The Curious Task

Chris Coyne - How Do You Run A War?

Alex speaks with Chris Coyne about the complexities and ramifications of war, focusing on the interplay between media narratives, propaganda, and the impact on civil liberties, drawing insights from Coyne's book co-authored with Abigail Hall, which is a satirical guide on war strategies and their broader societal implications.

Episode Notes:

Chris and Abigail's book "How to Run Wars": https://www.independent.org/store/book.asp?id=145 

 

1. Bruce Winton Knight's "How To Run A War": https://www.amazon.com/How-Run-War-Bruce-Knight/dp/B000OMR1KG 

 

2. Herman and Chomsky's "Manufacturing Consent": https://www.amazon.ca/Manufacturing-Consent-Political-Economy-Media/dp/0375714499 

3. Noam Chomsky's website: https://chomsky.info/ 

4. Alexis de Tocqueville's biography, including reference to his distinction between hard and soft despotism: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville 

 

5. Otto Neurath's "Through War Economy to Economy in Kind" https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-010-2525-6_5 

6. Abigail Hall and Christopher Coyne "Manufacturing Militarism: U.S. Government Propaganda in the War on Terror": https://www.amazon.ca/Manufacturing-Militarism-Government-Propaganda-Terror/dp/1503628361 

 

Greta Lynn Uehling - What Happens To Relationships During War?

Sabine speaks with Greta Lynn Uehling about her research on the effects of war on relationships, an underexplored topic in conflict studies.

Episode Notes:

- Greta's book "Everyday War: Conflict in Donbas, Ukraine": https://a.co/d/09MHkjov 

- Homer's "The Illiad": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliad 

- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv: knu.ua 

- A primer on the concept of "Understanding Everyday Peace": https://heller.brandeis.edu/news/items/releases/2019/winter-2019-magazine-everyday-peace.html 

- The UNICEF report on Mental Health: https://www.unicef.org/topics/mental-health 

- The Battle of Ilovaisk: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ilovaisk 

- The Fullbright program website: https://us.fulbrightonline.org/about 

- The Geneva Convention at ICRC: https://www.icrc.org/en/document/geneva-conventions-1949-additional-protocols 

Marc-William Palen - Were There Left-Wing Visions of Free Trade?

Alex speaks with Marc-William Palen about the evolution of left-wing visions of free trade from the mid-19th century through the Cold War, highlighting key movements and figures like the Anti-Corn Law League, Karl Marx, and the Fair Trade movement, and contrasting these with protectionist and imperialist policies of the era.

Episode Notes:

Marc-William's book "Pax Economica: Left-Wing Visions of a Free Trade World": https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691199320/pax-economica 

Marx on Free Trade:

https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1888/free-trade/#:~:text=Only%20under%20Free%20Trade%20can,%2C%20wage%2Dlaborers%20there%3B%20hereditary 

The Eric Schliesser episode of the Curious Task mentioned by Alex: https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/special-episode-5-eric-schliesser-%e2%80%94-what-is-neoliberalism/ 

Journal of Liberal History's summary of the history of the Anti-Corn Law League:

https://liberalhistory.org.uk/history/anti-corn-law-league/ 

Overview of the history of the Opium Wars:

https://asiapacificcurriculum.ca/learning-module/opium-wars-china#:~:text=The%20Opium%20Wars%20in%20the,China%20lost%20both%20wars. 

A primer on the origins of Fair Trade and the Haslemere Declaration: 

https://imperialglobalexeter.com/2018/05/03/what-fair-trade-was-originally-about-the-haslemere-declaration-of-1968/ 

Joanna Baron - Did The Pandemic Undermine Civil Liberties?

Matt speaks with Joanna Baron about how government measures during the pandemic undermined civil liberties in North America and beyond. 

Episode Notes:

- Brian Bird's PhD Thesis: https://escholarship.mcgill.ca/concern/theses/4j03d4180 

- Fraser Institute: 

https://www.fraserinstitute.org/ 

- The Forgotten Fundamental Freedoms - Dwight G. Newman

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3803888 

- Joanna's book with Christine Van Geyn "Pandemic Panic: How Canadian Government Responses to COVID-19 Changed Civil Liberties Forever" https://a.co/d/0aNNzvLW 

- "Let's Declare a Pandemic Amnesty" by Emily Oster https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/10/covid-response-forgiveness/671879/ 

Jonathan Blanks - What Is Systemic Racism?

Sabine speaks with Jonathan Blanks about why and how systemic racism exists in society, and what can potentially be done to curb it in various aspects of institutional life. 

Episode Notes:

- The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity: https://freopp.org/

- An article by Jonathan on defining systemic racism: https://freopp.org/what-systemic-racism-is-and-isnt-1213c1c972ff

- Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America (2015) by Jill Leovy https://a.co/d/8f9JGqB 

- 13th trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6IXQbXPO3I 

Kevin Erdmann - Why Are We Afraid Of Building Homes?

Alex speaks with Kevin Erdmann about how zoning, the 2008 economic crisis, and the desire to live away from "those people" is effecting the state of housing today. 

Episode Notes:

Kevin's page at the Mercatus Centre:

https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/kevin-erdmann

The Erdmann Housing Tracker:

https://kevinerdmann.substack.com/ 

Kevin on X:

https://x.com/KAErdmann?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor 

Kevin's book "Shut Out: How a Housing Shortage Caused the Great Recession and Crippled our Economy" on Amazon Canada: 

https://a.co/d/gIh82Og 

Dominic Parker - Do Environmental Agencies Actually Help The Environment?

Alex speaks with Dominic Parker about his 2024 paper with Dean Lueck entitled "The Economic Origins And Extent Of America's First Environmental Agencies"

Episode Notes:

Dominic's paper: https://aae.wisc.edu/dparker/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/11/Lueck-and-Parker-Agencies-November-2024.pdf 

Some history on the conservation movement from 1850-1920 via the American Library of Congress:

https://www.loc.gov/item/00529694/ 

 

 

 

Ryan Bourne - Is There A War On Prices?

Alex speaks with Ryan Bourne as he explores the misconceptions around inflation and the dangers of price controls, emphasizing how prices act as signals to coordinate economic activity and promote growth. Ryan explains the adverse effects of government intervention in setting prices, such as shortages, quality declines, black markets, and inefficient resource allocation.

Episode Notes:

- Ryan’s book that serves as the basis for most of the discussion:
https://a.co/d/6B4n1Uf 

- Summary of Friedman, Monetarist School and the K-percent rule https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/monetarism.asp#:~:text=In%20his%20book%2C%20%22A%20Monetary,a%20fixed%20percentage%20per%20year

- Explanation of greedflation: https://cssh.northeastern.edu/what-is-greedflation-and-is-it-driving-higher-prices/ 

- Kahneman and Thaler's research: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1806070  

- Clemens on minimum wage 

https://econweb.ucsd.edu/~j1clemens/pdfs/ClemensMinWageCatoPolicyAnalysis867.pdf 

Kent Roach - Does Canada Have A Wrongful Conviction Problem?

Alex speaks with Donner prize nominee Kent Roach about a topic that many Canadians may overlook when thinking about issues that are recurring at home: wrongful convictions and its victims. 

Episode Notes:

- Kent's award-winning book "Wrongfully Convicted: Guilty Pleas, Imagined Crimes, and What Canada Must Do to Safeguard Justice" https://a.co/d/d9mB5cN

- Canadian Registry of Wrongful Convictions: https://www.wrongfulconvictions.ca/ 

- The Innocence Project at Cardozo: https://innocenceproject.org/about/ 

- Blackstone's ratio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackstone%27s_ratio 

- Charles Smith (pathologist) background: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/dr-charles-smith-the-man-behind-the-public-inquiry-1.864004 

- R v Gladue: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_v_Gladue 

- Richard Catchaway case: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/richard-catcheway-wrongful-conviction-1.4681737 

- The Morin case on CRWC https://www.wrongfulconvictions.ca/cases/guy-paul-morin 

- The Goudge report on pediatric forensic pathology: https://wayback.archive-it.org/16312/20211207211516/https://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/inquiries/goudge/index.html 

- The David Milgaard case: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Milgaard 

Ethan Nadelmann - Has Drug Decriminalization Failed?

Matt speaks with Ethan Nadelmann about drug decriminalization, legalization, and the slow end to the drug war in Canada and the United States, and how successes and failures in both countries compare to those abroad.

Episode Notes:

The Drug Policy Alliance website: https://drugpolicy.org/

Some history on Portugal's Drug Harm Reduction Programs: https://americanaddictioncenters.org/blog/portugals-harm-reduction-policies 

Philip Owen's obituary highlighting some of his successes in Vancouver as mayor: https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2021/10/02/dtes-philip-owens-four-pillars// 

Larry Cambell's call for opioid legalization: https://globalnews.ca/news/3260074/make-prescription-opioids-legal-says-senator-and-former-mayor-larry-campbell/ 

"Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness" on Amazon Canada: https://a.co/d/36Y1M4L 

Peltzman's original article studying drug availability: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1830639 

Ed Preble's "Taking Care Of Business":

https://doi.org/10.3109/10826086909061998

 

Craig Biddle - What Is Objectivism?

Matt speaks with Craig Biddle about objectivism and the legacy of Ayn Rand, and how it all ties to classical liberalism, the American ideal, and post-modernism. 

Episode Notes:

Craig's work for the Objective Standard:

https://theobjectivestandard.com/author/cbiddle/ 

Craig on X:

https://twitter.com/CraigBiddle 

Free Ayn Rand books courtesy of the Ayn Rand Institute, including almost all of those referenced throughout this episode:

https://aynrand.org/students/free-books/ 

Craig's talk "Choosing a Philosophy for Loving Life":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzhwsK6dyuE 

Bryce Tingle - How Are Regulations Damaging Markets?

Alex speaks with Bryce Tingle about corporations, how these unique legal entities are governed, how changes we have made to corporate governance has discouraged companies from joining Canada’s public markets, and how the decline in our public market is hurting Canadians. 



Episode Notes:

1. Bryce’s article “Returning Markets To The Centre Of Corporate Law”

https://jcl.law.uiowa.edu/sites/jcl.law.uiowa.edu/files/2023-09/Tingle_Final.pdf 

2. Bryce’s profile at UofCalgary

https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/bryce-tingle 

3. Jensen and Meckley’s “The Theory Of The Firm”

https://www.sfu.ca/~wainwrig/Econ400/jensen-meckling.pdf 

4. Introduction to Douglass North’s theory of Institutions:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40803-016-0028-8 

5. Summary of Montesquieu’s “Doux Commerce”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doux_commerce 

6. Mill on Trade As a Social Act:

https://www.utilitarianism.com/ol/five.html 

7. The Voltaire quote referenced regarding the London Stock Exchange:

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7351337-go-into-the-london-stock-exchange-a-more-respectable 

Eric Merkley - What Motivates NIMBYs?

Matt speaks with Eric Merkley about NIMBYism, the surprising touchpoints for unity between left and right on the subject of housing, and how uncovering the true motivations of NIMBYs has altered Eric's view of the housing crisis. 

Episode Notes:

"Housing for Me, but not for Thee", Eric's paper serving as the basis for most of this conversation:

https://osf.io/preprints/7vmt3 

Eric on X:

https://twitter.com/EricMerkley 

Eric's article on the subject on Policy Options:

https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/march-2024/nimby-housing-opinion/ 

Some background on Premier Ford's backtracking on housing policy: https://www.robinsappleby.com/post/bridge-beat/conservative-housing-policy-backtrack.-a-setback-to-home-builders-and-new-home-owners-alike 

Ben Klutsey - How Do We Rebuild Trust?

Sabine speaks with Ben Klutsey about political polarization, commonalities between the United States and Canada, and his documentary on the subject entitled "Undivide Us" 

Episode Notes:

The documentary's website with more information, a trailer and the option to request a screening: https://undivideusmovie.com/ 

Kevin Vallier's "Trust in a Polarized Age": 

https://a.co/d/gDm6pjz 

John Inazu's "Learning To Disagree":

https://a.co/d/1OmKckQ 

Kevin Vallier on the Curious Task:

https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-isuwy-d16f34 

 

 

Rachael LaRose - What Happened To Our Relationships During The Pandemic?

Alex speaks with Rachael LaRose about the hidden costs of the pandemic, especially as they effected our commercial relationships, loose ties with individuals that once provided much value to our lives, and orthodox communities who rallied to prioritize faith in the face of fear.

Episode Notes:

- Rachael's webpage with past publications, etc.: https://www.rachaelbehr.com/ 

- "The Strength of Weak Ties" Mark S. Granovetter https://www.jstor.org/stable/2776392 

- A summary of Ostrom's work on the governance of the commons: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/2012/06/17/elinor-ostroms-work-on-governing-the-commons-an-appreciation/

- Rachael's coverage of the Orthodox Jewish community's healthcare action during the pandemic: https://www.econlib.org/library/columns/y2024/larosehealthcare.html  

Sam Bowman - Why Can't We Have Nice Things?

Matt speaks with Sam Bowman about the global housing crisis and why, in English-speaking countries in particular, a growing consensus across the political divide is pointing to problems with central planning, NIMBYism and a supply limit as the causes. 

Episode Notes:

• Sam Bowman’s on substack: https://substack.com/@sambowman 
• Sam on "Vetocracy": https://www.sambowman.co/p/democracy-is-the-solution-to-vetocracy 
• Sam’s “Housing Theory of Everything” article: https://worksinprogress.co/issue/the-housing-theory-of-everything/ 
• Works in Progress website: https://worksinprogress.co/ 
• Michael Giberson on Manser Olson's theory of concentrated costs and dispersed benefits: https://knowledgeproblem.com/2010/10/17/concentrated-benefits-and-dispersed-costs/ 
• Comparison of UK vs. US GDP per capita: https://countryeconomy.com/countries/compare/usa/uk 

 

Akshaya Kamalnath - Does Corporate Diversity Work?

Alex speaks with Akshaya Kamalnath about her work on Corporate Diversity, the social pressures and cultural trends that corporations are facing, as well as the jurisdictional realities of handling diversity, amongst other issues.

Episode Notes:

Akshaya's page at ANU: https://researchers.anu.edu.au/researchers/kamalnath-a 

Akshaya's blog:

corporatelawacademic.wordpress.com

"Legal and Market Initiatives to Increase Diversity in Corporations—A Cross-Jurisdictional Analysis" by Akshaya Kamalnath

https://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/sulr/vol46/iss1/5/ 

Deirdre McCloskey - Why Does Liberalism Work?

In May 2022, Alex spoke with Deirdre McCloskey in a wide-ranging conversation that addresses the economic, philosophical, and political reasons why liberalism just works. We're reposting that important conversation today on The Curious Task. 

References

1. “Why Liberalism Works: How True Liberal Values Produce a Freer, More Equal, Prosperous World for All” by Dierdre Nansen McCloskey 

Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Why-Liberalism-Works-Liberal-Prosperous/dp/0300235089 

2. “The Bourgeois Virtues: Ethics for an Age of Commerce” by Dierdre Nansen McCloskey

Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Bourgeois-Virtues-Ethics-Age-Commerce/dp/0226556646 

3. “Bourgeois Dignity: Why Economics Can’t Explain Modern World” by Dierdre Nansen McCloskey

Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Bourgeois-Dignity-Economics-Explain-Modern/dp/0226556743 

4. “Bourgeois Equality: How Ideas, Not Capital or Institutions, Enriched the World”

Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Bourgeois-Equality-Capital-Institutions-Enriched/dp/022633399X 

5. “Dierdre N. McCloskey presents the lecture ‘The Impossibility of Policy’ hosted by the Erasmus Forum” by the Cato Institute

Link: https://www.cato.org/multimedia/media-highlights-tv/deirdre-n-mccloskey-presents-lecture-impossibility-policy-hosted 

6. “1984” by George Orwell

Link: https://www.amazon.ca/1984-George-Orwell/dp/0451524934 

7. “Forever Flowing” by Vasily Grossman

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/88459.Forever_Flowing

Alex Nowrasteh - What's Wrong With Nationalism?

Alex speaks with Alex Nowrasteh about nationalism as more of an innate tendency towards ethnic tribalism than anything resembling patriotism, and how this tendency may never disappear, but is worth resisting nonetheless. 

Episode Notes:

Alex's page at the Cato Insitute:

https://www.cato.org/people/alex-nowrasteh 

Alex on X: 

https://twitter.com/alexnowrasteh?lang=en 

Alex's book "Wretched Refuse?: The Political Economy of Immigration and Institutions": 

https://a.co/d/2JePWpU 

Oyebade Oyerinde - Has Federalism Hurt Nigeria?

Alex speaks with Oyebade Oyerinde about the state of federalism in Nigeria, and how western ideas of democracy, liberalism and centralization of powers have influenced the current state of politics in the African nation. 

Episode Notes:

"Polycentric Interstate Federalism Among The Yoruba Of Nigeria: Lessons For Growing An International Federal Order" by Oyebade Kunle Oyerinde https://cosmosandtaxis.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/kunleoyerinde_ct_vol10_iss11_12.pdf

"Polycentric and Centralized Federalism in Africa" (Chapter 3) by Oyebade Kunle Oyerinde https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666902716/Issues-of-Governance-Security-and-Development-in-Contemporary-Africa

"Does Polycentric Order Make Sense?" by Oyebade Kunle Oyerinde https://isonomiaquarterly.com/archive/volume-2-issue-1/disorder-in-west-africa-does-polycentric-order-make-sense/

"Beyond Markets and States: Polycentric Governance of Complex Economic Systems" By Elinor Ostrom https://web.pdx.edu/~nwallace/EHP/OstromPolyGov.pdf