The Political Orphanage

The National Debt engorges daily--when does it collapse in on itself and crater the economy? In this special we tackle the nature of federal debt, the apocalyptic scenarios its current trajectory leads to, and the pitfalls along the way. Plus, where the train went off the rails, when deficits are smart or dangerous, and the solutions we could enact to ward off fiscal Armageddon.  SAVE WALLACE! - h...

Where would Lincoln fall on the Left-Right spectrum? Was Jefferson a radical leftist? Was Hamilton a reactionary conservative? If the whole Left-Right spectrum is bunk... where did it come from, and when did it become universal? Professor Hyrum Lewis joins to discuss his new book, "The Myth of Left and Right: How the Political Spectrum Misleads and Harms America." Top Ten Best Episodes: www.mighty...

Think tanks from the right and left regularly glorify Singapore's economy as either an exemplary free market or a progressive rockstar. Meanwhile, it's regularly lampooned as an authoritarian state with questionable democracy. What the hell is it?! Comedian Sam See, of Singapore, joins to discuss TOP TEN EPISODES: www.mightyheaton.com/bestof

What do military research boondoogles on astral projection, psychic boon-bending children, and extensive bouts of policy antics all have in common? Confirmation bias.  Brian Brushwood and Justin Robert Young join the show to discuss confirmation bias vis a vis their hit podcast, "World's Greatest Con" World's Greatest Con: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/worlds-greatest-con/id1572307941

Jason Voiovich is a sales and marketing professional, and author of "Marketer in Chief." He joins the show to discuss how advertisers see politics, and what policy wonks and electioneers do not.   TOP TEN EPISODES: Mightyheaton.com/bestof Bonus Episode: Pitch to Red and Blue States! https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-game-pitch-69066400?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=p...

Will Storr is the author of "The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It." He joins to discuss the never-ending scrum for status which defines human hierarchies. We're Not Wrong Live Show https://www.eventbrite.com/e/were-not-wrong-live-in-austin-alamo-drafthouse-on-south-lamar-tickets-616098586457

Rainer Zitelmann is the author of "In Defense of Capitalism: Debunking the Myths." He joins to make a plea for free markets and economic freedom, and counters the most common arguments against capitalism.   "How Nazis Thought About Economics"  https://www.patreon.com/posts/how-nazis-about-70960173?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

Freddy deBoer is an author, academic, and Marxist. He joins the show to discuss the nature and worldview of Marxism. "Laughter is Better Than Communism" https://www.amazon.com/Laughter-Better-Communism-Andrew-Heaton-ebook/dp/B00IC4H1PS

What hoops do you have to jump through to work in America or become a citizen? Is it worse under Democrat or Republican administrations? What could make it better? Immigration attorney Anna Gorisch joins to discuss.

Media trust is on the decline, but what's causing it? If it's bias, what accounts for the perceived increase? Steve Krakauer is a long-time journalist from NBC, Fox, Mediate, CNN, The Blaze, and now the producer of the Megyn Kelley show. He's the author of the new book "Uncovered: How the Media Got Cozy with Power, Abandoned Its Principles, and Lost the People."

The Internet brings astonishing knowledge, convenience, and communication to modern society. But overall does it make us more or less happy than before we invented it? Rex Williams, host of The Whiskey Tribe, joins to ask: If you could pull the plug on the Internet, forever–would that really be so bad? "We Try to Match Churchill Drink for Drink... send help." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrbwvG...

Robert Aldridge is the 258th Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Scotland. He previously served a Councilor in Edinburgh since 1984, focusing on city enviornment, recycling, refuse collection, street cleaning, parks, and homelessness. He is the former Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Single Homeless and latterly Homeless Action Scotland.

Dave Amos is a the producer and host of "City Beautiful" on YouTube, and Assistant Professor of City Planning at Caly Poly San Luis Obispo. He joins to discuss urban design, and how to make cities more attractive and livable.

What should urban planners design, and what should they leave to citizens and markets? To answer that question we summon none other than Alain Bertaud, an urban planner who has worked in major cities across multiple continents. He is a senior fellow at NYU's Marron Institute of Urban Design, and was the principle urban planner for the World Bank. He's the author of "Order without Design: How Marke...

David Holt is Mayor of Oklahoma City, one of the top twenty largest cities in the United States. He joins to discuss the nature of his position, and the issues facing major cities. SUPPORT THE SHOW! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton

American cities are prioritizing big box stores over small businesses, in a model predicated on permanent growth. But when growth hits a snag, will suburbs collapse?  Charles Marohn is the founder and president of Strong Towns. He is a land use planner and (retired) professional engineer. He is the author of Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity SUPPORT THE SHOW! Patr...

What are the underlying economics and origins of tipping? Is the practice expanding to new sectors, and if so, is this good or just irritating? The World's Smartest Podcast Network joins to discuss! Kristaps Andrejsons' PayPal address: i h a t e b a l r o g @ g m a i l . c o m

We're Not Wrong is my other political podcast, with host fellows Justin Robert Young and Jen Briney. On this episode we discuss "national divorce," the rise and fall of James O'Keefe of Project Veritas, and the difference between journalism and activism.  If you enjoy it, check out the podcast WE'RE NOT WRONG! 

Why is addiction (booze, drugs, and more) on the rise in the United States? Dr. Anna Lembke is a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine, and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. She is the author of "Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence." Book at: www.mightyheaton.com/featured Support the show! Patreon.com/andrewheaton

Alistair Smith proposes that the only real thing governments differ on is how many selectors are needed for a leader to gain and keep power–everything is window dressing. He advocates for understanding politics realistically and strategically, and designing our systems around the idea that leaders are self interested. Also Relevant: "Dr. Jeffrey Pfeiffer on The Rules of Getting and Keeping Power"...

Kristaps Andrejsons is the host of "Eastern Borders" podcast, which formerly explored Soviet History, and is now an in-the-field news report on the conflict in Ukraine.  Kristaps is a big NATO proponent and promotes strong American intervention in Ukraine. I've brought him on to contrast with the positions of this week's guest, Ben Abelow.  Also--Kristaps got banned from Twitter when an argument a...

We're almost a year into the conflict in Ukraine. What does a conclusion look like? How much is costing in terms of money and lives, and to what end?   Author Ben Abelow joins to discuss the situation and his book, "How the West Brought War to Ukraine: Understanding How U.S. and NATO Policies Led to the Crisis, War, and the Risk of Nuclear Catastrophe."

What's the optimum size of a country? As countries get bigger, does the nature of governance necessarily change?   In this episode, we explore scaling—how an increasingly large nation-state adapts, or fails, to deliver services competently.

Stanford's Elimination of Harmful Language Initiative includes everything from the words "brave" to "crazy." The World's Smartest Podcast Network assembles to read the list and mercilessly laugh at it. Then, turn their attention to the astonishing and hilarious lies of freshman representative George Soros. LINKS:  SUPPORT THE SHOW! www. Patreon.com/andrewheaton Episode: "When To Scrap Politically...

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 publum or Woke pulpitry? Josh Jennings joins to discuss how political messaging can derail or suffocate good storytelling.