Another interesting podcast on the topic of kidnapping: http://www.econtalk.org/anja-shortland-on-kidnap/ http://www.econtalk.org/anja-shortland-on-kidnap/ Goe

Another interesting podcast on the topic of kidnapping: http://www.econtalk.org/anja-shortland-on-kidnap/ http://www.econtalk.org/anja-shortland-on-kidnap/ Goes into the details of kidnapping as a business venture from the kidnappers perspective, and how a price equilibrium is found between 'buyers' (ransom payers) and 'sellers' (kidnappers). On interesting story was when the partner of a small business owner got kidnapped as punishment for failing to pay some protection money. When the business owner went to negotiate the ransom, the kidnappers had had an accountant already go through the businesses fiances so they knew exactly how much they could ask for, without it bankrupting the business owner (so that the owners company could keep thriving and thus could keep paying protection money).