Episode 41 - MOU Money, MOU Problems

Episode 45 - Transatlantic Tribulations

The Rational Policy Podcast is back with Episode 45! We have returned to our regularly-scheduled programming, with hosts Mike Coté [https://substack.com/profile/4287105-mike-cote] and Art Vandelay [https://substack.com/profile/17289894-art-vandelay] breaking down the week in current events. In this slightly longer than usual episode, we hit on the biggest topics of the past week and the week to come. We lead off with geopolitics, previewing the NATO summit this week in Ankara, Turkey. We use that meeting as a jumping-off point to hit on the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, the role of Turkey in NATO, and how the alliance may evolve into the future. We also contrast the disparate approaches of Marco Rubio and JD Vance when discussing our issues with Europe. Next, we swing to the home front, recapping the fascinating and important past few weeks at the Supreme Court. We talk immigration, executive power, campaign finance, and more, plus the future impacts of these influential judgments. Finally, we celebrate the Downfall [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363163/]of the Democratic nominee for the US Senate from Maine, Graham Platner. We talk about how this was all predictable for anyone who has a modicum of sense or a moral compass - as well as how a good deal on the left seem to lack either. Check it out, follow us on Twitter/X (Mike [https://x.com/ratlpolicy] / Art [https://x.com/LJS527]), and share the podcast with anyone you think might appreciate it. Thanks for listening. We’ll be back next week with another show. Until then, enjoy the World Cup while it is still here; you won’t regret it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rationalpolicy.com [https://www.rationalpolicy.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Episode 44 - America 250!

Welcome back to the Rational Policy Podcast! You’re in luck, as this Very Special Episode is our America 250 Extravaganza, a paean to America so awesome that you’ll involuntarily grow a mullet. In all seriousness, though, this is the greatest nation that has ever existed, the greatest triumph for human freedom that mankind has ever created, and the most incredible, dynamic, creative society full of the most generous, welcoming, resilient, and entrepreneurial people on Earth. Your hosts, Mike Coté and Art Vandelay, do their level best to give our nation its proper due on this auspicious anniversary. We discuss why America is so great, how our dedication to individualism was radical in 1776 and remains so in 2026, and how Americans have worked tirelessly to maintain our Union for a quarter of a millennium. We touch on the best and worst presidents, our favorite amendments to the Constitution, and the best recent federal legislators. We then shift to broader cultural topics, detailing our favorite American cities, monuments, food, sports, traditions, historical eras, music, and more. It is a podcast eminently befitting such an exceptional nation on such an awe-inspiring and glorious anniversary. Happy birthday, America. We love you. Check it out, follow us on Twitter/X (Mike [https://x.com/ratlpolicy] / Art [https://x.com/LJS527]), and share the podcast with anyone you think might appreciate it. Thanks for listening. We’ll be back next week with our regularly scheduled programming. Until then, go out and celebrate the most successful experiment in personal liberty that has ever been tried. Happy Independence Day! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rationalpolicy.com [https://www.rationalpolicy.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Episode 43 - Founder's Fire

Welcome to a Very Special Episode 43 of the Rational Policy Podcast! In this installment, host Mike Coté interviews Dr. Arthur Herman, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestselling historian, about his new book Founder’s Fire: From 1776 to the Age of Trump. We discuss the idea of the founder’s fire – the risk-seeking, action-oriented, visionary strain in American life – and how it characterizes our nation’s past and could come to do the same in the future. From Tocqueville’s early America and the politics of Abraham Lincoln to the Gilded Age industrial magnates and Martin Luther King Jr.’s civil rights movement, American history is rife with this particular impulse, often tied directly to our original founding 250 years ago. We touch on how government can supercharge or hamper this spirit, how capitalism and individual liberty intersect, and how American culture has fully embraced the founding mindset. We also detail some of the threats to this exceptional attitude, notably the rising tide of socialism, and how we can ensure that the founder’s fire is kept alight for future generations. On top of all that, we hit on how the proliferation of social media will impact future historiography, the immense complexities and opportunities of the Iran War, and what our nation’s 250th birthday signifies. Tune in for a wide-ranging discussion of American history, modern politics, and more. Thanks so much to Dr. Herman for joining us for this Very Special Episode. Be sure to follow him on Twitter/X [https://x.com/ArthurLHerman] and pick up a copy of the excellent Founder’s Fire, either on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1546011293/?bestFormat=true&k=founders%2Bfire%2Barthur%2Bherman&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-bk-ww_k0_1_13_de&crid=OBSQIRJ8F6CO&sprefix=founders%2Bfire] or anywhere great books are sold. We’ll be back with another Very Special Episode later this week. Thanks for listening! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rationalpolicy.com [https://www.rationalpolicy.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Episode 42 - Ad-Vance or Retreat?

Welcome back to the Rational Policy Podcast! In this installment, Episode 42, your steadfast hosts Mike Coté [https://substack.com/profile/4287105-mike-cote] and Art Vandelay [https://substack.com/profile/17289894-art-vandelay] break down the week in news, touching on policy, politics, and foreign affairs. We start with the latter, delving into the latest updates on the Iran ‘deal’ and how things look a week later. (Spoiler alert: not great!) We talk about the Iranian refusal to comply with the very terms it agreed to, the piss-poor and contradictory statements from the Trump administration, and the centering of Vice President JD Vance as a pro-deal messenger to the American public. We also discuss the potential resumption of fighting, what this war has accomplished, and how we could still win the peace, in spite of the White House’s best efforts. Mike also posits an alternative and more ambiguous end to the conflict, one that might be more consonant with American interests. After this discussion, we remain overseas but shift to rank politics, talking about the rapid and stunning decline of the just-resigned British prime minister Keir Starmer. We mention how the Labour Party has squandered its historic electoral landslide, the very real issues with migration and related violence in Europe, and why the left’s inability to deal with the problems they ran against could open the door for a dramatic pendulum-swing in the region’s politics. Finally, we come back stateside to talk about the recent New York primary elections, focusing on the far-left Democratic Socialist (read: communist) primary winners who will be in Congress early next year. What do these results say about the future of the Democratic Party in America? (Hint: nothing good.) Check it out, follow us on Twitter/X (Mike [https://x.com/ratlpolicy] / Art [https://x.com/LJS527]), and share the podcast with anyone you think might appreciate it. Thanks for listening. We’ll be back next week with two Very Special Episodes. Until then, enjoy the summer weather and the air conditioning! USA! USA! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rationalpolicy.com [https://www.rationalpolicy.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Episode 41 - MOU Money, MOU Problems

The Rational Policy Podcast is back! After a weeklong hiatus, we return with Episode 41, in which hosts Mike Coté [https://substack.com/profile/4287105-mike-cote] and Art Vandelay [https://substack.com/profile/17289894-art-vandelay] dive into the latest developments in news and politics over the past fortnight. Unsurprisingly, we spend the lion’s share of the podcast discussing the war (or conspicuous lack thereof) in Iran, breaking down the just-signed Memorandum of Understanding between Tehran and Washington. We talk about the ridiculously bad terms of that ‘deal’, how it gives away the store to the Iranians, and why the president suddenly got cold feet when he was on the precipice of victory. We also touch on why this agreement is worthless, how it will inevitably fall apart, and what might happen afterward. This isn’t the end of the war, but it might be end of Donald Trump’s ability to credibly threaten the use of force to achieve American national aims - and that is a very dangerous thing. Another dangerous thing is our second topic, the lapsing of FISA intelligence collection authority after Democrats held the renewal up to protest Trump’s terrible nomination of Bill Pulte as Director of National Intelligence. The rationale may have been sound, but the consequences could be massive; let’s hope we never see them. We finish off with a discussion of the World Cup currently ongoing here in the good old US of A. We talk about the tournament itself, the way it has helped demolish the preconceived notions that foreigners have about America, and how it showcases the best of our great nation. Check it out, follow us on Twitter/X (Mike [https://x.com/ratlpolicy] / Art [https://x.com/LJS527]), and share the podcast with anyone you think might appreciate it. Thanks for listening. We’ll be back next week. Until then, enjoy the World Cup. Go USA! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rationalpolicy.com [https://www.rationalpolicy.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]