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
42episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Our Government Was Never Meant to Look Like This
1w ago01:03:38Tap 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
1w ago02:31:13Tap 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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The UK Learned to Hate Itself. Is America on the Same Path?
2w ago01:10:43Tap to summarizeThe world comes to America for the World Cup and falls in love. Europeans are singing our songs, losing their minds at Buc-ee's, and telling us we don't know how good we have it. Meanwhile, Rupert Lowe just released his 200-page report on the UK’s decades-long grooming gang disaster. The UK government now wants to ban social media for teenagers and arrest people for saying the wrong words online.America is basking in global admiration. Britain is facing a civilizational reckoning. The question is whether we understand what makes the difference, and whether American fathers are willing to fight to keep it that way._____________________________________Check my sources over on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/dadsavesamerica/p/the-uk-learned-to-hate-itself-is?r=24ayxm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true_____________________________________Head to https://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!_____________________________________Go to http://cape.co/dadsavesamerica and use code DADSAVESAMERICA33 to get 33% off your first six months._____________________________________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/1Q8G49lYXxAMake 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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Left VS Right Is Over. Federalism Is Our Way Out. - Tony Woodlief
2w ago02:48:11Tap to summarizeI sat down with Tony Woodlief to discuss federalism, the collapse of left-right politics, and what it takes to raise kids through suffering.We get into:* Why federalism was the Founding Fathers’ most important contribution to governance* Whether Mamdani’s New York will teach Americans the pitfalls of socialism* The truth about political polarization and geographic sorting* How federal agencies regulate your life without a single vote or legal basis* Why we should shrink school districts back to the neighborhood level* How revolution vs status quo is replacing left vs right* The libertarian blindspot for community and interdependence* What happens to a father when he can’t protect his child* The moment that changed how Tony raises his son* How the Orthodox Church helped Tony put his life back together* What makes the Constitution work, and where things break down_____________________________________Go to cape.co/dadsavesamerica and use code DADSAVESAMERICA33 to get 33% off your first six months._____________________________________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!_____________________________________Follow Tony Woodlief on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/tonywoodlief?s=20Learn more about the State Policy Network: https://spn.org/Read Tony’s writings on Substack: https://tonywoodlief.substack.com/_____________________________________Outline:[0:00] Why the American creed works[5:33] Does Mamdani have a place in America?[17:37] Are Americans really that divided?[31:26] What do left and right mean in 2026?[46:00] What is the State Policy Network?[58:38] The real political fight local[1:12:38] Why did Democrats abandon the police?[1:21:31] Boys and young men need to hear this[1:28:23] The turmoil of losing a child[1:40:37] Freedom, pain, and faith[1:47:52] Protecting kids through divorce[1:55:58] Why join the Orthodox church?[2:06:28] Liberty is a tool, not the goal[2:14:56] Is history cyclical or cumulative?[2:19:44] How did Christianity spread worldwide?[2:31:51] Is there hope for America’s future?_____________________________________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/fYR31dCFVEMMake 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 Race Hustler Narrative Is on Life Support
3w ago01:19:44Tap to summarizeBari Weiss fires Scott Pelley from 60 Minutes and he compares it to losing a spouse. Karmelo Anthony's supporters call his conviction racist. Black YouTubers discover that the 1619 Project history taught in school is a lie.The institutions we were told to trust have been exposed as propaganda operations. Online, people are waking up, but too many remain stuck in the legacy media echo chamber. When will the dam finally break?_____________________________________Check my sources over on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/dadsavesamerica/p/the-race-hustler-narrative-is-on?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._____________________________________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/CwzxyXu-6K4Make 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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George Soros, Birthright Citizenship, and the Lost Constitution - Randy Barnett
3w 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
Jun 601:13:17Tap 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
Jun 402:44:36Tap 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?
May 3001:10:09Tap 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
May 2802:28:20Tap 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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