The Political Orphanage

Cenk Uygur is a flame-throwing progressive pundit, host of The Young Turks, co-founder of Justice Democrats, and author of "Justice is Coming: How Progressives Are Going to Take Over The Country And America Is Going to Love It." He joins to discuss his book, polemics, and his possible presidential run.  "Was Abraham Lincoln Leftwing or Rightwing?" https://podcasts.apple.com/gr/podcast/was-abraham-...

Gene Epstein is the founder and moderator of the Soho Forum, a debate society, and is the former Economics editor at Barron's. He joins to discuss the nature of trickle down economics, its proponents and detractors, and the biggest factors in political economy which lead to inequality. LINKS : Soho Forum https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-soho-forum-debates/id1485021246

What happens when your religious, ethnic, and political identities converge into a mega identity? Dannagal Goldthwaite Young is the author of  "Wrong: How Media, Politics, and Identity Drive our Appetite for Misinformation." She joins to discuss identity, and how it leads to misinformation.  Her book at:  www.mightyheaton.com/featured Previous appearance: "Late Night Comedy vs. The Outrage Industr...

Robert Sapolsky is a professor of biology and neurobiology at at Stanford University, and the recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant. He is the author of "Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will." He joins to discuss the case against free will, and its societal implications.  Robert's Book at www.mightyheaton.com/featured Socrates Sketch:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2QrrYug_VQ&t=35s T...

Michael Glennon is the author of "National Security and Double Government." He joins to discuss the growth of America's national security apparatus, and how it functionally upends Madisonian democracy while leaving constitutional rhetoric in tact. Support the Show! Patreon.com/andrewheaton Glennon's book at: www.mightyheaton.com/featured LINKS: Charles Cooke on Abolishing the FBI https://www.patre...

Randy Barnett is one of America's foremost jurists, and a professor at Georgetown Law. He joins to discussed unenumerated rights, in the context of the 9th and 10th amendments.  SUPPORT THE SHOW! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton Randy Barnett's books at: www.mightyheaton.com/featured Law Episodes Collection: https://www.patreon.com/collection/140707    

Depending on whether society treats people primarily as individuals or as identity groups has deep ramifications for worldviews, government policy, and the long-term health of society. Yascha Mounk is the author of "The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in our Time." He joins to discuss. Book at: www.mightyheaton.com/featured "When Wokes and Racists Actually Agree on Everything" https://ww...

Antipathy towards communism tends to come from its consequences–liberal democracy and markets have yielded greater prosperity, so we should embrace them over socialism. Michael Malice posits a different argument–that regardless of consequence, the Soviet Union and allied communists were evil from the get go, and should be remembered and condemned for it. He is the author of "The White Pill: A Tale...

Emmy-award winning journalist John Stossel joins the Political Orphanage to talk about journalism and politics. Stossel's career spans work on ABC News, Fox Business, and Reason TV. He's the winner of five national press award and 19 Emmies. His YouTube show, Stossel TV, appears every Tuesday. Buck Shwartzmore for 7th Floor Fire Marshall  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdcRCj9QBtg&t=1s  

Guy Standing stipulates that we should not think of property as either being private or state controlled, but ought to think of a third category: the commons. The commons is something wholly distinctive from either, and ought to be preserved. He joins to discuss this concept, outlined in his book, "Plunder of the Commons: A Manifesto For Sharing Public Weath." Support the show! www.patreon.com/and...

What's life like for a high schooler who's home town gets invaded by a foreign army? Ali Ali was living in historic Babylon, in Iraq, during the War on Terror. He joins to discuss what an invasion is like, what life is like in a lawless state, and his interpretations of the United States as an immigrant to it.    https://abzu.blog/

How do energy experts approach energy? Are there good sources and bad sources? What should we try to abolish and what should we lob subsidies at?   Dr. Michael Webber is a professor of Energy Resources and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of more than 500 scientific articles, columns, and books, including op-eds for the New York Times and Scientific Ame...

Recently former intelligence officer David Grusch appeared before Congress, and made the bold claims that the U.S. government owns multiple recovered extraterrestrial vehicles, as well as "biotics"--which is to say, alien bodies. How credible are these assertions, and how should the government respond to UFO's in general? Brian Dunning is the host of The Skeptoid podcast, and host of the new film...

Is nuclear power cheap and safe, or dangerous and expensive? Dr. Robert Zubrin is the author of "The Case for Nukes: How We Can Beat Global Warming and Create a Free, Open, and Magnificent Future."  Zubrin holds Master of Science degrees in Nuclear Engineering and Aeronautics and Astronautics, and a doctorate in Nuclear Engineering, from the University of Washington. Prior to his work in aerospace...

Dr. Steve Fuller of Warwick University says the meaningful split in society is not Leftwing vs. Rightwing, but rather Upwing vs. Downwing. Both have radically different attitudes to both risk and human nature, which informs their policy decisions and the direction they want to steer society.  SUPPORT THE SHOW!  www.patreon.com/andrewheaton Dr. Fuller's book at:  www.mightyheaton.com/featured Refer...

Lawrence Lessig of Harvard University is the nation's foremost thinker and advocate for campaign finance reform around SuperPAC's. He joins the show to argue for governing political campaigns and SuperPAC's under the same rules.  Lessig's website and contest: https://equalcitizens.us/crowdfund-video/

Statistics can be mangled to say whatever you'd like, and sometimes they're garbage to begin with. Aaron Brown teaches statistics at New York University and at the University of California. He joins to tip us off on statistical malfeasance.

America is less geographically-focused than ever, but her government is still foundationally built around land areas. What would politics look like if geography played less of a role? Max Borders joins to discuss.   SUPPORT THE SHOW! Patreon.com/andrewheaton   TOP TEN EPISODES:  w w w . m i g h t y h e a t o n . c o m / b e s t o f   Max's Constitution writing contest: https://underthrow.substack....

Thom Taylor is Los Angeles financial advisor who spent a decade writing for movie magazines. He knows the creative and business side of Hollywood, and how the current writer strike is apt to alter the trajectory of entertainment.   Thom's website is www.delreycap.com   Raymond Chandler article: https://www.theatlantic.com/ magazine/archive/1945/11/ writers-in-hollywood/306454/? fbclid=IwAR1_W5PZ_...

Last week the Supreme Court effectively banned race considerations in higher education admissions. Anastasia Boden returns to discuss the relevant constitutional law, and the underlying ideological issues. Support the show! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton Top Ten Episodes: mightyheaton.com/bestof Mugs at:  www.mightyheaton.com/merch Anastasia's Twitter: @Anastasia_esq

The Harvard Study of Adult Development spans 83-years of health and happiness data analysis, and counting! Its director is Dr. Robert Waldinger, author of "The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness." He joins to discuss his findings.  Support the show! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton Top 10 Episodes! www.mightyheaton.com/bestof Discord Link: https://discord.gg/9JnU...

The World's Smartest Podcast Networks convenes to ask: is Cancel Culture on its way out? Comedian Hannah Gadsby's art exhibit "Pablo-Matic" draws attention to the misogynist side of Pablo Picasso… but didn't seem to get much attention itself. Turner Sparks, Andrea Jones-Rooy, and Andrew Heaton combine forces to discuss the end of Cancel Culture and how funny comedy needs to be to be comedy. NYT pi...

Attorney Anna Gorisch returns to explain the Commerce Clause, and how it's gone from a restraint on state-on-state protectionism to a trump card for federal oversight to subvert local control.

This episode we dive into animal suffering, big agriculture, and the laws Big Meat has on the books to restrict freedom of speech. As well as what basic animal welfare laws would look like, and how much they would cost. Guest Lewis Bollard leads Open Philanthropy's strategy for Animal Farm Welfare.    TOP EPISODES: www.mightyheaton.com/bestof SUPPORT THE SHOW! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton

Bijoy Goswami is the author of "The Human Fabric: Unleashing the Power of Core Energy in Everyone." He joins the show to discuss the personalities that make teams flop or excel, and how they apply to politics.  Bijoy's course:  www.aviri.com/p/mre