The Political Orphanage

Last week a New York court found former president Donald Trump guilty on thirty-four felony counts. Is this rule of law in action, or a corrupt judiciary undermining the law? Paul Townsend and Anna Gorisch join to sort things out.

What are the insecurities of the Working Class, and what policies hurt or exploit them? Batya Ungar-Sargon is an editor at Newsweek and the author of Second Class: How the Elites Betrayed America's Working Men and Women. BOOK AT: www.mightyheaton.com/featured Batya's handle: @bungarsargon Heaton & Batya on Heaton's TV show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBh3sLlgRx4 Batya on The Political Orphanage: "Woke Hysteria is Actually Class Warfare" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/woke-hysteria-is-actually-class-warfare/id1439837349?i=1000557442141

Daniel J. Fox, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist in Texas, international speaker, and multiple-award winning author. He has been specializing in the treatment and assessment of individuals with personality disorders for over 20 years in the state and federal prison system, universities, and in private practice.

Dr. Rainer Zitelmann is the author of "How Nations Escape Poverty: Vietnam, Poland, and the Origins of Prosperity." He joins to discuss the efficacy of international development aid, and what we can learn from the economic growth of Asia vs. that of Africa. Book at: www.mightyheaton.com/featured Dr. Zitelmann on Nazi Economics: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-nazis-thought-about-economics/id1439837349?i=1000577197764 Dr. Zitelmann on his book "In Defense of Capitalism" https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/capitalism-remains-undefeated Film: "Poland: From Socialism to Prosperity" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBIhsZ9GNHc&t=118s

Jeffrey Rosen is a legal scholar and the President of the National Constitution Center. He's the author "the Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America." Book at www.mightyheaton.com/featured

Protests over Israel and Hamas have become so heated at Columbia that it's canceled in-person classes the rest of the semester. Anti-Israel protests are becoming not just a flashpoint in America's culture war, but within Blue Team itself. What's happening? The World's Smartest Podcast Network assembles to discuss: Andrew Heaton, Dr. Andrea Jones-Rooy, and Michael Ira Kaplan. We're Not Wrong Live Show: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/were-not-wrong-live-in-washington-dc-tickets-882962824577?aff=erelexpmlt

James Judkins started out as a circus worker, eating swords and fire, then working up to ringleader and manager. As a talent scout operating in other countries, he became professionally involved in sorting visas foreign countries, then eventually transitioned to a full-time visa agency. He joins the show to discuss 1) what it's like working at the circus, and 2) how temp visas work for seasonal workers, and how they could work better.

There's a pervasive idea that in the 1950s America had single-earner families who could more easily afford housing, car payments, groceries and college, so maybe we should go back to the political economy of that era? In this special, we visit Fiftiesland and see how it stacks up to modern America. Support the show! Patreon.com/andrewheaton Venmo: @andrew-heaton-1

Tom Merritt of Daily Tech News joins to discuss the underlying technology of AI and Large Language Models, and what people get wrong about both. Pre-order Tom's book at: www.tomsnewbook.com SUPPORT THE SHOW! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton Heaton and Nick sketch comedy: mightyheaton.com/vagabonding Bonus Episode: How to Use AI for Work https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-how-to-use-98003840?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Bonus: A.I. Wrote and Recorded An En Entire Episode https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-i-wrote-77020469?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

Jennifer Doleac is Executive Vice President of Criminal Justice at Arnold Ventures, a major funder of criminal justice research and reform in the United States. She joins to discuss trends in crime, causes and deterents of crime, and cheap or easy ways we can make the country safer. Support the show! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton.

Adam Andrzejewski is CEO and Founder of Open The Books, an organization which files thousands of FOIA requests each year to document and expose government budgets and employee salaries, to identity waste and fraud. Website: https://www.openthebooks.com/

Jonathan Rauch of the Brookings Institution joins to discuss the most openly totalitarian period of American history: the Lavender Scare. And to point out that there are still people alive who suffered through it, and what restitutions can be made. Article at The Atlantic: "The U.S. Should Apologize to Gay People." https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/01/lavender-scare-gay-people-public-service-erasure/677236/

Donald Trump is being prosecuted under RICO law in Georgia, wherein District Attorney Fanni Willis has charged him and parts of his campaigns as criminal conspirators in a criminal enterprise. What is RICO law, and does Trump qualify for prosecution under it? Attorney Paul Townsend rejoins to discuss.

In this travel episode our intrepid hosts journeys to McAllen, TX on the US-border to see the river, the wall, and to interview employers who hire immigrants as well as US Border agents. Guests: Former Border Patrol chief Clem Clemson, and Lee Wicker, Deputy Director for the North Carolina Growers Association. Support the Show! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton Relevant Links: Bryan Caplan on Open Borders https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/bryan-caplan Anna Gorisch: Sucks to Legally Immigrate https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/if-i-want-to-naturalize-my-foreign-bastard-foreign

Xi Xinping, the leader of China, has dramatically consolidated power and extended his reign indefinitely. What does he think and what does he want? Steve Tsang is the Director of the SOAS China Institute at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. He is the author of "The Political Thought of Xi Xinping," and joins to discuss.

Rudyard William Lynch is the host of WhatifAlHist, a popular history channel on YouTube. He joins to discuss how the origins and circumstances of America's regions permanently imprinted on its cultures and political outlooks. Colin Woodard's Map: https://www.businessinsider.com/the-11-nations-of-the-united-states-2015-7 Rudyard's Map: https://preview.redd.it/cultural-map-of-america-done-by-whatifalthist-on-youtube-v0-7clddg9nunpa1.jpg?auto=webp&s=663b38b9434bdf7791fac983f0d5e5beb643b779 Relevant Book: American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America, by Colin Woodard

Alain Bertaud is a feted urbanist, who before becoming a professor at NYU, worked in city planning in communist China, as well as on projects in Algeria, Cuba, and his native France. He joins to discuss what work and results look like in top-down command economies. Alan Bertaud from City Week: https://www.patreon.com/posts/sim-city-was-79663680?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

Is AI biased towards a particular viewpoint, and if so, how does it affect national sentiment and elections? Maxim Lott has built an AI tracking website that charts the political orientation of Large Language Models, and watches their development in real time. He joins to discuss. Maxim's Website: trackingai.org Maxim's Substack: https://maximumtruth.substack.com/ Political Compass Quiz: https://www.politicalcompass.org/test

I flew to New Hampshire to check out the primaries, and to visit this historically independent-minded state to see how independents think. In this episode we see a Nikki Haley concert, and get invited to a Libertarian Clubhouse. TPO: Don't Screw This Up, New Hampshire (Feb, 2020) https://five.libsyn.com/show/episodes/view/13086767

Donald Trump has been removed from the ballot in Colorado and in Maine, on the grounds that he is an insurrectionist ineligible to hold office under the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court will hear an appeal from the Trump campaign in the following weeks. Anna Gorisch comes to discuss the specifics and impacts of this case, and what will be of issue to the highest court in the land.

Live from Des Moines, Iowa, Heaton transforms into a 'thinky travelogue' guide, unraveling the mysteries of state-by-state primaries, and the often confusing blend of direct democracy and representative democracy that characterizes American politics. This episode isn't just about the mechanics of the caucus; it's an exploration of the philosophical underpinnings of the American political system, drawing parallels between ancient Greece and Rome, and our modern-day practices. TPO: Glen Weyl on How Weighted Voting Could Actually Work https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/glen-weyl

Hey gang, I will be joining Jen Briney and Justin Robert Young for a live show of our podcast "We're Not Wrong" at 7:00 PM at the Share Brewing Company in Manchester, NH, this Saturday, January 20th. If you're in the area, this is a great alibi--come on out!

Zach Weinersmith is the author of "A City on Mars: Can we settle space, should we settle space, and have we really thought this through?" He joins to discuss the legal and economic feasibility of building settlements on Mars or the Moon SUPPORT THE SHOW! www.patreon.com.andrewheaton Robert Zubrin: Want to Build a Moon Base https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-98-i-want-to-build-a-moon-base-guest-robert-zubrin/id1439837349?i=1000434628317 Robert Zubrin on Mars https://alienating.libsyn.com/turns-out-were-all-probably-martians How to Make Money on Mars https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alienating-the-audience/id1488171922?i=1000470956981 Lori Garber: Space Billionaires vs Space Bureucrats https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/space-bureaucrats-vs-space-billionaires

Greg Lukianoff is the President of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, and along with Rikki Schlott, is the author of "The Cancelling of the American Mind: Cancel Culture Undermines Trust, Destroys Institutions, and Threatens Us All--But There Is a Solution." Get the the book: www.mightyheaton.com/featured TPO: Greg Lukianoff discussing his last book, "The Coddling of the American Mind." https://omny.fm/shows/something-s-off-with-andrew-heaton/ep-19-the-coddling-of-the-american-mind-guest-greg?in_playlist=something-s-off-with-andrew-heaton!podcast TPO: "The Enemies of How We Know Stuff" with Jonathan Rauch https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/the-enemies-of-how-we-know-stuff TPO: "This Comedy Club Owner Un-Canceled Louis C. K." https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/getting-canceled-diet-death-penalty TPO: "How to Be A Better Vulcan" (Logical Fallacies) https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/logical-fallacies-main-feed

New York Times columnist David Brooks believes a basic breakdown in interpersonal skills is the origin of our current political rancor. His new book, "How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply And Being Deeply Seen" aims to fix that. He joins to discuss how to better connect with people, and its implications. Support the show! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton Buy the book: www.mightyheaton.com/featured

Highlights from Christmas comedy specials of years gone by. Enjoy!

It's the sixth annual comedy Christmas special! Underwritten by Snuffy's (Off Route 44). This year's Christmas special includes: Muppets, Artificial Intelligence, circumcision, a robotic horse, and beloved English actors. Enjoy! Link for Christmas Zoom: www.mightyheaton.com/christmas Venmo: andrew-heaton-1 PayPal: [email protected] PREVIOUS CHRISTMAS SPECIALS Snuffy's Explosion-Proof Christmas - https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/snuffys-explosion-proof-christmas A Rather Snuffy's Christmas - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-political-orphanage/id1439837349?i=1000545755269 A Grander Snuffy's Christmas - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a-grander-snuffys-christmas/id1439837349?i=1000503286243 Another Snuffy's Christmas - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/another-snuffys-christmas/id1439837349?i=1000460559897 A Very Snuffy's Christsmas - https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/ep-30-a-very-snuffys-christmas-0

Deed restrictions allow you to make contractual obligations with other homeowners–often, dead ones. How do deed restrictions and HOA's drive up housing costs and hurt density? How do we allow private contracts to exist without running into the downsides of neighborhood covenants. Chris Gannon works with the American Institute of Architects on their Housing Committee. He joins to discuss.

Chris Moody and his wife called their telecom provider, to ask that their Internet service be scrapped, and replaced by a landline. They do not have cell reception on the mountain where they live, so eschew wifi and the world wide web in favor of a single hardwired phone inside their home. Chris joins the show to discuss how the change affected his lifestyle and happiness, and offer advice on what others can do. REFERENCES: TPO: Would You Shut Down the Internet If You Could? https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/would-you-shut-down-the-internet-if-you-could The Atlantic: Life Is Really Better Without the Internet, by Chris Moody https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/11/home-internet-landline-amazon-smartphone/676070/ Reason: Essentials for Van Life, by Chris Moody https://reason.com/2023/11/09/17-essentials-for-van-life/ Funny! "When Life was Simple" from Harry & Paul https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqE9TS4jsJM How to Grayscale Your Phone https://www.makeuseof.com/how-to-enable-grayscale-on-iphone/#:~:text=Setting%20up%20grayscale%20on%20your,Color%20Filters%22%20in%20your%20settings.

Juries have the ability to vote "not guilty" even when it's clear the accused violated established law. If a jury judges a law as unjust and refuses to convict, is that a needed recourse within our judicial system, or contrary to objective and universal justice? Attorney Paul Townsend joins to discuss.

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 of human history--including that of pharaohs and kings. BOOKS: This episode relies heavily on "The Rational Optimist" by Matt Ridley, "Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know" by Ron Bailey, and "The Better Angels of Our Nature" by Stephen Pinker, and "Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think" by Peter H. Diamandis. All great books that present convincing stats on the positive trajectory of the world. They're all linked to at www.mightyheaton.com/featured RELATED INTERVIEWS: Matt Ridley on Rational Optimism Ron Bailey on Positive Trends

How many nuclear bombs do we actually need to sufficiently scare an enemy? How many is too many? If we agree to reduce our stockpiles… how can we trust that the other guy really did? Travis Halleman is an expert on nuclear deterrence, and joins to discuss. Links: Who Actually Survives a Nuclear War: https://www.patreon.com/posts/who-actually-war-71978682?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=postshare_creator Ward Wilson: Everything You Know About Nukes is Wrong https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/ep-133-everything-you-know-about-nukes-is-wrong-guest/id1439837349?i=1000440171975 Political Orphanage Primer on Foreign Policy: https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/liberals-realists-and-the-real-cause-of-war Mark Galeotti - https://warontherocks.com/author/mark-galeotti/

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-lincoln-leftwing-or-rightwing/id1439837349?i=1000613342722 Cenk's book at: www.mightyheaton.com/featured

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 Industry" https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/late-night-comedy-vs-the-outrage-industry

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 The Emperor Claudius https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/emperor-claudius-killed-a-whale/id1596616667?i=1000546859060&l=ru

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.patreon.com/posts/bonus-charles-to-75324382?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Ron Paul on Foreign Policy and the Deep State https://www.patreon.com/posts/40187874/

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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev373c7wSRg

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 of Good and Evil." He joins to discuss. Michael's book at: www.mightyheaton.com/featured "Adults Are Talking with Andrew Heaton" on YouTube Adults Are Talking with Andrew Heaton | Ep 1 "Adults Are Talking with Andrew Heaton" on Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/status/1704993914900406574 REFERENCED EPISODES: "Who Actually Survives a Nuclear War?" https://www.patreon.com/posts/who-actually-war-71978682?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=postshare_creator "How to Destroy a Country in Four Years: Cambodia" https://www.patreon.com/posts/how-to-destroy-55904459

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/andrewheaton Book at: www.mightyheaton.com/featured

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 American.

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 "The UFO Movie THEY Don't Want You To See." Links: Brian Dunning's "The UFO Movie THEY Don't Want You To See" https://www.briandunning.com/ufo/ TPO: Why UFOs are in the News https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-ufos-are-in-the-news/id1439837349?i=1000489860085 Heaton's novel, Frank Got Abducted https://www.amazon.com/Frank-Got-Abducted-Andrew-Heaton-ebook/dp/B00HSE9OZI/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=qNkeY&content-id=amzn1.sym.ed85217c-14c9-4aa0-b248-e47393e2ce12&pf_rd_p=ed85217c-14c9-4aa0-b248-e47393e2ce12&pf_rd_r=136-0886507-5175312&pd_rd_wg=1QCog&pd_rd_r=70c12931-a2c0-4e79-b4a1-130dac827ad2&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk Orphan Meetup - Wings Edinburgh on Old Fishmarket Close in Edinburgh, Scotland at 7:00 PM, Wednesday Sept 6th.

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. Zubrin worked in areas of radiation protection, nuclear power plant safety, thermonuclear fusion research, and as a secondary school science and math teacher. Find his book at: mightyheaton.com/featured SUPPORT THE SHOW! Patreon.com/andrewheaton LINKS: Zubrin on TPO: "I Want to Build a Moon Base" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-98-i-want-to-build-a-moon-base-guest-robert-zubrin/id1439837349?i=1000434628317 Zubrin on ATA: "Turns Out, We're All Probably Martians" https://podcasts.apple.com/dk/podcast/turns-out-were-all-probably-martians/id1488171922?i=1000474556038&l=da

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 Referenced in the show today: TPO: "Was Abraham Lincoln Leftwing or Rightwing?" https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/hyrum-lewis "Transcenant Man" – Documentary by Ray Kurzweill about the Singularity https://www.amazon.co.uk/Transcendent-Man-Ray-Kurzweil/dp/B016V7WCLA ATA: The Bioethics of Gattica – Discussed on Alienating the Audience https://alienating.libsyn.com/gattaca ATA: How Cryonics Works – Interview on Alienating the Audience https://alienating.libsyn.com/we-can-freeze-you-how-cryonics-works

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: www.mightyheaton.com/bestof Max's Constitution writing contest: https://underthrow.substack.com/p/the-constitution-of-consent-contest Referenced Today: The Network State, by Balaji Srinivasan The Dawn of Everything, by David Graeber and David Wengrow