profits is absolute in a capitalist society, as Milton Friedman, an economist who won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics, said in 1970 that 'corporate social responsibility is to increase profits.' It has been a goal. Multinationals aiming to maximize profits began producing in countries with low labor costs, such as China, and urged politicians to cheaply transport goods from China to the world, 'in exchange for cargo volume promises. We have made it possible to make a contract to 'discount shipping charges.' This has created a system in which the cost savings of producing products in China outweigh the cost increases of shipping from China.

In addition, a ' just-in-time production system ' that produces as many products as needed when needed and reduces storage costs has also become mainstream. The American Prospect points out that the above system is 'the supply chain is designed to maximize profits, not to reach people.'

The supply chain aimed at maximizing profits has the drawback that 'if a part of the turmoil occurs, it will affect the whole', and in this pandemic, the Chinese production industry, which is also called the 'factory of the world', will be confused. The American Prospect explains that the fall has resulted in a global supply chain disruption. In addition, it is said that supply chain disruption was confirmed even before the spread of the new coronavirus infection, such as a situation where supermarket products disappeared in New York due to a large-scale hurricane.

The American Prospect points out that solving supply chain disruptions requires building a one-region-independent redundant supply system and easing monopolies by a small number of companies. 'We should make the market work for workers and consumers, not for the profits and stock prices of companies,' he said, calling for legislation for workers and consumers.