For the many Russians making Soviet-era goods that were unsalable at any price, barter became a way of restoring price flexibility.

ECONOMIST: Russian economics

One way distributors hope to convince some of those customers to stick around is by offering them more flexibility in the form of programming packages offered at different price points.

FORBES: It's Dolan v. Redstone on Cable Bundling. Root For Dolan If You Pay a Cable Bill

This devolution of power back to the two transacting parties would result in increased physician autonomy, patient empowerment, and a drop in the prices charged for healthcare services as the absence of a third party would eliminate much overhead while allowing more flexibility in price structure.

FORBES: Let's End The Enslavement Of Healthcare Providers

To date, inflation expectations appear to have remained reasonably well anchored, but any tendency of inflation expectations to become unmoored or for the Fed's inflation-fighting credibility to be eroded could greatly complicate the task of sustaining price stability and reduce the central bank's policy flexibility to counter shortfalls in growth in the future.

NPR: Economic Swoon to Continue, Bernanke Says

The ability to use fuels other than petroleum is critical to our energy security because it will increase our flexibility and reduce the services' vulnerability to rapid and unforeseen changes in the price of oil.

WHITEHOUSE: Advancing National Security Through Energy Security