WSPN: Omicron, Afghanistan, and Antiwork

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

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: [email protected] 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: [email protected]

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.