War Without Coffins

War Without Coffins

Author: Andrew Heaton April 15, 2026 Duration: 44:55

Why now? Why did the United States go to war with Iran this year, as opposed to last year, or ten years ago? Michael Tint is a data scientist and aerospace expert, and is here to talk about the Iran War–and why it's a different sort of conflict.


Finding a sensible conversation about politics that doesn't devolve into partisan shouting can feel like a lonely endeavor. That's the space The Political Orphanage occupies, hosted by comedian and self-described independent Andrew Heaton. This isn't a debate show; it's a series of long-form discussions where curiosity replaces contempt. Each episode, Heaton sits down with authors, policy experts, and various thought leaders to unpack complex ideas without the usual animosity. The goal is to explore the substance behind the headlines-the "big thinky stuff," as he puts it-while remembering that the absurdity of the political world is often best met with a laugh. You'll hear genuine conversations that delve into policy nuances, historical context, and the philosophies shaping our world, all filtered through a lens of wit and a distinct lack of bile. The result is a podcast that feels like a respite from the noise, a place for the politically curious who don't find a comfortable home in the entrenched camps of left and right. It’s news, comedy, and politics blended into something uniquely engaging, proving that serious topics don't require a solemn tone. Tune in for the kind of thoughtful, humorous dialogue that reminds you why these discussions matter in the first place.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

The Political Orphanage
Podcast Episodes
Heaton and Monkey: Yuletide Spysolvers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:46
Our Annual Christmas Comedy Special. In which, our intrepid heroes must save Christmas from a debauched algorithm, navigate treacherous honeypots, and escape a federal penitentiary in this modern yuletide spy epic. Happy…
Jason Pargin on Internet Addiction and Algorithmic Horror [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:15
Former Cracked.com editor Jason Pargin explores the subject of how social media makes us insane and warps the universe we're in, in his new book "I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom." He joins to discuss.
The Secret Map of Supreme Court Justices [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:03
Sarah Isgur is a senior editor at SCOTUS Blog, host of the Advisory Opinions podcast, and a contributor at ABC News. She is the author of the forthcoming book "Last Branch Standing," which available for pre-order on Amaz…
Freddie deBoer: What It's Like to Have a Mental Breakdown [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:24
Freddie deBoer is a writer, academic, and cultural critic. He is a widely-read author on Substack, an old-school Marxist, who has previously been on the program to explain what Marxists actually think. He's struggled wit…
Squanto the Power Broker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:32:09
The real story of Thanksgiving is stranger, darker, and far more interesting than what you learned in kindergarten (or college). It's a tale of slavery, plagues, ecological engineering, diplomacy, betrayal, and realpolit…
Cash for Kidneys [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:37
Thousands of people need kidneys, right now. They are either on the precipice of death, or suffering through dialysis and low quality of life. Jeremiah Johnson of the New Liberal Podcast joins to discuss the End Kidney D…
"The Walking Dead" and Pagan Values [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:13
Tim Sandefur joins to discuss individualism in American culture. In this fun (but weird) conversation, we go through zombie shows, Westerns, and Star Trek, while invoking Hobbes, Ayn Rand, Epicurus, the Stoics, Plato and…
SHUTDOWN: The Musical [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:56
Theater critic Clive Kripson of BBC Bolton joins to review "Shutdown: The Musical" in what is now the longest-running revival of the landmark Broadway favorite.
How to Start Your Own Country: No Man's Land [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:32
Legal and geographic quirks sometimes create "Terra Nullius"—land which no sovereign nation lays claim to. Literally, No Man's Land. In this weird geographic episode, we explore: Iceland, the Oklahoma Panhandle, Kowloon…
America's Two Angry Dads: Jefferson and Hamilton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:26
Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton offered two contrasting visions of what America should be and how the Constitution applies to it. Jeffrey Rosen is a legal scholar and the President of the National Constitution Ce…