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
37episodes
Episodes
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George Soros, Birthright Citizenship, and the Lost Constitution - Randy Barnett
3d ago02:06:26Tap to summarizeI sat down with Georgetown University constitutional law professor and originalist scholar Randy Barnett to discuss his books on his time as a Chicago prosecutor, how the Supreme Court has reinterpreted the 14th Amendment, and whether Trump’s birthright citizenship restrictions should be upheld by the Court.We get into:* How George Soros changed prosecution from a nonpartisan job into an ideological one* The missing Privileges or Immunities Clause of the 14th Amendment* Why the DEI framework contradicts the original meaning of the Equal Protection Clause* What libertarians have gotten wrong about public infrastructure and private power* The meaning of “subject to the jurisdiction” and why Trump’s argument is stronger than the media admits* Why creed and culture have to reinforce each other for a free society to survive_____________________________________Make the switch to real oral care. Go to http://vanman.shop/dad and use code DAD for 15% off your first order._____________________________________Follow Randy on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/RandyEBarnettPurchase a copy of “Felony Review”: https://a.co/d/04fqOzhk_____________________________________Outline:[0:00] Working as a prosecutor in Chicago[6:58] The Warren Court and the rise of originalism[16:44] George Soros prosecutors are dangerous[21:46] How prosecutors build strong cases[34:16] Power corrupts even good prosecutors[41:17] Libertarians ignore the problem of private power[45:51] The 14th Amendment and the first civil rights laws[57:28] Disappearing constitutional limits on government[1:03:59] What is “equality under the law”?[1:09:53] What kind of discrimination should be legal?[1:17:57] We still need intellectuals and academics[1:28:46] Will the Supreme Court end birthright citizenship?[1:42:09] Rethinking immigration as a libertarian[1:58:24] Utopianism and “ideal world” libertarians_____________________________________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/7sNDxHRltRAMake 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 Barbarians Are Inside the Gates… and We Invited Them
1w ago01:13:17Tap to summarizeNew York City elects a Muslim socialist immigrant as mayor. British police give preferential treatment to non-white criminals while arresting white victims as they bleed out on the street. Europe held back Muslim invaders for hundreds of years, but now its major cities are upwards of 10% Muslim.The left condemns the West while cheering its conquest by Islamic civilization. The question is, which side of the Red-Green alliance is the useful idiot and which holds the real power?_____________________________________Check my sources over on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/dadsavesamerica/p/the-barbarians-are-inside-the-gates?r=24ayxm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true_____________________________________See fewer carts go abandoned and more sales go with Shopify and their Shop Pay button. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://shopify.com/dad._____________________________________If you're building or upgrading your home office like me, code YTE730 will get you an extra $30 off the E7 Pro and E7 standing desk. FlexiSpot E7 Pro standing desk: https://go.flexispot.com/DadSaves-E7Pro_____________________________________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/GHmawfp3GS4Make 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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“Falling Behind” Is Public School Propaganda - Graham Frey
1w ago02:44:36Tap to summarizeI sat down with education innovator Graham Frey to discuss what school is actually for, how structure and choice should be balanced in a child’s life, and why the "falling behind" framework scares families into staying at failing schools.We get into:* The six habits every kid should leave school with* How standardized test hide the reality of public schools* The tension between teachers and school bureaucracies* What school choice offers that zip-code schools don't* Why Graham thinks kids fundamentally want to learn* How social pressure manipulates parents into propping up public schools* The ethics of running education experiments on kids* Student-directed learning vs. traditional structure* Why the future of education might be found in abandoned malls* What AI will and won't change about how kids learn_____________________________________If you’re building or upgrading your home office like me, code YTE730 will get you an extra $30 off the E7 Pro and E7 standing desk. FlexiSpot E7 Pro standing desk: https://go.flexispot.com/DadSaves-E7Pro_____________________________________Make the switch to real oral care. Go to http://vanman.shop/dad and use code DAD for 15% off your first order._____________________________________See fewer carts go abandoned and more sales go with Shopify and their Shop Pay button. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/dad._____________________________________Learn more about Graham Frey’s work: https://www.grahamfrey.com/_____________________________________Outline:[0:00] Learning to love school[11:53] Education degrees are useless[19:17] What is the point of school?[31:18] Hold kids to standards[37:09] What if parents aren’t doing their job?[46:50] Teacher autonomy vs standardization[55:06] What is the Primer School network?[1:03:14] How to choose between alternative schools[1:12:19] Most students are falling behind[1:18:19] Growth matters more than “grade level”[1:27:38] Teachers need to be held accountable[1:32:49] Catholic schools are a missed opportunity[1:35:47] The pros and cons of school consolidation[1:49:12] Students need structure before choice[2:03:37] How rigorous should school be?[2:17:16] We don’t know what AI means for education[2:29:09] Parenting from first principles_____________________________________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/BQHpEYvTw9wMake 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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"We Are Summoning the Demon." Is Elon Right About AI?
2w ago01:10:09Tap to summarizeElon Musk called artificial intelligence the biggest existential threat in human history. That was 2014. Now it's 2026, the models are writing their own code, data centers are triggering bitter political fights, and Pope Leo just made AI the focus of his first encyclical.Public sentiment on AI has cratered faster than any technology in memory. College graduates are booing commencement speakers who mention it. Google's I/O ‘26 keynote, focused on its ongoing AI projects, pulled over 8 million views on YouTube but less than 30,000 likes. Meanwhile, a recent Edelman poll found that China is highly enthusiastic about AI adoption, polling at 44% net approval compared to America’s 32% net disapproval.Job loss, dehumanization, and plain old AI addiction are all crucial issues for Americans to grapple with, but is the revolt against AI pointed in the right direction?_____________________________________Check my sources over on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/dadsavesamerica/p/we-are-summoning-the-demon-is-elon?r=24ayxm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true_____________________________________Make the switch to real oral care. Go to http://vanman.shop/dad and use code DAD for 15% off your first order._____________________________________Head to cozyearth.com and use my code DSA for up to 20% off! And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, make sure to let them know you heard about Cozy Earth right here!_____________________________________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/1QrA0JvlC-oMake 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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How Woke Feminism Created the Manosphere - Wilfred Reilly
2w ago02:28:20Tap to summarizeI sat down with political scientist and co-founder of Unified Solutions America Wilfred Reilly to discuss the state of the woke left, the toxic feedback loop between radical feminism and the manosphere, and the ongoing battle over American identity.We get into:* The SPLC federal indictment and allegations of funding white supremacist groups* Why woke isn’t dead and how society keeps moving to the left* How radical feminism set the stage for the manosphere to thrive* Why young men and women have stopped getting together* The “toaster lover problem” and how the internet concentrates fringe behavior* Why neither the woke left nor the red pill right works for normal people* The Hamas-Israel conflict and why Reilly says Israel is clearly in the right* America as Rome and whether we’re heading toward empire* Race, IQ, and how to have an honest conversation about group differences* Where Reilly sees human civilization in 100 years_____________________________________Head to cozyearth.com and use my code DSA for up to 20% off! And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, make sure to let them know you heard about Cozy Earth right here!_____________________________________See fewer carts go abandoned and more sales go with Shopify and their Shop Pay button. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/dad._____________________________________Follow Wilfred Reilly on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/wil_da_beast630?s=20Learn more about Unified Solutions America: https://unifiedsolutionsamerica.com/_____________________________________Outline:[0:00] The SPLC indictment[15:06] Wokeness in Trump’s 2nd term[27:33] Are young men going too far?[38:49] The reality of racism in 2026[43:47] How the social sciences lie with data[49:00] Why are we uncomfortable judging behavior?[55:18] Is the dating crisis driving political insanity?[1:04:33] How the internet amplifies weird niches[1:09:38] Inoculate yourself against novelty addiction[1:17:07] How religion and community create stability[1:21:39] Critical theory can’t build anything[1:25:57] Abolishing social rules drives people crazy[1:34:39] We’re overthinking the Israel-Gaza war[1:46:23] How impactful is antisemitism?[1:54:00] Where is American civilization headed?[2:02:16] Will America follow Rome’s path?[2:07:09] Why Wilfred is optimistic for the future[2:13:49] An honest take on race and IQ_____________________________________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/mfiXBreNzKoMake 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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They Lied to Your Kids for 15 Years. The UN Just Admitted It.
3w ago01:12:51Tap to summarizeThe UN's top climate body just quietly buried the doomsday scenario that drove the past 15 years of climate panic, and almost no one noticed. The IPCC has officially declared RCP 8.5, its most extreme emissions model, implausible. That's the same model behind nearly every apocalyptic headline Gen Z has been reading since grade school.The damage is already done. A Lancet study of 10,000 young people found that 84% are worried about climate change, 45% feel negatively affected in their daily lives, and nearly four in ten say they're hesitant to have children.The junk science and the derangement that’s followed didn't spread itself._____________________________________Check my sources over on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/dadsavesamerica/p/they-lied-to-your-kids-for-15-years?r=24ayxm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true_____________________________________See fewer carts go abandoned and more sales go with Shopify and their Shop Pay button. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/dad._____________________________________Head to cozyearth.com and use my code DSA for up to 20% off! And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, make sure to let them know you heard about Cozy Earth right here!_____________________________________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/VhiPJZARbc4Make 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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Why Africa Stays Poor (It’s Not Colonialism) - Magatte Wade
3w ago02:40:54Tap to summarizeI sat down with Senegalese immigrant and entrepreneur Magatte Wade to discuss why Africa remains the poorest continent and why the most popular explanations are wrong.Colonialism, slavery, or IQ differences are the answers most people reach for, but the data says otherwise. Ethiopia was never colonized and has been the poster child for African poverty for decades. Slavery was practiced by every race against every other race throughout human history. Nigerian immigrants are some of the most successful people in America.Originally believing the Marxist narrative about Africa’s struggles, Magatte later realized that the truth was the exact opposite._____________________________________Head to cozyearth.com and use my code DSA for up to 20% off! And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, make sure to let them know you heard about Cozy Earth right here!_____________________________________See fewer carts go abandoned and more sales go with Shopify and their Shop Pay button. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/dad._____________________________________Follow Magatte Wade on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/magattew?s=20Learn more about Magatte’s work: https://www.magattewade.com/_____________________________________Outline:[0:00] Why is Africa poor?[13:16] The race-IQ question[24:09] Colonialism and slavery are universal[31:38] How did slavery become about race?[48:21] Marxism tells a compelling story about Africa[0:59:59] Why its hard to advocate for capitalism[1:05:09] Survivor’s guilt from leaving Africa[1:13:26] Setting up a business in Senegal is impossible[1:22:34] Why did Marxism take over Africa?[1:38:30] How could Mamdani be popular in 2026?[1:45:55] COVID triggered a revolution in education[1:52:35] Does education or psychology drive beliefs more?[1:57:33] Agency is the key to success[2:01:31] Optimism, prosperity, and wealth disease[2:10:07] Black American vs African immigrant culture[2:23:23] Can we get over racial grievance politics?[2:30:58] America is the greatest country_____________________________________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/5bOQ5c8auusMake 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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How Nations Actually Get Rich (It’s Not Socialism)
May 1601:16:37Tap to summarizePresident Trump was in China this week, negotiating with Xi Jinping over Iran, Taiwan, and trade deals. China’s economic miracle has transformed the country into a major global power over the past few decades. The American left likes to spin that success story as a win for central planning and socialism, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.Scandinavia tells a similar story. Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani laud the “Nordic model” as proof that democratic socialism works, but leaders across the political spectrum in those countries would disagree. During the ‘70s and ‘80s, Sweden tried going in an actually socialist direction and soon paid the price. Since then, the country has successfully backtracked, balancing budgets, privatizing schools and hospitals, lowering taxes, and enjoying the fruits of capitalism.How many supposed “wins” for socialism have to exposed as capitalism before the left updates its priors?_____________________________________Check my sources over on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/dadsavesamerica/p/how-nations-actually-get-rich-its?r=24ayxm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true_____________________________________If you (or your kids!) are interested in working at Emergent Order Foundation, click here to learn more and apply: https://www.eo.foundation/careers_____________________________________Make the switch to real oral care. Go to http://vanman.shop/dad and use code DAD for 15% off your first order._____________________________________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/BztLsNyP4yEMake 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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Gad Saad: The Evolutionary Psychology Behind “Queers for Palestine”
May 1401:14:38Tap to summarizeI sat down with Gad Saad, author of “Suicidal Empathy,” to discuss the evolutionary psychology behind why the West is self-destructing in the name of tolerance.Empathy is a perfectly adaptive human trait, but like any biological mechanism, it can misfire. When ideological parasites like gender ideology and critical race theory are the basis for empathy, it stops being a virtue and becomes a civilizational death wish.We also get into why intelligent people are paradoxically the most vulnerable to bad ideas, why communism keeps coming back no matter how many times history buries it, and what it will actually take for the West to rediscover its survival instinct._____________________________________Make the switch to real oral care. Go to http://vanman.shop/dad and use code DAD for 15% off your first order._____________________________________Follow Gad Saad on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/GadSaad?s=20Watch “The Saad Truth” on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@gadsaad?si=IXzOZiofEqQwjEldOrder a copy of “Suicidal Empathy”: https://a.co/d/00Nzg4h0_____________________________________Outline:[0:00] A Canadian trying to save America[2:08] What happens when empathy misfires?[8:21] Even victims of crimes feel guilty now[17:06] The evolution of the parasitic mind[31:40] Christian ethics and self-sacrifice[36:03] Can we trust evolutionary psychology?[46:18] There are different kinds of truth[54:24] Why don’t bad ideals die out?[105:04] Is comfort driving us crazy?[1:08:34] How to protect your kids from the mind virus_____________________________________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/fjZfv2alJaIMake 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 Left Is Turning Our Greatest Cities Into Ruins
May 901:10:44Tap to summarizeNew York City is broke under Mayor Zohran Mamdani. His socialist buddy, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, is turning off the crime detection system and letting violent offenders walk. LA Mayor Karen Bass is still dodging responsibility for mishandling the 2025 wildfires. This is the reality of progressive central planning.Cities are the centers of civilization. Unfortunately, they’re also a breeding ground for bad ideas. Marx formulated his communist worldview while observing early industrial cities. The Soviet Union replaced organic neighborhood life with microdistricts engineered by bureaucrats who thought they knew best. Today, progressives dream of “15-minute cities” while failing to address the basic problems of urban life.America’s greatest cities have been centrally planned into the ground. Luckily, we have a chance to retake control of our neighborhoods._____________________________________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/MjVY4jXlpbQMake 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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