The Political Orphanage

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: andrew@mightyheaton.com     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