Shows / The Political Orphanage
The Political Orphanage
Politics minus bile plus jokes. Comedian and avowed independent Andrew Heaton interviews authors and thought leaders about policy and big thinky stuff.
Episodes
- The Political Orphanage
Stanford's Forbidden Words of Hilarious Evil
Stanford's Elimination of Harmful Language Initiative includes everything from the words "brave" to "crazy." The World's Smartest Podcast Network assembles to…
- The Political Orphanage
ATA: Hollywood Sermonizing vs. Good Storytelling
CROSSOVER EPISODE from Alienating the Audience When does science fiction get "too political"? What separates a film with a strong point of view from stale…
- The Political Orphanage
Fix Teenagers By Putting Them to Work
America has one educational path: go get a university degree! If you stray from it, you're in trouble. Could shifting the education system towards…
- The Political Orphanage
Here's Why Partisanship is Skyrocketing
A new study shows that "affective polarization" is on the upswing: negative feelings about enemy parties is on the increase, even if policy positions and…
The Political OrphanageAutomation Comes for Lawyers and Shrinks
Generative AI like ChatGPT and Dall-E 2 are poised to change… everything. Tom Merritt of the Daily Tech News Show and Darren Kitchen of Hak5 join to discuss…
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Inequality and the New Feudalism
Joel Kotkin worries that we're careening into a new bout of feudalism. He sees a resurgence of intellectual dogmatism, coupled with inequality and lack of…
The Political OrphanageSnuffy's Explosion-Proof Christmas
It's the fifth annual comedy Christmas special! All underwritten by Snuffy's (Off Route 44). This year's Christmas special includes: Inappropriate curse words…
- The Political Orphanage
Carnage and Blowback in American Foreign Policy
Scott Horton wants America to go home. He does not think we should be the world's policeman. And when we try to be, our foreign policy incites blowback…
- The Political Orphanage
We're Defining Inequality Wrong
Phil Gramm is the author of "The Myth of Inequality: How Government Biases Policy Debates." He joins to discuss the metrics by which we identify poverty, and…
- The Political Orphanage
Bill Kristol on Military Intervention
Should America actively promote democracy and liberalism abroad, to the point of destabilizing authoritarian regimes, or arming their enemies? Bill Kristol is…
- The Political Orphanage
Bonus: Your Life Is Way Better Than King Louis XVI's
This Thanksgiving Brian Brushwood joins to discuss the many ways an average American's life is more comfortable, affluent, and magical than the vast majority…
- The Political Orphanage
What Skinny Dipping Taught Me About Greed
The idea that we can eliminate poverty by outlawing greed is like trying to increase marriage rates by making people less horny. In this episode we go over the…
- The Political Orphanage
This Comedy Club Owner Un-Canceled Louis C.K.
Noam Dworman is owner of the Comedy Cellar in New York City. A huge critic of Cancel Culture, he caught flak for allowing Louis C. K. to perform at his club…
The Political OrphanageWe Should Abolish Student Councils
Student Councils are meant to teach young people about democracy, but what lesson are they learning? Namely that elections are popularity contests with no…
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The Huge, Dumb Permit You've Never Heard Of
Jeremiah Johnson of The Neoliberal Podcast joins to discuss how NEPA and environmental impact reports stall construction pretty much everywhere, and…
- The Political Orphanage
So I Got Canceled at Oxford
My recent speaking engagement at Oxford University, the various ne'er-do-wells claiming I am a fascist, and why politics attracts toxic personalities. Plus…
- The Political Orphanage
The Iranian Regime Still Sucks
The government of Iran has shut down its Internet, and brutally clamped down on dissent. Why are the people protesting, and are they within striking distance…
- The Political Orphanage
Who Screwed Up Worst on Covid
Did Florida's fast-and-loose Covid policies fail compared to New York's strict lockdowns? How effective were mask mandates? How did the United States stack up…
- The Political Orphanage
Russia's Sham Referendums in Ukraine
Kristaps Andrejsons is a war correspondent regularly covering the conflict in Ukraine, ad the host of the Eastern Border podcast. He joins the show to discuss…
- The Political Orphanage
Make Congressmen Share a District
Lee Drutman is the author of "Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America." He joins to discuss electoral reform…
- The Political Orphanage
America Ought to Get Herself A King
The British monarch reigns as the United Kingdom's head of state, while war and taxes are carried out by the head of government, its Prime Minister. Meanwhile…
- The Political Orphanage
Who Actually Survives a Nuclear War
Radiation, fallout, and perpetual winter – would you survive a nuclear war? What about the president, Australia, and modern civilization? In this episode we do…
- The Political Orphanage
The Rules of Getting and Keeping Power
Dr. Jeffrey Pfeffer is a Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford University, and the author of "7 Rules of Power: Surprising–but True–advice on how to…
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The Church of Woke
When does an ideology become a full-blown religion? Does Social Justice qualify? The World's Smartest Podcast Network convenes a roundtable to discuss…
- The Political Orphanage
(Rebroadcast) The Berlin Wall
Since this week's show and bonus episode both take place in Germany, we'll go ahead and throw in a rerun of my all-time favorite: "What Really Brought Down the…
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How Nazis Thought About Economics
Heaton flies to Berlin to interview German historian Rainer Zitelmann, author of "Hitler's National Socialism," about the ideology and political economy of…
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Space Bureaucrats vs. Space Billionaires
How do we best get space tourism and moon colonies – big public projects, or cocky entrepreneurs? Lori Garver is the former Deputy Administrator of NASA, and…
- The Political Orphanage
The Supreme Court Messed Up on Prayer in Schools
In Kennedy v. Bremerton the Supreme Court revisited–and reversed–long-standing precedents on public teachers and administrators leading prayers in school and…
- The Political Orphanage
Can I Eat Peyote if it's Religious?
What happens when a law affecting public safety or basic governance comes into conflict with someone's deeply-held religious beliefs? In this episode we…
- The Political Orphanage
Hunting for Theocracy in America
The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but also forbids the establishment of religion. What happens when the two come into conflict? In Judge Week 2…
- The Political Orphanage
Bad News About Humane Warfare
Civilization has made warfare more indirect, streamlined, technological, and distant. What if making warfare nicer makes us less hesitant to begin conflicts…
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America's Dueling Enlightenments
The Founding Fathers were all children of the Enlightenment, and they agreed on kicking King George out, but they never agreed on how to run the country. Seth…
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When To Scrap Politically Incorrect Words
How do we determine when to retire truly offensive words and replace confusing ones, against virtue signaling and shifting goal posts? Ron Hayden of "Worth…
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Inflation Is Losing You Money
Inflation is at an 11-year high--what's causing it! How do we solve it, and how does it effect us (and our bank accounts)? John Cochrane, "The Grumpy…
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How to Change Your Idiot Uncle's Mind About Stuff
In "How to Change Minds: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion," science writer David McRaney explores proven ways to get people to unstuck…
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Every Time We've Rigged the Supreme Court
Court Packing! In the wake of Roe v. Wade, Progressives want to insert new justices to tip back the majority. In this episode we explore the several times…
- The Political Orphanage
The Laws and Economics of Treasure Hunting
Let's talk to a treasure hunter about the laws and politics of finding old gold at the bottom of the ocean! Who owns the gold? Do governments squabble over it?…
- The Political Orphanage
A Spock and Scotty Approach to Gun Control
Let's take a numbers-first approach to gun legislation. In the wake of horrible mass shootings, gun control and advocacy groups are digging their heals, and…
- The Political Orphanage
Other Nations Are Insufficiently Horny
"Demographic Winter" occurs when a nation's population growth is so bottlenecked that its labor is unable to sustain the economy in basics like tax revenue…
The Political OrphanageReal Science Hates Scientism
What happens when authorities try to shield their decisions by draping themselves in lab coats? What's the difference between the Scientific Method, and a…
The Political OrphanageWhat Happens When You Get Canceled
Jamie Kilstein got canceled and canceled hard–in 2017 his marriage, podcast, standup comedy career, and social life all imploded in a fiery explosion. He joins…
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(Rebroadcast) Originalism - How Conservative Judges Think
Rerun from Judge Week! Originalism is the favored jurisprudence of conservative scions like Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. It's predicated on the notion…
- The Political Orphanage
(Rebroadcast) The Living Constitution - How Liberal Judges Think
A rerun from Judge Week! When the Constitution says "cruel and unusual punishment" does it mean by the standards of the 18th century, or our own? How much…
- The Political Orphanage
The Guts of Roe v. Wade
Does the Constitution affirm a right to abortion? The Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, removing federal protections on abortion. We explore…
The Political OrphanageThe Duopoly Hates Third Parties
Larry Sharpe is running for governor in New York as a Libertarian, but may not even be able to get on the ballot. When third parties pick up steam, state…
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Why Comedy Leans Left (But Doesn't Have To)
Comedians, television, and film all tend to lean Democrat. Why is that? Is there something inherently unfunny about Republicans, or do the powers that be just…
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Why I'm an Angry Carnivore
Cognitive dissonance occurs when our actions are out of sync with our perception of ourself or the world, or a new opinion or piece of data makes us question…
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Does Local Control Actually Work?
Does distributed power check tyranny, or simply empower petty tyrants? What's the relationship between efficiency, scale, and the size of government? In this…
The Political OrphanageWoke Hysteria Is Actually Class Warfare
Batya Ungar-Sargon says liberal pieties have more to do with the managerial class's disdain for the poor and maintaining elite status than with actual racism…
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Why Monkey Groupthink Beats Human Logic
David McRaney is host of the "Your Are Not So Smart" podcast, and joins to discuss how our monkey brains are more wired to promote group cohesion than to think…
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Crony Capitalists Are Spoiling Your Food
Scuzzy businesses routinely try to regulate away competitors so they don't have compete in a free and open market. Those cads! Justin Pearson of the Institute…
The Political OrphanageHow to Prevent or Provoke Stupid Wars
Are you a Liberal or a Realist when it comes to geopolitics? This episode is a crash course in International Relations Theory: What is the fundamental nature…
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The Brain Fog of War
As the situation in Ukraine continues to escalate, it's important to keep our tribal impulses in check, and ensure we remain level-headed and credulous when…
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Ukraine is Backfiring on Putin
Michael Weiss joins the show to discuss Russia's "Potemkin Military" and how a pratfall invasion coupled with global pariah status could lead to Putin's…
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Sanctions are the Virtue Signaling of Economics
Jen Briney of "Congressional Dish" joins to discuss sanctions, economic warfare, and the underlying rationale for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Support the…
The Political OrphanageTime Travel Bureaucracy / New Audio Book
My new book "Inappropriately Human: 21 Short Stories" is now available as an audio book! You can listen to it via Audible.com. To pique your interest, here is…
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Why Revolutions Ignite or Flop
Why do some activist movements change the world, when others make a big bang and then fizzle out? Gal Beckerman is the author of "The Quiet Before: On the…
The Political OrphanagePJ O'Rourke Once Got Me Laid
My hero just died. In this special episode, I talk about the beloved political satirist P. J. O'Rourke, and his impact on me personally. Then play a rerun of…
- The Political Orphanage
Joe Rogan and the Authoritarians
Charles Cooke of National Review joins the show to discuss embattled podcast host Joe Rogan as the flashpoint between authoritarianism and free speech. And to…
- The Political Orphanage
Joe Biden's Identity Politics
Joe Biden has pledged to nominate a black woman to the forthcoming Supreme Court vacancy--should race and gender factor in at all? In politics, does ideology…