The Money Ick

Recently Kalshi’s CEO Mansour said: “[Our] long-term vision is to financialize everything and create a tradable asset out of any difference in opinion”. This seems to have given many folks a “money ick”. So lets review the many ways we are now comfy with using money, but which gave many of our ancestors a money ick in the past:

1. Charging interest on loans

2. Merchants selling stuff for more than they paid for it

3. Job salaries, not guild/kin obligations, esp. if >1 employer or if boss lower status

4. Carriages or boats for hire

5. Buying clothes instead of making them at home

6. Renting rooms in a home or from an inn while traveling

7. Restaurants charging for food

8. Charging for water, sewage, waste removal

9. Nannies, daycare, tutors to help with childcare and training

10. Doctors, hospitals charging for services, instead of selling drugs

11. Lawyers, private arbitrators charging for services

12. Artists, writers, actors selling works, not supported by patrons

13. Clergy, therapists, life coaches, teachers charging for services

14. Professional not amateur athletes

15. Engagement rings to signal marriage commitment

16. Schools charging tuition, academics charge to speak, consult

17. Selling insurance, not group mutual aid

18. Selling your attention to advertisers in TV, social media

19. Naming rights for buildings and institutions

20. Sperm and egg donation

21. Selling used clothing, hair, sentimental items

Maybe our getting used to betting on common disputed claims isn’t so crazy?

There are fewer places we have acquired a money ick re things where we were once more comfy with money:

1. Dowry or bride price

2. Child labor

3. Buying political offices, guild ranks, honorary degrees

4. Prostitution

5. Religious indulgences

6. Apprenticeship positions