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 OrphanageAdventures in Psychedelic Drugs
What are the therapeutic benefits to psychedelics, like psilocybin mushrooms or LSD? What are their potential downsides? In this episode we talk to Sarah Rose…
The Political OrphanageThe Best Tiny House Village in America
Alan Graham is the Founder of Community First Village, an innovative community that houses the homeless and integrates them into a vibrant community. It's a…
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Homelessness, and Our Stupid Solutions
What are the dumb ways we try but fail to solve homelessness, or even make it worse? In this episode we cover: * Economics * Housing Policy * Elizabethan…
The Political OrphanageWSPN: Omicron, Afghanistan, and Antiwork
The World's Smartest Podcast Network returns for a roundtable discussion about: * What the hell is happening with Covid now? * What the hell are we supposed to…
The Political OrphanageIf Aliens Landed Tomorrow
I've got a new book! "Inappropriately Human: 21 Short Stories." An anthology of funny and/or scifi pieces from yours truly. Available at…
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ALL the Immigrants! All of 'em!
Bryan Caplan favors open borders--the idea that the United States should allow unlimited immigration into the country (save for disqualifying criminals or…
The Political OrphanageWhite House Spy Protocols (and Cooking)
Marty Mongiello is a former White House Chef and GM at Camp David, and joins the show to discuss what it's like working inside of the White House, and the…
The Political OrphanageA Rather Snuffy's Christmas
Hark! A Christmas special! Sponsored by a horse-themed diner. Contains swearing. Please enjoy this fourth Snuffy's Christmas, and go easy on the horsenog. "A…
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Bonus: Let's Have an Uncomfortable Gender Conversation
Released from behind the paywall: Dr. Andrea Jones-Rooy joins to talk about the nature of gender, and what it's like for people who don't easily fit into the…
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The Enemies Of How We Know Stuff
Jonathan Rauch is the author of "The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth." He joins the show to talk about separating good ideas from bad ideas, and…
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Amusing Ourselves to Death
Neil Postman postulated that society avoided the totalitarian nightmares of George Orwell, only to embrace the frivolous idiocy of Aldous Huxley. His book…
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Stadium Subsidies Are Unfathomably Stupid
John Mozena is an expert on crony capitalism, better known as "economic development subsidies." He is the President of the Center for Economic Accountability…
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How War Shapes Us
Margaret MacMillan is a war historian, and the author of "War: How It Shaped Us." She joins the show to discuss the nature of war, its history, what…
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Matt Ridley and Alina Chan on the Origin of Covid
Matt Ridley is a science writer and member of the House of Lords, and Alina Chan is a scientist and molecular biologist. They are the authors of the new book…
The Political OrphanageAndrew Yang Goes AWOL
Andrew Yang just left the Democratic Party to form the Forward Party. He joins to discuss electoral reform, and his book "Forward: Notes on the Future of Our…
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What Makes a Joke Offensive
Dave Chappelle's new Netflix special "The Closer" unleashed a cultural firestorm over transgender comments. Is it offensive? What makes a joke offensive?…
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John McWhorter on Victimhood and Woke Racism
John McWhorter joins the show to discuss the mindset of victimhood, and Wokeness as a new religion. His new book is "Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has…
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The Reproductive Life of Good and Bad Policies
Dr. Chuck Shipan is the author of "Why Bad Policies Spread (and Good Ones Don't)". He is joined by Dr. Andrea Jones-Rooy, a comedian and political scientist…
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The Thing No Government Can Actually Do
Perverse Incentives! Unintended Consequences! Today we explore how governments can screw things up by confusing incentives with dictating motivation or…
The Political OrphanageGeorge Will on Synthetic Hysteria
George F. Will is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, and the author of "American Happiness and Discontents: The Unruly Torrent, 2008-2020." He joins the show…
The Political OrphanagePoliticians Hate Big Tech
Robby Soave is a senior editor at Reason, and the author of "Tech Panic: Why We Shouldn't Fear Facebook and the Future." He comes to discuss politicians'…
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Society Once Tried to Ban Teddy Bears
Jason Feifer is the host of "Build for Tomorrow" (formerly "The Pessimist Archives") and joins the show to discuss why we needlessly react to new technologies…
The Political OrphanageBonus: What Napoleon Teaches Us About Foreign Policy
This week bonus episodes are going on the main feed, past the paywall! Here's a rerun from last year, about Napoleon Bonaparte, and the pitfalls of…
The Political OrphanageHow To Zero In On Reality
The default position for politics is advocacy—promoting our team and opposing the other. Julia Galef proposes an alternate mindset, where we try to determine…
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How To Destroy a Country In Four Years
The Khmer Rouge was a brutal communist regime that ruled Cambodia for only four years, but in that brief period entirely destroyed its economy, wiped out its…
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Are We Fixing or Ruining Welfare? (WSPN Roundtable)
Joe Biden's Child Tax Credit sends direct money to families, no strings attached. Is it cutting down on wasteful bureaucracy and reducing hurdles to financial…
The Political OrphanageFriday Release Valve is Back! (But Moving)
Friday Release Valve (where we kick around the best, underserved headlines of the week) is returning--but moving to its own podcast. New episodes will appear…
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How Zoning Laws Screwed Up Everything
Housing regulations have resulted in widespread urban sprawl, ethnic redlining, multi-generational poverty, and all manner of other ills. Jeff Maurer of "I…
The Political OrphanageBonus: The Alternative to Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill dealt with evil by confrontation. What's his opposite? This is a bonus history episode from July of last year, in the context of the…
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Nation Building Failed in Afghanistan
Could we have fixed things if we stayed? Kabul fell to the Taliban on Sunday, which is quickly reorganizing their regime after getting ousted twenty years ago…
The Political OrphanageAndrew Sullivan is a Gay Catholic Conservative
Andrew Sullivan is an author and blogger best-known for his substack The Weekly Dish. His new book is "Out On a Limb: Selected Writing, 1989-2021" chronicling…
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Harvard vs Asians: Affirmative Action and Racial Quotas
Affirmative Action is potentially one Supreme Court case away from going extinct. When is racial prioritizing constitutional? Is it ever a good policy idea?…
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Cancel Culture Is Mostly Rich White People
Dan Kovalik is the author of "Cancel This Book: The Progressive Case Against Cancel Culture." Kovalik, a long-time labor activist, union attorney, and human…
The Political OrphanageWould You Maroon Jeff Bezos in Space?
Over a hundred thousand people signed a petition calling to ban the world's richest man from returning to Earth: "billionaires shouldn't exist." In this…
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Why Comedy Became Toothless
Are late night comedy and political satire as free wheeling and funny as they used to be? Or has comedy become simultaneously tame yet partisan? Jeff Maurer is…
The Political OrphanageLos Angeles is Hideous
I have a new book out! Los Angeles is Hideous: Poems About An Ugly City. Arguably the funniest book ever written about the horribleness which is LA. Here are…
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Michael Malice on Anarchism
Michael Malice is the best-selling author of "The Anarchist Handbook". He joins to discuss the legitimacy of government action, and what society might look…
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Authoritarianism On the Rise
Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Anne Applebaum is the author of "Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism." She joins the show to discuss…
The Political OrphanageDon't Give Energy to Political Bullies
Brian Brushwood joins the show to discuss why people get their jollies from political bullying, and how to sidestep fruitless fights instead of getting drawn…
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How Weighted Voting Could Actually Work
What if instead of one vote per person, you had a whole bag of votes to distribute however you liked along the ballot? What if all property was up for auction…
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The Difference Between Liberals and Leftists
Adam Gopnik is the author of "A Thousand Points of Sanity: The Moral Adventure of Liberalism" and joins the show to discuss what constitutes the temperament…
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Why You Can't Drop Student Loans through Bankruptcy
Student loan debt is at a cool $1.7 trillion and growing. Should we forgive all the debt? Why can't we discharge it through bankruptcy? Policy deep dive…
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Why College is So Freakin' Expensive?
In 1950 you could basically go to college for free if you promised to wear a necktie. Today, you need to hostage multiple children for a four-year…
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Chinese Social Engineering – WSPN Roundtable
The World's Smartest Podcast Network reassembles for a roundtable discussion, featuring Turner Sparks, Michael Ira Kaplan, and Andrea Jones-Rooy. Topics…
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Less Nukes and More Prosperity
When we look at world metrics annually or on a ten-year basis, it turns out... everything is getting better. Literacy, poverty, the prospects of nuclear war…
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FRV: The Great State of Miscellaneous
Comedians Mike Larsen (writer for "The Drew Carey Show" and "Real Time with Bill Maher) and Travis Irvine join the show to discuss the best, least…
The Political OrphanageThe Nordic Theory of Everything
What are Nordic countries up to and should we emulate or invade them? What policies might we plagiarize or rebuff? Anu Partanen is the author of "The Nordic…
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FRV: Steak-umm's Feud with Neil DeGrasse Tyson
Comedians Max Gieser and LaGina Hill join the show to discuss the week's best, underserved headlines, including: a teddy bear hitchhiking the length of…
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Journalists Are Too Cozy with the Political Class
Steve Krakauer writes Fourth Watch, a media newsletter, and is a television producer with experience ranging from CNN to Megyn Kelly. He joins the show to…
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FRV: Yorkshire Werewolf Tourism
Chad Prather and Josh Jennings return to discuss the best, underserved headlines of the week, including: why Russia is faking Yeti sightings; poor fashion…
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America Versus Britain on Liberty
Robert Jackman, writer and certified Englishman, joins the show to discuss how liberty manifests in America differently than the United Kingdom, and what it…
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FRV: The Official State Tool of Tennessee
Bill Schulz and Kourtni Beebe join the show to discuss the week's best, underserved headlines. Including: Official Australian deliberations on mullet…
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The Managerial Class vs. Everyone Else
Old politics: small government conservatives against big government progressives. New politics: Dive Bar Republicans against the Democratic Party's Managerial…
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FRV: Soviet Television's Lord of the Rings
Sarah Rose Siskind, headwriter of "Mostly Weekly" and comedy writer extraordinaire joins Heaton to explore the best, underserved headlines of the week…
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How to Be A Better Vulcan
Logical fallacies are great for making arguments frustrating and clear thinking deranged. James Harrigan and Antony Davies of the "Words & Numbers" podcast…
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BONUS: How Parties Rig the System
Republicans are tinkering with state election laws across the country, most notably in Georgia. Meanwhile, Democrats passed HR 1 in the House, which tinkers…
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FRV 90,000 Greasy Pennies
The World's Smartest Podcast Network reconvenes to discuss the week's best underserved headlines, including: Australian mice plagues, raven pickpockets, and…
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The Smartest Way to Tax People
Dominic Frisby is a British humorist and financial writer. He joins the show to discuss his new book, "Daylight Robbery: How Tax Shaped Our Past and Will…
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FRV: Mafia YouTube Cooking Tutorials
Mary Jo Pehl (Mystery Science Theater 3000 writer) and actor/comedian/jewel thief Nicholas Sperdute join to discuss the week's best underserved headlines…
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What the Hell Is Social Capital?
Scott Lincicome of The Dispatch and the Cato Institute joins to discuss the nature of social trust and social capital, how government can facilitate or…