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The Answer Is Transaction CostsAuthor: Michael Munger
"The real price of everything is the toil and trouble of acquiring it." -Adam Smith (WoN, Bk I, Chapter 5)In which the Knower of Important Things shows how transaction costs explain literally everything. Plus TWEJ, and answers to letters.If YOU have questions, submit them to our email at taitc.email@gmail.com There are two kinds of episodes here: 1. For the most part, episodes June-August are weekly, short (<20 mins), and address a few topics. 2. Episodes September-May are longer (1 hour), and monthly, with an interview with a guest.Finally, a quick note: This podcast is NOT for Stacy Hockett. He wanted you to know that..... Language: en-us Genres: News, Politics, Science, Social Sciences Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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When Mass Outrage is Cheap: TC Origins of Cancel Culture
Tuesday, 14 July, 2026
Send us Fan MailWe trace a straight line from a 1697 blasphemy execution to modern cancel culture by focusing on one variable: the cost of turning speech into coordinated punishment. We break down how social media creates common knowledge at near-zero cost, making outrage faster, bigger, and harder to control. • Thomas Aikenhead’s case as a story about information and enforcement costs • Transaction costs as the hidden limiter on persecution and social punishment • The First Amendment limiting state coercion while leaving private sanctions intact • Social media as a collapse in the cost of broadcasting accusations • Common knowledge as the trigger for coordinated action by strangers • Justine Sacco as the early template for modern cancellation dynamics • Brendan Eich, Emmanuel Cafferty, James Damore, and PyCon “donglegate” as repeating patterns • John Cleese on offense and the urge to control others’ behavior • Listener letters on healthcare markets, consolidation, and transaction costs • Certificate of need laws and price systems that shape competitionAmy Poehler's super bowl ad (Dongle!):John Cleese on cancel cultureLetters:Dr. Anthony Digiorgio, UCSF, Graphic Novel Claim Denied, Off Label IdeasSurgery Center of OklahomaBook-o-da-week:Steven Pinker’s When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows . . .: Common Knowledge and the Mysteries of Money, Power, and Everyday Life Scribner, 2025. If you have questions or comments, or want to suggest a future topic, email the show at taitc.email@gmail.com !You can follow Mike Munger on Twitter at @mungowitz
