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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.

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”

Cognitive dissonance occurs when our actions are out of sync with our perception of ourself or the world, or a new opinion or piece of data makes us question our worldview. It's an incredibly uncomfortable feeling, which most people wave away by dismissing the objection, redefining the situation, or sometimes outright violence.    Adaam Levin-Areddy, host of the "Uncertain Things" podcast joins to discuss why we should plow directly into cognitive dissonance, rather than avoid it.

Does distributed power check tyranny, or simply empower petty tyrants? What's the relationship between efficiency, scale, and the size of government? In this episode we explore the pro's and con's of dispersed power.   Join the Orphanage! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton

Batya Ungar-Sargon says liberal pieties have more to do with the managerial class’s disdain for the poor and maintaining elite status than with actual racism in the country. She is the deputy opinion editor of Newsweek, and the author of “Bad News: How Woke Media is Undermining Democracy.” JOIN THE ORPHANAGE: www.patreon.com/andrewheaton Paypal: andrew@mightyheaton Venmo: andrew-heaton-1

David McRaney is host of the "Your Are Not So Smart" podcast, and joins to discuss how our monkey brains are more wired to promote group cohesion than to think critically or logically--and what to do about it.   JOIN THE ORPHANAGE! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton  

Scuzzy businesses routinely try to regulate away competitors so they don’t have compete in a free and open market. Those cads! Justin Pearson of the Institute for Justice joins to discuss the many ways in which dubious characters use the power of the state to stifle competition. Join the Orphanage! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton

Are you a Liberal or a Realist when it comes to geopolitics? This episode is a crash course in International Relations Theory: What is the fundamental nature of conflict between states? Naked power, relationships, or a clash of ideas? By the end of today’s program, you’ll grasp the fundamentals of IR Theory. JOIN THE ORPHANAGE: www.patreon.com/andrewheaton Venmo: andrew-heaton-1 PayPal: andrew@mightyheaton.com

As the situation in Ukraine continues to escalate, it's important to keep our tribal impulses in check, and ensure we remain level-headed and credulous when everyone gets excited and starts bandwagoning.

Michael Weiss joins the show to discuss Russia’s “Potemkin Military” and how a pratfall invasion coupled with global pariah status could lead to Putin's downfall. Michael Weiss on How Putin Thinks: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-vladimir-putin-thinks/id1439837349?i=1000473057626 Michael Weiss on Darth Vader: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/darth-vader-is-a-19th-century-supervillain/id1488171922?i=1000511538475

Jen Briney of "Congressional Dish" joins to discuss sanctions, economic warfare, and the underlying rationale for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Support the show! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton Venmo: @andrew-heaton-1 Paypal: andrew@mightyheaton.com

My new book "Inappropriately Human: 21 Short Stories" is now available as an audio book! You can listen to it via Audible.com. To pique your interest, here is a funny story from it: "RE: Your Timeline Infractions."  Download your copy on Amazon.com, or mightyheaton.com/books

Why do some activist movements change the world, when others make a big bang and then fizzle out? Gal Beckerman is the author of “The Quiet Before: On the Unexpected Origins of Radical Ideas.” You can find a copy at mightyheaton.com/featured

My hero just died. In this special episode, I talk about the beloved political satirist P. J. O'Rourke, and his impact on me personally. Then play a rerun of his final interview on this program, wherein we discuss his book "A Cry From the Far Middle." 

Charles Cooke of National Review joins the show to discuss embattled podcast host Joe Rogan as the flashpoint between authoritarianism and free speech. And to elaborate on the difference between state censorship, and a culture of open expression against that of self-censorship.

Joe Biden has pledged to nominate a black woman to the forthcoming Supreme Court vacancy--should race and gender factor in at all? In politics, does ideology or identity weigh more heavily? Jeremiah Johnson and Andrea Jones-Rooy joins to discuss. Against Malaria Foundation https://www.againstmalaria.com/orphans Nita Fashions https://www.nitafashions.com/

What are the therapeutic benefits to psychedelics, like psilocybin mushrooms or LSD? What are their potential downsides? In this episode we talk to Sarah Rose Siskind of “Drug Test” comedy show, as well as Aella @Aella_Girl, who spent a year doing a colossal amount of LSD. Prior Drug War episode with Jeff Miron: “So What Would Happen if We Legalized Heroin”? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/so-what-would-happen-if-we-legalized-heroin/id1439837349?i=1000479373766 Join the Orphanage! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton

Alan Graham is the Founder of Community First Village, an innovative community that houses the homeless and integrates them into a vibrant community. It’s a model that takes care of both the material and emotional needs of the downtrodden, and one which is replicable throughout the country. Community First: https://mlf.org/community-first/

What are the dumb ways we try but fail to solve homelessness, or even make it worse? In this episode we cover:   * Economics * Housing Policy * Elizabethan History * Mental Health * Really stupid zoning laws   In hopes of coming up with better solutions to the current homeless situation in the United States.   JOIN THE ORPHANAGE AND SUPPORT THE SHOW! Go to www.patreon.com/andrewheaton

The World's Smartest Podcast Network returns for a roundtable discussion about: * What the hell is happening with Covid now? * What the hell are we supposed to do about Afghanistan? * Reddit's infamous r/AntiWork * Elizabeth Holmes vs Ghislaine Maxwell