The Political Orphanage

Why do some places pump out inventions and progress, while innovation lags elsewhere? Science writer Matt Ridley has surveyed the history of innovation, from Roman numerals to CRISPR. He's identified the factors society needs for innovation to flourish--and what it often does to smother it. He joins Heaton to discuss best practices for civilization and the history of inventions, all in his new book, "How Innovation Works."

Today we explore the week's most awesome yet under-reported headlines, from a wine heist, to multiple dangerous bird encounters, to an American hero and recreational pirate. Comedian Chad Prather and producer emeritus Josh Jennings join Heaton to sort things out. Episode contains choice language and some sexual content--parents be warned!

John Locke is the nerd at the bar. Jean-Jacques Rousseau is the guy in a leather jacket on a motorcycle. Hobbes is the grizzled cynic. What worldview did these three Social Contract theorists push on modern society, and what were they fighting against? Brian Wilson of the Combat & Classics podcast joins Heaton in an exploration of the tectonic plates of Western Civilization.

Jack Helmuth and Brian Sack of the Questionable Material podcast join Heaton to sort out the week's best and least discussed headlines, from boars on cocaine to English catapult crimes to larceny performed by ambitious children.

Much of the discussion about the pandemic centers around the lockdown as the exclusive or main policy tool to use against the pandemic: a giant On or Off switch we strategically employ to flatten the curve. What if there are smarter ways of looking at this? Ep 51

Katherine Mangu-Ward is the editor-in-chief of Reason Magazine, the nation's foremost libertarian publication. She joins Heaton to weigh in on Justin Amash's presidential aspirations, and whether he is more apt to hurt Trump or Biden in 2020. Season 2, Ep 50

(NSKF) As part of my ongoing commitment to providing levity and sanity during quarantine, I am for some length of time resurrecting an old segment: Friday Release Valve, where I grab some comedy buddies to go over the week's undeserved headlines. Turner Sparks and Andrea Jones-Rooy join me to talk about: when a government accidentally declares you dead, how to fix basketball using firearms, Cambodian machete making, and Canadian gambling ordinances. Season 2, Ep 49

How does Russian propaganda work now, compared to the Soviet era? What power structures have kept Putin in place for decades? And what does Putin think about democracy, subverting American media, and Trump? Michael Weiss is Director of Special Investigations at the Free Russia Foundation, a columnist for Foreign Policy, and editor-at-large at The Daily Beast. He joins Heaton to peer into the mind of the Russian state. Season 2, Ep 48

Matt Ridley is a science writer, member of the House of Lords, and author of the amazing book, "The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves." He joins Heaton to talk about how, overall, life is dramatically and empirically better than the rest of recorded history--and why. Season 2, Ep 47

Last week Bernie Sanders dropped out, ending the closest bid to an outright socialist presidency in American history. Brian Brushwood and Justin Robert Young join the program to talk about the impact of Sanders, student loan forgiveness, and Medicare for All. Season 2, Ep 46

Are we sliding into a Great Depression, or just a quarantine-induced slump? What did the stimulus bill do, how big was it, and might it capsize the national debt? Colin Mortimer, director of the Neoliberal Project at the Progressive Policy Institute and host of The Neoliberal Podcast, along with Ben Ritz, Director of the PPI Center for Funding America's Future, join Heaton to explain what's happening with the economy and what the federal government has been doing to help or hinder it. Season 2, Ep. 45

I want to share a resource that will help frame what to expect in your state as April unfolds: Covid19.healthdata.org . This website will tell you when to expect peak hospital usage in your state, and also what to brace yourself for. But I'll also top of the episode with some of the best quarantine humor I've encountered on the internet. Season 2, Ep 44

Senator Richard Burr is catching fire (and possible prosecution) about selling $1.7 million of stock days before the market tumbled. How do members of Congress profit from insider information and power, and what can we do to stop them? Brian Sack and Jack Helmuth join Heaton to discuss. Season 2, Episode 43

At the request of Patreon listeners, I'm releasing this bonus episode to the main feed--go to Patreon.com/andrewheaton if you want a weekly bonus episode like this on top of the main show! This week I explain why the government calculates a monetary price of what an individual American's life is worth, and why that's actually a useful tool for making cold, deliberative policy determinations. Which is unfortunately something we might have to do if confronted with the two bad options of "risk lives to pandemic" or "hurl the country into another Great Depression." If and when we get to that point, we'll need rational people operating the levers of power. Season 2, Ep 42

Should people wielding the levers of power be pragmatists who get things done, or idealists with firm convictions and boundaries? Which political opinions attract the most elitists? Jeremy Kareken and Tom Brennan join the program for an astonishingly fun episode given how long we've all been in quarantine. Season 2, Ep 41

In which Heaton speaks with: Tom Snuffhauser, local business owner, about the impact of the Corona Virus on the consumer economy; U.S. Horse Surgeon General Richard Snodgrass, about health precautions you can implement on behalf of your horse; Brian Sack and Jack Helmuth, hosts of the "Questionable Material" podcast, and Josh Jennings, producer emeritus for Something's Off with Andrew Heaton. Apologies on sound quality--technical problems resulting from a live stream show! Season 2, Ep 40

Brian Brushwood and Justin Robert Young join Heaton to discuss attempts to abolish the Electoral College. What are the upshots and downsides to a national popular vote? What measures could improve the existing system without scrapping it? Plus, of course, Heaton rants about Ranked Choice Voting. Season 2, Episode 39

Why do socially liberal comedians clean up in late night television, while social conservatives dominate talk radio? Dannagal Goldthwaite Young is the author of "Irony and Outrage: The Polarized Landscape of Rage, Fear, and Laughter in the United States." She joins Heaton to discuss how liberals and conservatives process ambiguity, order, and politics on television. Season 2, Ep. 38

The Criminal Justice episode! What to do about private prisons, the Death Penalty, the Drug War, mental health, prostitution, Norway vs. Joe Arpaio, and bail bonds. Featuring: J. M. Jennings Season 2, Ep. 37

It's a scrum for the Libertarian Party's 2020 presidential nomination, and the party won't select a nominee until its national convention in May. Heaton visited the California Libertarian State Party Convention to meet and interview the top six candidates in the party: 10:00 - Adam Kokesh 23:24 – Lincoln Chafee 37:00 – Mark Whitney 53:26 – Jo Jorgensen 1:05:48– Vermin Supreme 1:19:21 – Jacob Hornberger

Every week Heaton makes a special bonus episode of the show exclusively for Patreon subscribers. Recently enough supporters liked and wanted to share his episode on how Aristotelian Virtue Ethics apply to Rush Limbaugh that they asked him to release it on the main feed. Enjoy!

Joel Stein is the author of "In Defense of Elitism: Why I'm Better Than You and You are Better Than Someone Who Didn't Buy This Book." The former Time columnist explores the new and angry fault line between globalism and populism, drawing upon his travels to the most Trumpian county in America, and meeting populist celebrities Scott Adams and Tucker Carlson. Ep 34

Heaton records his New Hampshire experience hitting up Biden, Pete, and Yang rallies, plus thoughts on Warren, Bernie, and Klobuchar. He talks about his all-too-brief love affair with the Andrew Yang candidacy, and most importantly--who's going to scoop up the 2020 Democratic Presidential nomination in the wake of the New Hampshire primary. Season 2, Ep 33

The New Hampshire Primary is a slingshot which can land underdogs on top and hobble frontrunners. Heaton travels there to see how the state works, how its people think, and what Tuesday's contest will mean for 2020. He speaks with Neil Levesque of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, and Joe Pace and Russell Dean about the unique way New Hampshirites solve problems at the local level. Season 2, Ep 32

Peter Boghossian says, "Talking to a person with unshakable belief commitments is like playing chess with someone whose only piece is a hammer." In his book "How to Have Impossible Conversations" he discusses steps we can take to better communicate with people we disagree with. If you've ever walked away from a conversation feeling like you got dragged into a fight, or presented compelling evidence to an unbudging thinker, this episode will change your life! Season 2, Ep. 31

PJ O'Rourke is a wry political satirist, HL Mencken Fellow at the Cato Institute, and most recently the author of "None of My Business." He joins Heaton to talk about economics, socialism, term limits, and why America will never ever be Sweden. Season 2, Ep 30

How do people wind up with their deepest political convictions? How and when do they change? Dr. Andrea Jones-Rooy is a political scientist, standup comedian, and occasional circus performer. She joins Heaton to talk about where political beliefs come from, and better tools to understand them than the standard "left or right." Ep. 29

Ep. 28 Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington are two notorious comedians, famous for "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!" and the character Neil Hamburger, respectively. They star in the show "On Cinema," and recently released a political satire mockumentary, "Mister America." They join Heaton to talk about their film, and the making of political satire. 6:15 - Tim Heidecker interview 27:05 - Gregg Turkington interview

Ep. 27 So are we going to war with Iran or not? Why did we blow up some guy, and was it a good idea to do so? What about legal? Matt Welch, host of "The Fifth Column" and Reason editor-at-large joins Heaton to sort out our foreign policy. Interview at 15:30

Ep. 26 John McAfee is a cybersecurity expert, international fugitive, and political activist. He joins Heaton to discuss his 2020 presidential campaign, and more. Much more. Lots more.

The Political Orphanage's oldest and most enthusiastic show sponsor, Snuffy's Off Route 44, has kindly offered to pay for this year's Christmas special. On the condition that the staff of Snuffy's write it in its entirety. Merry Christmas! Featuring: Josh Jennings, Austin Bragg, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood. Season 2, Ep 25

Is it better to use the government to expand coverage, or rely on markets to lower prices? Rick Ungar joins Heaton for a policy discussion about problems and solutions for American health care. Season 2, Ep 24

Dr. Tom Jones is an astronaut and the author of "Sky Walking: An Astronaut's Memoir" and joins Heaton to discuss what life is like in space and what the future holds for NASA and the private sector. Season 2, Ep 23

On this episode we take a big picture view of impeachment--what's it's role in government and what's the nature of the presidency? Michael Baranowski of The Politics Guys podcast joins to discuss, and also, to point out the similarities between the impeachment proceedings and the immortal film "Caddyshack." Season 2, Ep 22

Ken White is a First Amendment litigator, lawblogger at Popehat.com, and the hilarious Twitter personality Popehat. He joins Heaton to talk about Free Speech: what's legally protected and what will prompt the cops to come knocking? How do public decency laws work? Interview at 5:30 Season 2, Ep 21

There have been three headlines this last week hinting at a resurgent Hillary Clinton campaign in 2020. Heaton thinks it's balderdash. His friend and former producer Jennings is certain she's in. They bet money on it, and discuss. Season 2, Ep 20

Notable billionaire and possible Keebler elf Michael Bloomberg has thrown his hat into the presidential ring as a Democrat. Meanwhile Bernie Sanders wants to outlaw billionaires, and Elizabeth Warren wants to slowly deflate them, like cash balloons. Josie "The Red-Headed Libertarian" joins the show to discuss billionaires, wealth taxes, the Laffer Curve, and where to hide in a nasty political climate.

Mike Larsen is a former writer for The Drew Carey Show and Real Time with Bill Maher. He also worked for Congress as the press secretary for Representative Jackie Speier. Now he's running for congress himself in Ohio against incumbent Jim Jordan. He joins Heaton to talk about standup, his campaign, how puppets can influence democracy, and gerrymandering. Season 2, Ep 18

Ben Howe joins to discuss his book "The Immoral Majority: Why Evangelicals Chose Power Over Christian Values." The episodes covers everything from Persia's Cyrus the Great, to Christian socialism, to Buddhist and Evangelical theology. Season 2, Ep 17

Shots fired! Hillary Clinton is accusing Tulsi Gabbard of being a Russian asset. Tulsi Gabbard says Hillary Clinton is a corrupt warmonger. How exactly does this factor into foreign policy? Justin Robert Young joins Heaton for a tactical analysis of the 2020 campaign, and Heaton explains what the hell "unilateral vs multilateral muscular liberalism" means. Season 2, Ep 16

Republicans and Democrats don't just have different goals and platforms, they literally think and organize differently. Dr. Matt Grossmann joins Heaton to discuss his book, "Asymmetric Politics: Ideological Republicans and Group Interest Democrats." Season 2, Ep 15

This month America's ridiculous trade policies are going to jack scotch prices up by 25%! Heaton calls in Reason's Eric Boehm and playwright/free market paladin Jeremey Kareken to sound the alarm over protectionism. Season 2, Ep 14

Charles Cooke is the editor of National Review Online (Interview begins at 19:55), and an author, pundit, and frequent television guest on programs like "Real Time with Bill Maher" and "Kennedy" on Fox Business. He joins Heaton for a discussion about gun control and the Second Amendment, in a surprisingly wonky but cheerful episode involving heavy analysis of the blunderbuss. Season 2, Ep 13

Comedians Turner Sparks and Brian Sack join Heaton to discuss: The Area 51 Raid The Climate Change Strike Justin Trudeau's makeup choice Donald Trump, Ukraine, and impeachment Season 2, Ep 12

Comedian David Carl and playwright Jeremy Kareken join Heaton to discuss how vaping could save or kill America, the next step for John Bolton's mustache, and the post-debate shakedown in the Democratic primaries. Season 2, Ep 11

While visiting Iceland for very legal, very unsuspicious reasons, Heaton interviews two prominent Icelandic comedians--Ari Eldjárn and Helgi Steinar--to learn about their country and their politics and also to launch his very own Icelandic political campaign. Season 2, Ep 10

Burning Man is a giant, 80,000-person party in the desert, complete with a crazy amount of neon, bicycles, and narcotics. Grover Norquist is a powerful Republican, alternately famous or infamous for compelling GOP leaders to pledge never to increase spending, who attends Burning Man every year. He joins the podcast to talk about Burning Man, influential secret societies, his foray into standup comedy, and of course, taxes. Season 2, Ep 9

Dave Barry (interview at 24:35) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist, the author of scads of books, fellow band member with Stephen King, and Heaton's personal comedy-writing hero. He comes on the podcast to talk about his meteoric presidential campaign, comedy, and politics. Season 2, Ep 8

Justin Robert Young and Brian Brushwood join Heaton to discuss how and if Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren differ, if at all. Has anyone seen them at the same location at the same time? Are they possibly the same person? Who would win in a cage fight? Plus, if America doesn't buy Greenland, what should it buy? Ep 7

Dominic Frisby is a comedian, musician, and author, and his show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is "Libertarian Love Songs." He joins Heaton to discuss British politics, health care, guns, and the deeper motivations of Boris Johnson. He is extremely well dressed.