Podcast
Dad Saves America
Hosted by John Papola · EN
Proud papa, filmmaker, entrepreneur, and arm-chair philosopher John Papola explores the biggest issues facing our country through the lens of fatherhood, releasing exclusive interviews and deep dives every week. We need to make sure the next generation of Americans is raised to thrive in a free society and be champions of civilization.
Dad Saves America has hosted all sorts of experts in the studio, including Jonathan Haidt, Dr. Drew, Michael Shellenberger, Bret Weinstein, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Adam Carolla.
www.dadsavesamerica.com
www.dadsavesamerica.com
50episodes
Episodes
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Nolan’s Odyssey: Woke Disaster or Western Classic?
5d ago01:08:56Tap to summarizeChristopher Nolan's “The Odyssey” opened last weekend and sent Homer's 2,800-year-old poem back up the bestseller charts. It also became the most fought-over movie in recent memory, with accusations of woke casting and the "1619 Project” treatment of the Western canon.I decided to see the movie opening weekend. Some of the criticism lands. Some of it falls apart the moment the film starts. The real question isn't only whether the movie stays faithful to Homer, but which version of the West we think we're fighting for._____________________________________Ready to give MASA a try? Get 25% off your first order by going to https://www.masachips.com/dad and using code DAD._____________________________________Protect your privacy on the cellular level with Cape at https://cape.co/dadsavesamerica. Use code DADSAVESAMERICA33 at checkout for 33% off your first 6 months._____________________________________Check my sources over on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/dadsavesamerica/p/nolans-odyssey-woke-disaster-or-western?r=24ayxm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true_____________________________________Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/seGXuOokHb8Make a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?Visit our website: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/ Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
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America Cut Off Its Christian Roots. Now It’s in Crisis. - Eric Metaxas
6d ago01:12:22Tap to summarizeI sat down with bestselling author Eric Metaxas to discuss the Christian roots of America and what happens to our freedom if we forget them. His new book, “Revolution,” tells the story of the founding and the values that make America exceptional.We get into:* How the founders’ religious beliefs shaped the Revolution* The paradox of freedom and faith* Why the French Revolution ended in a bloodbath and ours didn’t* The true role of slavery in the Declaration of Independence* Why British elites despised the American colonists* The role of populism in American history* What it means to be an American, and how Mamdani fits into that picture_____________________________________Protect your privacy on the cellular level with Cape at https://cape.co/dadsavesamerica. Use code DADSAVESAMERICA33 at checkout for 33% off your first 6 months._____________________________________Ready to give MASA a try? Get 25% off your first order by going to https://www.masachips.com/dad and using code DAD._____________________________________Follow Eric Metaxas on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/ericmetaxas?s=20Watch The Eric Metaxas Show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ericmetaxasOrder a copy of Eric’s new book, “Revolution”: https://a.co/d/02AgUEHo_____________________________________Outline:[0:00] Why is the U.S. the greatest nation in history?[4:12] You can’t have liberty without Christian faith[14:35] When did our culture take a wrong turn?[18:57] We’re vulnerable to the enemies of liberty[25:09] Can a theocracy be truly Christian?[32:14] How religious liberty emerged in America[35:34] Were the Founding Fathers hypocrites about slavery?[40:21] British elites despised the Americans[46:13] Healthy populism vs mob rule[52:29] How popular was the American Revolution?[57:46] What does it mean to be an American?[1:02:43] Is Mamdani really an American?[1:06:21] The collapse of American pride_____________________________________Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/U4IH041x7VEMake a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?Visit our website: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/ Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
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Everyone Hates AI Data Centers. Here's Why They're (Mostly) Wrong.
2w ago01:09:41Tap to summarizeNew York just became the first state to halt new AI data center construction. Bernie Sanders and AOC want to take that policy national, and 63% of Americans agree with them across party lines. This has become the one truly bipartisan issue in our politics, but bipartisan doesn't mean good.The concerns range from energy costs to water use to noise pollution. Some concerns are legitimate, some have already been solved, and others are simply based on false information. For better or for worse, technological revolutions usually aren't reversible.So what will the future of the American economy look like?_____________________________________Check my sources over on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/dadsavesamerica/p/everyone-hates-ai-data-centers-heres?r=24ayxm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true_____________________________________Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/R0NsK02MJdsMake a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?Visit our website: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/ Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
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Marx Died a Loser. Lenin Made Him a Legend. - Phil Magness
2w ago02:26:45Tap to summarizeI sat down with economic historian Phil Magness to give Karl Marx the fairest hearing we could, and then find out how his ideas took over half the world and most of modern academia.We get into:* The historical context of Karl Marx’s writings* Why surplus value theory made intuitive sense and why it’s wrong* How the iPhone launch disproves Marx’s labor theory of value* The unlikely story of how Lenin and the Bolsheviks took over Russia* Stalin, Trotsky, and the “real communism was never tried” folks* How Soviet propaganda helped resurrect Marx in the West* Why Marx is read in every academic field… except economics* How to minimize cost and Marxist indoctrination in college_____________________________________Follow Phil Magness on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/PhilWMagness?s=20Learn more about Phil’s work: https://philmagness.com/_____________________________________Outline:[0:00] The “best” of Karl Marx[11:21] What was Marx’s actual vision?[15:24] Socialism Before Marx[24:50] Is “capitalism” a slur?[28:54] What’s the moral argument for land ownership?[35:23] Labor theory vs subjective value[46:07] Why Marx was left behind[52:53] Marx’s math doesn’t work[1:01:10] Why did the Bolsheviks pick up Marx?[1:09:49] How Lenin conquerors Russia[1:20:29] Was Lenin “not as bad” as Stalin?[1:23:30] What did Lenin actually think?[1:27:41] “Real communism has never been tried”[1:30:24] Why academia loves Marx[1:49:16] Does socialism have anything to offer?[1:56:28] Is Marxism a religion?[2:09:38] Modern Marxism is just woke mad libs[2:13:41] “Cracks in the Ivory Tower”_____________________________________Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/apmHhpkCnMEMake a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?Visit our website: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/ Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
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Mamdani's Own Mom: "He Is Not an American AT ALL”
3w ago01:14:43Tap to summarizeLast week, Zohran Mamdani “celebrated” this country’s 250th birthday by sitting behind George Washington’s desk and lecturing America about who we are. His own mother once said he isn't American at all, and never wanted to be. These days, most other countries have a higher opinion of the United States than Democrats.Every immigrant who takes the citizenship oath swears to uphold values we’ve stopped taking seriously as a country. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court just upheld birthright citizenship, even for children born to parents with no allegiance to this country. Citizenship was once understood to be a responsibility, including civic and military participation, but not anymore.The question is whether becoming a citizen means becoming an American, or if it’s just a formality._____________________________________Check my sources over on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/dadsavesamerica/p/mamdanis-own-mom-he-is-not-an-american?r=24ayxm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true_____________________________________Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/CHrHrBwWgTAMake a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?Visit our website: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/ Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
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The 1619 Project Wasn’t About Race. It Was an Attack on Capitalism. - Phil Magness
3w ago01:56:39Tap to summarizeI sat down with Phil Magness, economic historian and author of “The 1619 Project Myth,” to discuss how the New York Times rewrote the founding narrative of the United States, first in print but eventually in schools nationwide.We get into:* How Phil caught a fabricated claim about Excel and plantations* How the “new historians of capitalism” rewrote economic history* Why Adam Smith, the father of capitalism, disproves the 1619 narrative* Why libertarians and marxists united against the 1619 Project* How Phil caught the Times quietly deleting its own claims* The real story the Declaration of Independence tells about slavery* How Britain and the US ended the slave trade* The claim that slavery was the main driver of American wealth_____________________________________Follow Phil Magness on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/PhilWMagness?s=20Learn more about Phil’s work: https://philmagness.com/Order a copy of “The 1619 Project Myth”: https://a.co/d/0itYMiLl_____________________________________Outline:[0:00] What is the 1619 Project?[6:23] Was capitalism built on slavery?[17:03] Southern culture was anti-capitalist[23:02] Adam Smith on mercantilism and slavery[33:04] How did the NYT get this so wrong?[37:44] Was the revolution fought to preserve slavery?[44:00] What did Jefferson think about slavery?[49:26] The NYT refused to correct the record[56:03] How slavery began to be abolished[1:05:41] Slavery isn’t an American institution[1:12:04] They hate capitalism more than racism[1:20:02] Phil’s Twitter battle with Nikole Hannah-Jones[1:31:48] The economics of slavery[1:38:32] How should we teach about slavery?_____________________________________Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ycJNLJ7bhKwMake a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?Visit our website: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/ Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
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The Real Reason Gen Z Doesn’t Care About 1776
4w ago00:47:33Tap to summarizeMost Americans can quote a line or two of the Declaration of Independence, but almost no one has actually read the whole thing. Today I'm going line by line to unpack what Jefferson was actually arguing and why it matters even more now than it did in 1776.A generation raised with little independence and everything on demand can’t fully understand the values woven into the Declaration and how they apply today. In 2026, it isn’t all that suprising that Gen Z is increasingly pro-socialism and anti-patriotism.Our creed won't pass itself on. That's our job as parents._____________________________________Check my sources over on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/dadsavesamerica/p/the-real-reason-gen-z-doesnt-care?r=24ayxm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true_____________________________________Ready to give MASA a try? Get 25% off your first order by going to https://www.masachips.com/dad and using code DAD._____________________________________Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3T2n3JpAFsQMake a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?Visit our website: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/ Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
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“It Began With a Gigantic Lie” - Harvard Western Civ Professor Resigns
4w ago02:22:26Tap to summarizeI sat down with historian James Hankins, who recently resigned from Harvard after 40 years, to discuss why academia abandoned Western civilization, the institutional mechanisms that silence dissent, and how we can embrace the Western roots of America in the 21st century.We get into:* Why he left Harvard and joined the Hamilton School in Florida* How fear of student backlash silences even tenured professors* What happened to Harvard’s commitment to Western civilization* Why teaching “global history” misses the point of education* The link between Christianity, liberalism, and capitalism* The classical education movement as antidote to institutional rot* Why America needs to reclaim its Western heritage_____________________________________Ready to give MASA a try? Get 25% off your first order by going to https://www.masachips.com/dad and using code DAD._____________________________________Follow James Hankins on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/JamesWHankins1?s=20Read James’s Harvard resignation article: https://www.compactmag.com/article/why-im-leaving-harvard/Order a copy of “The Golden Thread”: https://a.co/d/06ypgCWvCheck out James on Substack: https://substack.com/@goldenthread_____________________________________Outline:[0:00] Why he left Harvard after 40 years[7:51] The decline of elite higher education[18:12] The big lie about Western Civilization[25:27] Global history vs. narrative history[42:04] Does history help us predict the future?[49:45] What is Western Civilization?[1:01:23] Islamic conquest and the Dark Ages[1:05:20] The origins of liberalism[1:19:07] How did the Church enforce canon law?[1:24:42] The evolution of usury laws[1:33:19] America’s role in Western Civilization[1:39:45] The French Revolution’s societal self-hatred[1:47:30] The Radicalism of the American Revolution[1:54:04] Do Catholics belong in America?[2:01:20] Is the “Protestant work ethic” real?[2:07:32] What to prioritize when educating your kids_____________________________________Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/B9itx1ljE5EMake a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?Visit our website: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/ Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
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Our Government Was Never Meant to Look Like This
Jun 2601:03:38Tap to summarizeThe United States is a constitutional republic, not a democracy. Today I'm going back to the original text of the Constitution to uncover what it actually says, and just as importantly, what it doesn't.The Constitution never mentions health, education, or retirement. The president was never meant to wield this much power. The Senate was never supposed to be directly elected. And the First Amendment almost wasn't about free speech at all.The Founding Fathers didn't trust pure democracy. After 250 years, it's pretty clear they were right._____________________________________Check my sources over on Substack: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/p/our-government-was-never-meant-to?r=24ayxm_____________________________________Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kJ6QRZgFi5sMake a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?Visit our website: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/ Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
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American History Has Been Weaponized Against Us - Jack Henneman
Jun 2502:31:13Tap to summarizeI sat down with Jack Henneman, host of the “History of the Americans” podcast, to discuss the early history of the American colonies, the weaponization of history for political purposes, and why judging the past by today’s standards corrupts our ability to understand it.We get into:* Why Jack launched a podcast to read American history from the very beginning* How the New York Times weaponized the 1619 Project to reshape history education* How Spain’s conquest of the New World set the stage for English colonization* Why the Puritans and the Virginia planters built two completely different Americas* How the Dutch built the most important city in history trading beaver fur and guns* What the arrival of Africans at Jamestown in 1619 actually tells us about the origins of slavery* Why conflicts broke out between Native Americans and European settlers* What the great men of history can teach us about our own blind spots_____________________________________Follow Jack Henneman on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/TheHistoryOfTh2?s=20“The History of the Americans” podcast: https://thehistoryoftheamericans.com/Read Jack’s writings on Substack: https://jackhenneman.substack.com/_____________________________________Outline:[0:00] The History of the Americans podcast[4:11] The fundamental flaw of the 1619 Project[15:59] Spanish settlement of America[30:41] The rise of English America[34:45] Why New England Puritans were so successful[44:41] The aristocratic culture of the South[49:55] How slavery became the norm in the South[55:56] What was Bacon’s Rebellion?[1:00:58] The Native Americans of New England[1:08:10] Where did Thanksgiving actually come from?[1:16:03] The 400-year decline of Native Americans[1:20:47] Dutch settlement of New York[1:30:09] John Winthrop’s “City on a Hill”[1:34:47] Why Pennsylvania was Quaker[1:46:16] The Catholic colony of Maryland[1:49:17] Why slavery became more violent[1:56:14] How to read history as an amateur[2:08:37] What’s the point of studying history?[2:15:56] Ideas, ideology, and identity[2:21:12] What is an “American”?_____________________________________Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wuEvVZwYc7MMake a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?Visit our website: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/ Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
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