The Black Market and it's many wonders

During WII the British population had to ration to help in the war effort. Many of these civilians soon got fed up with rationing so they began to shop on the Black Market. The Black Market was the trade of goods in violation of the official regulations created by the British government. The main reason why there was even a need for the Black Market was because the British government decided they needed to ration food in order to help in the war effort. The main foods that were rationed by the government were butter, bacon, sugar, meat, fish, jam, tea, biscuits, breakfast cereal, cheese, eggs, milk, and canned fruit. I couldn't live without they foods. The government claimed they only rationed foods that were unnecessary and that the citizens could still obtain a balanced diet. There is a huge difference between a balanced diet and a regular diet. Once the people became fed up without the rationed food the Black Market was created. Soon after the government discovered this and became disgruntled. They then hired around 900 inspectors to make sure that the statutory orders of the Ministry Food were obeyed by all citizens. If one was caught in the Black Market during the 1930s in England they were subject to fines of up to £500, with or without two years' imprisonment, plus three times the total capital involved in the transaction. I do not believe that the punishment for partaking in the Black Market should be increased because it is justified. You can clearly understand why people would partake in this and their acts are semi-justified. However, I do not believe that they deserve to get off the hook with no punishment. They are clearly breaking the law and still deserve a large punishment. Not only should the customers get punished, but also the retailers. Both people are at fault, yet I believe the retailer deserves the larger punishment. He/she is conducting this misdemeanor and therefore deserve a larger punishment. The retailer has obviously broken the rule himself/herself and also lead to many others breaking the law. Although this is a quite large problem I do not believe the Ministry of Food should hire more employees to find the retailers of the Black Market. The reasoning for rationing in the first place was to safe money to help supply the British army. If the government uses more money to employ, then it's orignial goal will ultimately fail. I hate being the bad guy, but the easiest way for inspectors to find retailers of the Black Market is to act like an innocent civilian who is just looking for some illegal treats and ask around in local bars, restaurants, classes, etc. If the inspector looks around hard enough one will be sure to find a retailer. To conclude, I don't believe that the Black Market is as big of a deal that the government is making it out to be. You can't blame the citizens of the United Kingdom to want royal food.