Comedy

The Political Orphanage

Politics minus bile plus jokes. Comedian and avowed independent Andrew Heaton interviews authors and thought leaders about policy and big thinky stuff.

Latest Episodes:

Understanding Immigration Through Circus Folk Apr 24, 2024

Show notes

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.

Was Life Easier in the Fifties? Apr 19, 2024

Show notes

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

What People Get Wrong About A. I. Apr 10, 2024

Show notes

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

Why Violent Crime is Up Apr 03, 2024

Show notes

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.

Just How Much Fraud is in Government? Mar 27, 2024

Show notes

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/

Totalitarianism and the Gays Mar 20, 2024

Show notes

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/

Trump, RICO Law, and Lawyer Sex Mar 13, 2024

Show notes

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.

The Economics of Illegal Immigration Mar 06, 2024

Show notes

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

The New Mao Feb 28, 2024

Show notes

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.

America is Eleven Different Countries Feb 21, 2024

Show notes

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

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