08: Everything's a Barrier!

In today’s episode, Jeff and Jonathan discuss if the economic concept of "barriers to entry" might be useful for articulating concerns beyond the market. The conversation considers if upbringing, access to capital, supportive relationships and community, or personal principles could be thought of as "barriers to entry" that should be considered when considering if markets are running fairly and effectively. They touch on statistical trends related to the concentration of wealth through history, whether a cow can be an anti-depressant, how the movie Barnyard describes real strength, and whether the musician Moby has Gregor's CDs. Finally, they discuss Herman Melville's short story, "Bartleby, the Scrivener," and consider if participation in the market is something we should even aim for. How should we think about and value people who can't, don't, or just don't want to participate in "economically productive" behaviour -- and what about those who would rather live by themselves in the mountains? Want to chime in? Email us at: [email protected] Show Notes: Lessons from Denmark about Inequality and Social Mobility: https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/14185/lessons-from-denmark-about-inequality-and-social-mobility Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Pikkety: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674979857 (also a documentary on Netflix) Unpoverty: Rich Lessons from the Working Poor by Mark Lutz: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8888404-unpoverty Vox Conversations Podcast, Episode 123: "Is modern society making us depressed?" https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/is-modern-society-making-us-depressed/id1081584611?i=1000408984756 Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew B. Crawford: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/301618/shop-class-as-soulcraft-by-matthew-b-crawford/ Barnyard: The Original Party Animals: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnyard_(film) Heavyweight Episode 02: "Gregor" https://gimletmedia.com/shows/heavyweight/brholm "Bartleby, the Scrivener" by Herman Melville: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11231 Playing God by Andy Crouch: https://www.ivpress.com/playing-god And... looking ahead to next week's episode, we highly recommend checking out Derek DelGaudio's magnificent philosophical magic show, In & Of Itself: https://store.cineplex.com/Product/derek-delgaudios-in-of-itself Music: Theme Music: "What u Thinkin? (Instrumental)" by Wataboi on Pixabay Intermission Music: "Lazy Morning" by Tim Moor on Pixabay