Dad Saves America

Latest Episodes:

Dr. Drew on Narcissism, Childhood Trauma, and the Sexual Revolution Dec 04, 2025

Show notes

I sat down with Dr. Drew Pinsky to unpack how a culture of narcissism is warping our relationships, our politics, and the way we raise our kids. Drawing on decades of clinical experience, Dr. Drew explains how collapsing family structures create adults who are fragile on the inside but obsessed with curating a perfect image on the outside. We talk about how social media rewards performative outrage and mob “justice,” why so many young people now filter everything through a lens of victimhood, and how the sexual revolution reshaped intimacy in ways most people still don’t fully understand.

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Follow Dr. Drew on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/drdrew

Subscribe to Dr. Drew’s YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@DrDrew?si=ep1LT1yWvqUKxrYW

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Outline:

[0:00] Intro

[0:53] What is narcissism?

[15:17] Activist mobs, false empathy, and free speech

[22:42] Narcissism vs sociopathy vs psychopathy

[29:18] The impacts of social media

[30:59] What is adulthood?

[39:05] Family breakdown and the psychological crisis

[51:38] “It Doesn’t Have To Be Awkward”

[56:38] Grappling with gender identity confusion

[1:05:53] The lasting effects of trauma

[1:12:51] Marriage, divorce, and relationships

[1:20:40] Why are gay and transgender issues lumped together?

[1:23:18] Do Americans just need to toughen up?

[1:25:18] Mental health impacts of COVID lockdowns

[1:27:16] Social media hits girls and boys are differently

[1:30:53] Homelessness, fatherlessness, and foster care

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The Neuroscience Behind the Culture War – Delia McCabe Nov 27, 2025

Show notes

I sat down with neuroscience PhD Delia McCabe to explore why our brains are struggling in the modern world and what that means for our kids, our politics, and how we handle the AI revolution. Delia has spent her career digging into the effects of nutrition on mental health—either optimizing cognitive function or sending our brains into disastrous feedback loops. We also discuss biological sex differences, the rise of gender confusion, and the cognitive biases that have deranged our public discourse.

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Read Delia’s Substack: https://deliamccabe.substack.com/

Learn more about Delia’s work: https://www.lighterbrighteryou.life/

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Outline:

[0:00] What’s wrong with clinical psychology?

[7:13] The link between food, behavior, and mental health

[19:36] How neuroplasticity actually works

[28:24] Thinking burns more energy than physical labor

[33:15] Does neuroscience disprove free will?

[39:43] Emotions can literally change what we know

[45:30] You can’t separate the mind from the body

[55:49] Confirmation bias vs “the feeling of knowing”

[1:03:20] When is it safe to “trust your gut”?

[1:12:27] Why smart people believe dumb ideas

[1:18:40] What happens to your brain in your mid-20s?

[1:30:14] “Social-emotional learning” and the trauma obsession

[1:45:26] The black mirror, the uncanny valley, and narcissism

[1:55:33] Male and female brains are objectively different

[2:08:05] What’s causing the explosion of gender confusion?

[2:21:38] Is feminization destroying our society?

[2:38:32] Confronting your ignorance is painful but necessary

[2:43:14] How can we heal the gender divide?

[2:49:47] How can you change someone’s mind?

[3:01:35] Why our psychology leads to big government

[3:12:54] The jobs that attract smart psychopaths

[3:25:56] Stress, focus, and creativity

[3:36:43] Understand the brain, save America

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Persuasion VS Manipulation: Why We Don’t Trust Slick-Talkers - Jay Heinrichs Nov 21, 2025

Show notes

I sat down with Jay Heinrichs, best-selling author of Thank You for Arguing, to explore the lost art of rhetoric and why Americans should relearn these skills. Most of us have forgotten how to persuade one another, and in an algorithmically optimized social media era, we’re increasingly vulnerable to constant manipulation. We dig into how, from Gavin Newsom to Donald Trump, our politicians use rhetorical tactics to greater and lesser effect. The ancient Greeks treated argument as a civic virtue—a tool for building relationships and solving problems. In the modern era, where political tribes talk past each other and rely on logical fallacies, elevating our public discourse is long overdue.

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Learn more about Jay’s work: https://www.jayheinrichs.com/

Read Jay’s work on Substack: https://substack.com/@jayheinrichs?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page

Purchase a copy of Jay’s latest book: https://a.co/d/5BV8IEF

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Outline:

[0:00] What is “rhetoric” and why did we forget it?

[8:17] The collapse and rebirth of public debate

[17:28] Inoculate your kids against manipulation

[24:59] Disinterest vs “lived experience” in debate

[34:51] Arguing about the past, present, and future

[42:51] How to apply these tactics in a job interview

[50:01] Why we’re skeptical of slick-talkers

[59:52] Can rhetoric help rebuild institutional trust?

[1:07:02] Physical closeness, emotion, and human connection

[1:17:58] Empathy, sympathy, and manipulative rhetoric

[1:22:54] Greta Thunberg’s vs Al Gore’s climate change rhetoric

[1:32:01] How to avoid logical fallacies

[1:51:59] Why bipartisanship is so elusive today

[2:01:31] Empower your kids to speak better

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My Soviet Parents Saw Cancel Culture Coming Before Anyone Else - Katherine Brodsky Nov 14, 2025

Show notes

I sat down with writer and free speech advocate Katherine Brodsky to explore how fear and conformity have paralyzed honest dialogue in the West. Drawing on her own experience as the target of a cancellation mob for what should have been an uncontroversial statement, she’s been grappling with how our culture can return to sanity and re-embrace free speech as a core value. We reflect on how social media algorithms have distorted public discourse, whether the right is now engaging in the same bad behavior that defined the left over the past decade, and why having hard conversations is a skill we need to practice more as a society.

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Follow Katherine on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/mysteriouskat?s=20

Read Katherine’s work on Substack: https://substack.com/@mysteriouskat

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Outline:

[0:00] Why Katherine called me out

[6:33] How Katherine got cancelled

[22:18] Her Soviet parents saw cancel culture coming

[28:23] Why can’t we have reasonable conversations anymore?

[36:03] Instinct, rationality, and algorithmic manipulation

[43:20] Why some people stand up to the mob and others don’t

[48:09] Where are the conservatives in academia and the arts?

[1:00:06] Searching for truth in the Israel debate

[1:09:22] Did the anti-woke backlash go to far?

[1:19:07] Does Twitter represent the public’s actual opinions?

[1:27:14] We’re still haunted by the atrocities of 2020

[1:37:57] How hands-off should the government be?

[1:48:54] Bodily autonomy and freedom of speech are non-negotiable

[1:56:45] Is Muslim immigration compatible with the West?

[2:13:51] Why has the left embraced anti-Americanism?

[2:28:42] Free speech is a muscle

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Jonathan Haidt: Why Did Our Kids Starts To Go Crazy in 2012? Nov 06, 2025

Show notes

I sat down with social psychologist and bestselling author Jonathan Haidt to examine how overprotective parenting and unfettered access to social media have stunted the development of Gen Z. A decades-long obsession with safety has replaced unsupervised outdoor play with online binging—and now we’re faced with a younger generation that’s more anxious, less confident, and robbed of the independence and resilience needed to grow into capable adults. What will it take for America to raise free, competent, and happy children again?

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Follow Jonathan on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/JonHaidt

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Outline:

[0:00] Introduction

[0:49] The origin of “The Coddling of the American Mind”

[2:13] What does it mean to be an adult?

[10:22] Why parents should avoid over-scheduling

[12:24] Is Gen Z actually that unique?

[16:30] Social media’s impact on kids’ mental health

[20:09] Looking beyond depression and anxiety

[22:15] Do fragile kids become failed adults?

[24:12] How can people achieve happiness?

[28:38] The bad ideas running our society

[29:39] Why is anti-fragility so important?

[33:29] Stick-and-stones vs mean words

[37:51] What is “locus of control”?

[41:00] Should we trust our feelings?

[45:20] Measuring childhood success

[47:18] Kids’ problems become society’s problems

[49:13] Where is America headed if we don’t change course?

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How the Government Hijacked the Internet - Mike Benz Oct 30, 2025

Show notes

I sat down with Mike Benz, former State Department official and founder of the Foundation for Freedom Online, to uncover how government agencies, intelligence contractors, and Big Tech built the surveillance, propaganda, and censorship machine now reshaping the internet. Mike explains how child protection measures have evolved into weapons against free speech and online privacy, how the CIA influences the tech industry, and why you should still work to protect your personal data—even with so much already online.

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Follow Mike on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/joelkotkin

Watch Mike on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@mikebenzcyberofficial?si=x44aaPbJ4wGMExbE

Learn more about Mike’s organization: https://foundationforfreedomonline.com/

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Outline:

[0:00] Texas app store age verification law

[23:05] How the CIA gathers mass biometric data

[29:02] What is a “limited hangout”?

[34:06] The CIA doesn’t just target the villains

[44:54] How surveillance is turned on Americans

[55:45] Isn’t your personal data already online?

[1:11:36] Larry Ellison’s surveillance “utopia”

[1:19:02] The presumption of innocence is gone

[1:26:14] Oracle is tied to all sorts of shady stuff

[1:42:27] Does technology dehumanize us?

[2:01:20] How elite stakeholders shape government

[2:15:42] The public needs to know what’s going on

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The Middle Class Built Our Greatest Cities. Now They’re All Gone. - Joel Kotkin Oct 23, 2025

Show notes

I sat down with Joel Kotkin, author of The Coming of Neo-Feudalism, to examine how America’s middle class is being erased and what that means for the future of civilization. Joel argues that we’re entering a new feudal order, where tech oligarchs and ideological elites control wealth, culture, and opportunity while ordinary families lose the ability to own homes, raise children, and build stable communities. We explore the roots of this transformation in collapsing birth rates, failing cities, and the dominance of a secular clerisy pushing increasingly extreme ideas.

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Follow Joel on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/joelkotkin

Learn more about Joel’s work: https://joelkotkin.com/

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Outline:

[0:00] AI will change everything

[9:44] The overeducated, underpaid class

[19:29] AI destroys entry-level work

[29:59] America is splitting in two

[43:47] People are opting out of woke

[58:34] Local government matters most

[1:07:18] Class matters, but race doesn’t

[1:18:43] Why can’t moderates win cities anymore?

[1:30:37] The rise of the populist right

[1:40:36] What happened to the left?

[2:03:36] Why tech oligarchs are so weird

[2:19:59] Social media pros and cons

[2:25:49] The British deserve credit

[2:36:44] Antisemitism and political violence

[2:41:38] Confirmation bias, climate, and population

[2:57:22] How to build a fulfilling life

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How To Be a Great Parent and a Great Boss - Robert Glazer Oct 16, 2025

Show notes

I sat down with author, entrepreneur, and leadership expert Robert Glazer to talk about how defining your values creates effective individuals, families, and organizations. His new book, The Compass Within, is a modern parable about how to establish clarity and purpose in your career and personal life. Robert is also known for his criticism of the “two-week notice” corporate norm, instead advocating for a more thoughtful process that aligns the interests of employers and employees cooperatively, rather than making exits all about conflict. We discuss our shared experiences as parents and entrepreneurs, how AI will reshape the career landscape, and why defining your personal core values helps life make more sense and simplifies the dilemmas you will inevitably face.

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Order a hardcover copy of The Compass Within and claim your free course: https://robertglazer.com/compass-dad-saves-america/

Follow Robert on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/robert_glazer

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Outline:

[0:00] Writing a modern parable about finding your values

[7:01] How should we think about capacity and potential?

[15:34] Rules vs values for your kids

[24:00] How wealth, geography, and culture impact parenting

[29:17] Savior-complex parenting delays the inevitable

[35:29] The problem with the “2-week notice”

[50:31] How company culture changes with scale

[55:41] Have the “AI talk” with your kids

[1:02:27] You’re not “owed” a job

[1:06:54] Have you considered a job in sales?

[1:19:26] Your kids will learn from action, not talk

[1:22:18] How do you bring values into a relationship?

[1:29:04] What actually ARE values?

[1:33:19] Tribalism, truth, and authenticity

[1:42:13] Why “not taking it personal” is complicated

[1:46:57] How to identify and define your values

[2:10:36] Next, put your values into action

[2:14:40] Inoculate your kids to the victim mindset

[2:25:08] Build better leaders in your family

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Matt Kibbe on the Deep State, Fauci, and the COVID Coverup Oct 09, 2025

Show notes

I sat down with Matt Kibbe, libertarian activist and founder of Free the People, to talk about his documentary series “The Coverup,” which exposes COVID-era malfeasance, America’s corrupt bureaucratic machine, and the failure of the “expert class,” best embodied by Anthony Fauci himself. Matt’s activism dates back to the early days of the Tea Party movement, where he took the tactics that leftists had perfected over decades and successfully wielded them for the anti-big-government, pro-liberty cause. Reinvigorated by COVID lockdowns and vaccine mandates, he sees hope in the new, anti-authoritarian coalition that transcends left-versus-right politics—it’s We the People versus the Deep State.

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Follow Matt on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/mkibbe

Watch “The Coverup”: https://www.blazetv.com/series/71poNfD6H4OK-the-coverup

Learn more about Free the People:

https://freethepeople.org/

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Outline:

[0:00] Organizing the Tea Party wave

[14:34] The new coalition crosses left and right

[19:23] Activism, fundraising, and corporate corruption

[25:44] Speaking out against COVID lockdowns

[34:03] How “public health” was militarized after 9/11

[46:29] COVID could’ve been so much worse

[48:40] Bureaucracy isn’t just wasteful—it’s dangerous

[50:57] Pandemics and authoritarianism go hand-in-hand

[53:09] “The science” is just technocratic fascism

[58:59] Every pandemic is exaggerated to create panic

[1:02:17] Is the “private vs. public” distinction actually real?

[1:11:14] “The experts” won’t save us, but the people can

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Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/icnMGAFC-Rs

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The Sexual Revolution Ruined Millennials. Will Gen Z Get It Right? - Aleks Svetski Oct 02, 2025

Show notes

I sat down with Aleks Svetski, author of “The UnCommunist Manifesto” and “The Bushido of Bitcoin,” to discuss why socialism fails, the fallout of the sexual revolution, and Bitcoin’s potential for our future. The Millennial generation was the test case for absolute gender equality—even to the point of ignoring biology—and now Gen Z is searching for different solutions, from full-blown communism to hard-core traditionalism. We dig into why socialists misunderstand the world, the need for values beyond economics, and I ask Aleks some questions I have about Bitcoin.

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Follow Aleks on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/AleksSvetski

Aleks on Substack: https://substack.com/@svetskiwrites

”The UnCommunist Manifesto”: https://a.co/d/icDKFRI

“The Bushido of Bitcoin”: https://a.co/d/fjBEd8G

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Outline:

[0:00] “The UnCommunist Manifesto”

[4:39] Will the Mamdani trend last?

[14:24] How to talk someone out of socialism

[25:52] Deploying capital effectively and efficiently

[32:51] Learning the messy reality of business