Dad Saves America

John Papola

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

  1. 2d ago

    Marx Died a Loser. Lenin Made Him a Legend. - Phil Magness

    I 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=20 Learn 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/apmHhpkCnME Make 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

    Marx Died a Loser. Lenin Made Him a Legend. - Phil Magness
  2. Jul 11

    Mamdani's Own Mom: "He Is Not an American AT ALL”

    Last 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/CHrHrBwWgTA Make 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

    Mamdani's Own Mom: "He Is Not an American AT ALL”
  3. Jul 9

    The 1619 Project Wasn’t About Race. It Was an Attack on Capitalism. - Phil Magness

    I 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=20 Learn 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/ycJNLJ7bhKw Make 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

    The 1619 Project Wasn’t About Race. It Was an Attack on Capitalism. - Phil Magness
  4. Jul 3

    The Real Reason Gen Z Doesn’t Care About 1776

    Most 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/3T2n3JpAFsQ Make 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

    The Real Reason Gen Z Doesn’t Care About 1776
  5. Jul 2

    “It Began With a Gigantic Lie” - Harvard Western Civ Professor Resigns

    I 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=20 Read 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/06ypgCWv Check 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/B9itx1ljE5E Make 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

    “It Began With a Gigantic Lie” - Harvard Western Civ Professor Resigns
  6. Jun 25

    American History Has Been Weaponized Against Us - Jack Henneman

    I 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/wuEvVZwYc7M Make 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

    American History Has Been Weaponized Against Us - Jack Henneman
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About

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

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