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:

The Laws and Economics of Treasure Hunting Jun 22, 2022

Show notes

Let's talk to a treasure hunter about the laws and politics of finding old gold at the bottom of the ocean! Who owns the gold? Do governments squabble over it? What ratio of lawyers to diving equipment do you need to salvage and sell said gold? Chip Forsythe is establishing a multi-million dollar treasure hunting expedition along the Atlantic seafloor--in search of sunken gold.

A Spock and Scotty Approach to Gun Control Jun 16, 2022

Show notes

Let's take a numbers-first approach to gun legislation. In the wake of horrible mass shootings, gun control and advocacy groups are digging their heals, and often relying on bumper sticker canards. Rather than approaching this issue ideologically, or even inductively, we're going to look at ways to dramatically reduce gun deaths by looking at the numbers.

"Gun Deaths by the Numbers" with Guy Smith:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gun-deaths-by-the-numbers/id1439837349?i=1000508430461

Other Nations Are Insufficiently Horny Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

"Demographic Winter" occurs when a nation's population growth is so bottlenecked that its labor is unable to sustain the economy in basics like tax revenue, health care services--and food. Much of the developed world, with laggardly birthrates, is poised to tumble off that demographic cliff. Ken Gronbach is an internationally lauded demographer. Analyzing population macrotrends, he forecasts calamities, upswings, and political and economic changes in the near future. He joins to discuss the "Demographic Winter" poised to afflict much of the world, plus what the United States can anticipate over the next two decades as Baby Boomers retire and a fresh generation steps up.

Real Science Hates Scientism Jun 01, 2022

Show notes

What happens when authorities try to shield their decisions by draping themselves in lab coats?

What's the difference between the Scientific Method, and a religious "appeal to authority" where the authority is a scientist we agree with?

Ron Hayden joins to discuss the difference between science and scientism, and the downsides of conflating the two.

What Happens When You Get Canceled May 27, 2022

Show notes

Jamie Kilstein got canceled and canceled hard–in 2017 his marriage, podcast, standup comedy career, and social life all imploded in a fiery explosion.

He joins the show to talk about what happens when you build a career around instigating the mob, and then the mob suddenly turns on you. And what rehabilitation looks like after. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/q5_EFZ7K-sM

SUPPORT THE SHOW! Patreon.com/andrewheaton

(Rebroadcast) Originalism - How Conservative Judges Think May 25, 2022

Show notes

Rerun from Judge Week! Originalism is the favored jurisprudence of conservative scions like Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. It's predicated on the notion that laws have fixed meanings, determined at the moment of their ratification according to the language of their day. Professor Green is the H.L.A. Hart Scholar of Law & Philosophy at the University of Mississippi. A graduate of Princeton, Yale, and Notre Dame, he has clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals on the Fifth Circuit, practiced as a private litigator, is the author of multiple books, and is a sought-after speaker about Originalism, executive power, and the 14th Amendment.

(Rebroadcast) The Living Constitution - How Liberal Judges Think May 23, 2022

Show notes

A rerun from Judge Week! When the Constitution says "cruel and unusual punishment" does it mean by the standards of the 18th century, or our own? How much latitude should jurists take when interpreting the law? Professor David Strauss of the University of Chicago has argued nineteen cases before the United States Supreme Court, formerly served as Special Counsel to the Committee on the Judiciary of the United States Senate, and sits on the Board of Directors of the American Constitution Society. He joins Heaton to discuss Living Constitutionalism: the school of jurisprudence favored by progressive judges.

The Guts of Roe v. Wade May 19, 2022

Show notes

Does the Constitution affirm a right to abortion? The Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, removing federal protections on abortion.

We explore this historic case, as well as the leaked Alito draft on Dobbs v. Jackson, and how constitutional law applies to abortion.

YouTube at: https://youtu.be/7D2ozfZOab4

The Duopoly Hates Third Parties May 12, 2022

Show notes

Larry Sharpe is running for governor in New York as a Libertarian, but may not even be able to get on the ballot. When third parties pick up steam, state governments erect barriers to keep them off the ballot and maintain the system. In this episode we explore the issue of ballot suppression, and how it stacks up alongside gerrymandering and voter suppression.

Why Comedy Leans Left (But Doesn't Have To) May 05, 2022

Show notes

Comedians, television, and film all tend to lean Democrat. Why is that? Is there something inherently unfunny about Republicans, or do the powers that be just not let the funny ones inside the building?

Comedians Jeff Maurer and Andrew Young discuss orthodoxy and anti-authoritarianism in comedy, and media scholar Matt Sienkiewicz discusses his new book "That's Not Funny: How the Right Makes Comedy Work for Them"

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