Finding Common Battle Grounds
62 episodes - English - Latest episode: 22 days ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratingsFinding Common Battle Grounds is an attempt by two brothers - one conservative, the other progressive - to have civil conversations about politics, with a little help from their friends.
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Episodes
S03E19 - Norwegian JWs Defunded and Trump's Bloodbath
March 28, 2024 11:26 - 1 hour - 36.1 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we start with a discussion about a recent court case decided in Norway that resulted in the federal defunding of Jehovah's Witnesses because of their ostracism practices. We both agree that the Norwegian government is well within its rights not to give JWs money if they engage in practices that are deemed to be coercive. We then turn to a recent incident in which Donald Trump suggested that there would be a "bloodbath" for the American automo...
S03E18 - A Solution for Israel & Palestine(?) and a Crusader Against Big Tech Consciousness Hacking
March 07, 2024 13:36 - 1 hour - 49.3 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we are joined by a new guest, Sean Patrick Tario, who now runs https://mark37.com/ and advocates for security and privacy from "big tech." But before we discuss big tech, Tom wanted to discuss efforts by the US to get Israel to accept a ceasefire agreement with Gaza/Hamas. In the process, we find common ground that there is no "good" solution for the Israel/Palestine situation, including Ryan's suggestion of massive bribes to relocate Palesti...
S03E17 - Bail Bonds, a Texas Lawyer, and Google Glitches
February 28, 2024 11:42 - 1 hour - 45.9 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we have another guest: Ken W. Good, an attorney who specializes in bail bonds. We take advantage of Ken's expertise to discuss a movement spreading across the US to end bail bonds under the premise that bail bonds can result in poor people being imprisoned because they cannot afford even low bail amounts. We discussed a Politifact article that investigated (and rated mostly true) a claim by Governor Gavin Newsom that only the US and the Phili...
S03E16 - Greg Abbot Defies the Feds, Trump Kills Immigration Reform, and a Senate Candidate
February 15, 2024 12:01 - 59 minutes - 23.7 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Ryan and Tom are joined by Sarah Sun Liew, a Republican candidate for US Senate for California. We discuss two articles related to immigration. First, we examine Governor Greg Abbott's violation of federal law in putting up barriers (i.e., razor wire, sawblades, etc.) at the US/Mexico border. We all agree that there are issues with immigration and the border but are rather conflicted over whether what Governor Abbott is doing is ethical and h...
S03E15 - Utah University Diversity Statements and Goodbye Sociology in Florida
January 31, 2024 11:57 - 1 hour - 25.2 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we tackle two legislative/governmental issues related to higher education (article 1 and article 2). First, we discuss the recent legislative initiative in Utah to ban requiring diversity, equity, and inclusion statements as part of the hiring process at public universities in Utah. As we dug into the details on this topic, it became clear that this was a Republican dog-whistle issue. The diversity statements are not about forcing new hires t...
S03E14 - Child Labor Laws and Religious Commencement Speeches
January 18, 2024 20:35 - 1 hour - 27.3 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Ryan and Tom tackle two topics. First, thanks to legislation under consideration in the Florida House and Senate, we discuss rolling back regulations protecting children (really 16 and 17-year-olds) when it comes to the number of hours they can work while school is in session and the tops of jobs they can do. We agree that these laws are problematic and will likely have detrimental effects on young people. We then turn to an incident that hap...
S03E13 - Progressives Supporting Hamas and Security Versus Freedom
December 09, 2023 13:12 - 1 hour - 35.8 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Tom and Ryan tackle two topics. First, we discuss the fact that some individuals and groups have effectively been showing their support for the people of Gaza by calling for violence and even genocide against Israel. Tom pointed out that this seems to be a double standard on college campuses as they would not allow similar calls for violence against Black individuals. Ryan, while condemning the calls for violence, raised the question of wheth...
S03E12 - Trigger Warnings and the Military Industrial Complex
November 04, 2023 17:34 - 1 hour - 25.3 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Ryan and Tommy tackle two topics: trigger warnings and the military industrial complex. On the first topic, a review article examining the efficacy of trigger warnings was just published illustrating that they often have the opposite of the intended effect, increasing people's anxiety and making it more likely people will watch the content. The general recommendation is that they shouldn't be used. We discuss our takes on this (shocker - we a...
S03E11 - Elites and the Disenfranchised, the Florida State Guard (jk), and the FBI Kill a Provo Man
August 11, 2023 12:45 - 1 hour - 24.7 MBIt's been a few weeks, but we're back. We talk about some of what we've been up to over the last month, then jump into two news items. First up is an opinion piece by NYTimes contributor David Brooks that suggests professionals (or the professional class) are condescending and dismissive of the working class, which has led them to feel disenfranchised and choose as their representative Donald Trump, who they think sticks it to the professional class (or elites). We discuss this op-ed,...
AI Sex Bots, Trump's Second Indictment, and Reddit Blackout
June 15, 2023 12:04 - 1 hour - 35.2 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we tackled three topics. We started with the news that a social media influencer worked with a company to create a chatbot for her followers that, when prompted, turned into a sex chat bot. We then discussed the implications of sex chat bots and eventually sex robots for humans, with a little disagreement about the negative outcomes for humanity. We then turned to a discussion of Trump's latest indictment for the mishandling of classified doc...
S03E09 - Trump Loses, the FBI, and Debt
May 29, 2023 11:30 - 1 hour - 36.3 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we (Ryan and Tom) tackled three topics. We started with a discussion of Trump's recent civil lawsuit by E. Jean Carroll, which ended with a verdict against him suggesting the jury was convinced that Trump sexually assaulted (i.e., raped) Ms. Carroll. Ryan was wondering how it is that people can support a rapist as President of the US, and Tom responded that it was less about Trump and more about the American populace - they want a win and wil...
S03E08 - Fox News settlement and confidential document leak
May 02, 2023 11:45 - 1 hour - 31.2 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we started with two topics but then led us off on two tangents. First, we discussed the Fox News settlement with Dominion Voting machines and Fox News's firing of Tucker Carlson. Tom wasn't as familiar with all of the revelations that resulted from the discovery part of the lawsuit that illustrated that the Fox News administration, personalities, and staff knew that they were lying about Dominion but did it anyway in order to maintain high ra...
S03E07 - Trump Indictment and Social Media Laws for Kids in Utah
April 04, 2023 11:56 - 1 hour - 30.6 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Tom and Ryan tackle two topics. First is the impending arraignment of Donald Trump in New York City. We both agree that Trump likely broke the law. But we also agree that this kind of media attention really only helps Trump as he works to destroy trust in American institutions in the US, like the media and the legal system. We also agree that Trump is unlikely to serve time in prison because different rules apply to wealthy individuals. We th...
S03E06 - Blasphemy in England, ESG, SVB, and Florida Higher Education Legislation
March 17, 2023 14:06 - 1 hour - 42.9 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Tom and Ryan tackle four topics. First up is a case of alleged blasphemy in a high school in England where four students were accused of desecrating a copy of the Quran. We both agree that blasphemy laws are outdated and shouldn't exist. We then turn to a discussion of ESG and the recent federal legislation on this. ESG is Environment, Social, and Corporate Governance and became an issue when Republicans passed legislation prohibiting Wall St...
S03E05 - Marrying Kids, the 2024 Election, and Migration
February 22, 2023 12:20 - 1 hour - 27.5 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Ryan and Tom chat about several topics. First, we examine the initiative to raise the age at which young people can marry to 18 and a push against this by Republicans in the state of Wyoming. We then turn to the 2024 Presidential election and Joe Biden's continued insinuation that he plans to run for office. We consider whether Biden's approach is helping to keep a media frenzy at bay. Finally, we discuss various developments in migration pol...
S03E04 - George Santos and US Tanks in Ukraine
February 01, 2023 00:28 - 1 hour - 27.3 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we tackle two topics. First up is "How is it acceptable for a pathological liar like Republican George Santos to retain his House seat?" Both Tom and Nate agree that politicians aren't known for their honesty. George Santos differs in degree, not in kind, from other politicians. They also agree that this boils down to entrenched political power; Republicans cannot afford to remove him from office as he is key to helping them hold their slim m...
S03E03 - How capitalism is both the problem and the solution
January 03, 2023 13:32 - 1 hour - 42.9 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Tom and Nate tackle capitalism. The first question they address is: "How is capitalism the solution?" Tom argues that capitalism has ushered in an era of prosperity for many people and that the invisible hand of the market is a highly efficient and fair system for setting prices. Nate argues that capitalism has helped develop the means of production, which is a necessary step toward a future where people do not have to work as hard. There is ...
S03E02 - Busting Unions and a Failed Red Wave
December 20, 2022 14:42 - 1 hour - 24 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Nate and Tom tackle two topics: (1) Why was the Biden Administration wrong to bust the railroad workers union? (2) How are Republicans responsible for the smaller-than-expected mid-term red wave? On the first topic, Nate argues that the Biden Administration revealed that their allegiance really lies with corporate profits rather than the unions. This was particularly galling since Democrats tend to side with unions - in principle - and unions...
S03E01 - Voting Felons and Meanie Musk
November 29, 2022 11:45 - 1 hour - 27 MBIn this new episode and format of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we introduce a new member of the podcast team, Nate Triplett, and mix up the structure and format a bit. Ryan moves to the moderator role, Tom dons the conservative hat, and Nate steps in as our resident progressive. Also, instead of coming prepared with questions to try to get the other person to agree, both the conservative and progressive critique two topics to see if we can find common battlegrounds. First, we discuss Ron D...
S02E21 - Why Josh needs a break from Finding Common Battle Grounds
November 09, 2022 15:52 - 59 minutes - 24.1 MBIn this final episode of Season 2 of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we have a big announcement: Josh is stepping away from the podcast for a while. We discuss what led to this. Josh doesn't feel like we've made much progress in finding common ground or understanding each other's perspectives. This came to a head in the last few episodes. Josh is also no longer enjoying making the podcast and wants to prioritize the relationship between Josh and Ryan over the podcast. We discuss what this mea...
S02E20 - What is the correct direction for the country?
October 12, 2022 14:54 - 1 hour - 38.8 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we think about the common survey finding that people don't think the US is headed in the right direction (as of August 2022, about 74% of Americans think it is headed in the wrong direction). We do find a fair amount of agreement. Both agree that it would be nice if the country tried to reduce poverty and hunger, if we reduced pollution, and if people were less dogmatic and more open to seeing other people's perspectives. We also agree that p...
S02E19 - Truth and Reconciliation on Race
September 22, 2022 22:58 - 1 hour - 39.9 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, all three of us wrestle with how to discuss race and racism. We agree that discussions about race are fraught because people equate accusations of racism with evaluations of the morality and self-worth of the individual, particularly if someone is called a racist rather than calling their idea, statement, or perspective racist. To that end, we agreed that discussions about race and racism have to focus on ideas and perspectives rather than on...
S02E18 - Is The Rings of Power too woke?
September 15, 2022 11:11 - 2 hours - 48.1 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we discuss the claims that Amazon's new series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, is too woke. We return to our traditional format this time and each poses the other three questions, trying to find common ground. We agree from the outset that the "wokeness" claims center on gender (powerful female leads) and race (a racially diverse cast). We don't agree on Josh's question that "woke scolds" ruin everything. We also agree that Tolkie...
S02E17 - Biden's student loan plan, racism at BYU volleyball game, and the direction of America
September 02, 2022 11:13 - 1 hour - 25.4 MBIn S02E17 of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we tackle three questions. First up, we discuss whether Biden's plan to forgive $10k in student loan debt ($20k for Pell Grant recipients) makes sense. We agree that it doesn't solve the problem and is a political move to gain favor with specific voters. We then discuss the recent incident of racist behavior toward a black Duke volleyball player at BYU. There is a lot of disagreement here, including over whether it even happened. Finally, we discus...
S02E16 - grab bag - mandatory reporting for clergy, Liz Cheney, censorship, and fertility
August 19, 2022 20:02 - 1 hour - 35.9 MBIn Episode 16 of Season 2, we once again employed our grab bag approach as moderator Tom came prepared with four questions (and a bonus question at the end). The first question we discussed was whether the LDS Church should require all clergy to be mandatory reporters when it comes to sex abuse, meaning they would have to report people who confess to abusing others to the police. We agree on that one. We then discussed what it means that Liz Cheney lost her primary race in Wyoming, with vari...
S02E15 - facial recognition, Dutch farmers, elitists, Putin, San Francisco & Seattle + bonus content
August 06, 2022 11:46 - 1 hour - 37.1 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we went with a grab bag approach where the moderator, Tom, posed a number of questions and Josh and Ryan addressed them in turn. First up was whether facial recognition software that is being used by some corporations to track shoplifters is okay. We all agree that is a bit complicated, but probably okay for private corporations, less so for governments. We then discussed Dutch farmers and their protests against the changes that their governm...
S02E14 - masks, DeSantis, China, and working from home
July 27, 2022 15:29 - 55 minutes - 24 MBWe went with a rapid-fire, multi-topic approach this week. We started with whether people should still be wearing masks. We agreed that people should wear masks if they are sick, but wearing masks to avoid getting sick, unless done properly, isn't really effective. We then turned to a discussion of Ron DeSantis and whether he would win the Republican primary and the general election. Ryan doesn't think Trump will run; Josh isn't sure. If Trump runs, it will be competitive and we were mixed o...
S02E13 - Should the US government urge corporations to drill for more oil?
July 14, 2022 12:02 - 1 hour - 31.5 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we discuss whether the US government should urge corporations to drill for more oil in light of currently very high gas prices. Josh and Ryan agree that pollution is bad! (That was a really tough point of agreement!) They also agreed that drilling for oil is not going to solve the immediate problem since developing oil fields and drilling platforms can take years or decades. They agree that, while green energy can still have some harmful envi...
S02E12 - Did the Supreme Court's decision in Hobbs move the court into activism?
July 01, 2022 15:13 - 1 hour - 31 MBIn light of the recent decision by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade (and Casey), we discuss the Dobbs decision and whether this indicates that the Supreme Court is made up of activist judges. Josh and Ryan agree that the Dobbs decision undid prior legal precedent legalizing abortion and that the Dobbs decision does not comment on whether abortion should be legal at the federal level but rather moves the legality of abortion to the states. Josh and Ryan also agreed that the legal jus...
S02E11 - Is the great replacement conspiracy theory real?
May 25, 2022 11:29 - 1 hour - 42.6 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we discuss the great replacement conspiracy theory that was influential in a recent race-based mass shooting in Buffalo, New York. We agree that the racial and ethnic makeup of the US is changing and we agree that the changes that are happening are due to fundamental demographic forces - births, deaths, and migrations. We also agree that there is no secret cabal behind these changes, though Josh (and Tom) suggest that progressives may be more...
S02E10 - Will Trump be President again in 2024?
May 16, 2022 09:22 - 18 minutes - 7.97 MBIn this short episode, we discuss whether Donald Trump will be elected to the presidency again in 2024. All agree that Trump now has a stranglehold on the Republican Party and that he is still very relevant to politics in the US. Ryan pushes Josh and Tom to examine whether Trump will win the Republican primary, assuming he runs. The other front-runner, Ron DeSantis, seems like the only possible candidate who has a chance against Trump at the present. None of us feel certain that Trump would ...
S02E09 - Should the federal government ban menthol cigarettes?
May 14, 2022 09:11 - 18 minutes - 8.17 MBIn another short episode, we discuss a recent proposal by the FDA to ban menthol cigarettes. Menthol cigarettes are more addictive than regular cigarettes, and they are the most common type of cigarette smoked by Black Americans. Josh argues that banning drugs is rarely a successful approach and agrees with the concerns raised by many Black smokers that this will essentially criminalize behavior that is more common among Black individuals, resulting in the criminalization of Black individual...
S02E08 - Should the federal government ban ghost guns?
May 12, 2022 10:58 - 16 minutes - 7.44 MBIn this short podcast, we discuss briefly whether we think the federal government should ban ghost guns. Ghost guns are typically a reference to guns that were created using a nontraditional manufacturing process, like a 3D printer, that do not have a serial number and for which the government has no registration information. Josh and Ryan agree that this is probably a non-issue, though for somewhat different reasons. Josh argues that most 3D-printed guns are not strong enough to shoot more ...
S02E07 - Open Discussion: Disney and Don't Say Gay
April 20, 2022 13:38 - 1 hour - 32.1 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we had originally intended to have another open discussion (our approach when one of us doesn't have enough time to research an issue). Tom had several questions lined up, but we ended up spending over an hour on the first question: Is Disney's opposition to the recently passed "Don't Say Gay" legislation in Florida going to have harmful consequences for Disney? Additionally, is Disney's embrace of progressive values for employees and in some...
S02E06 - An Open Discussion of: A New Twitter, Biden's Brain, and Will Smith's Slap
March 30, 2022 13:16 - 1 hour - 24.6 MBA little pressed for time this week, we opted for a different format. Moderator Tom came prepared with three questions. First up was a question about whether Twitter needs a competitor due to its growing level of censorship on the social media platform. Second was a question about whether Joe Biden's gaffes and evidence of his cognitive decline are cause for concern. Finally, we discuss Will Smith's slap of Chris Rock at the Academy Awards and whether it was immoral and inappropriate. Despit...
S02E05 - Should there be race or gender quotas for supreme court justices?
March 24, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 33.8 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we discuss whether it makes sense to have a race or gender quota for supreme court justices. In a weird twist, Josh adopts a strawman pseudo-progressive persona for the entire episode and argues that the only criteria we should use for selecting supreme court justices is whether they are racial minorities or women and that we should completely disregard any qualifications. Rather than find common ground, we spend the majority of the episode t...
S02E04 - Should the federal government delay student loan payments again?
March 15, 2022 11:36 - 1 hour - 36.1 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we discuss whether the federal government, which began delaying payments for student loans early in the pandemic, should again delay payments for student loans which are scheduled to resume in May 2022. Josh and Ryan agree that, in hindsight, a lot of what the government did for COVID-19 was problematic, though whether delaying the repayment of student loans is complicated. They also agree that, in general, people should pay back loans. They ...
S02E03 - Should the US send soldiers to Ukraine?
March 02, 2022 11:58 - 1 hour - 37 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we discuss whether the US should send soldiers to Ukraine. We agree that what is happening in Ukraine is awful and that this is Putin's doing. Josh tried to put some of the responsibility for Russia invading Ukraine on the policies of left-leaning administrations in the US but did not get agreement from Ryan. We all agreed that the US should do as much as possible to support Ukraine in this invasion - from sending weapons and "advisors" to cy...
S02E02 - Was the January 6th attack on the US Capitol a threat to American democracy?
February 17, 2022 15:51 - 1 hour - 37.5 MBIn this episode, we discuss the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. We largely agree. Josh initially disagrees with Ryan's claim that it was an attack, instead preferring the term "riot" instead. However, Josh recognizes that there was a small minority that planned to attack the Capitol. Josh also agrees with the intent behind the attack and that it may have succeeded in making legislators fearful. Ryan agrees with Josh that progressives don't want to stop talking about this issue beca...
S02E01 - Should Joe Rogan be censored?
January 26, 2022 19:37 - 1 hour - 38 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we discuss whether Joe Rogan's podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, should be censored because of COVID-19 misinformation. We actually struggled to find common ground in this episode, which surprised us. To begin with, Josh argued that the attempts to censor Joe Rogan were rooted more in what was perceived to be vaccine hesitancy rather than misinformation, but this required clarification. We did agree that we should listen to experts, though s...
S01E20 - What's going to happen in 2022?
January 11, 2022 17:09 - 1 hour - 32.3 MBIn this final episode of Season 1, we start off 2022 with our predictions for what we think will happen during the coming year. We generally agree that Republicans will gain ground in the Senate and probably the House. We also agree that pandemic fatigue will spread and an increasing number of people will return to pre-pandemic behaviors. We also agree that our current political situation is likely to lead to serious economic consequences in the long run but potentially in the short run with...
S01E19 - Should prostitution be legal?
December 11, 2021 12:56 - 1 hour - 27.8 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds we discuss whether prostitution should be legalized. As a baseline, both agree that forced prostitution, sex trafficking, and underage sex work should be illegal and is morally wrong. That then leaves the question of whether individuals who choose to sell sex should be allowed to. Josh wants to allow his inner Libertarian to come out and agree that it should be legal but is hesitant because there is evidence that even when it is legal, illegal...
S01E18 - Should Kyle Rittenhouse have been convicted?
December 01, 2021 15:13 - 1 hour - 31.8 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we discuss the exoneration of Kyle Rittenhouse in Wisconsin over the killing of two individuals and the shooting of a third. In what may seem like a surprise to some listeners, Josh and Ryan (and Tom) agree that Rittenhouse should have been exonerated given the details of the case and the statutes involved. Josh sees this as more black and white than Ryan does, but they both agree. Josh pushes Ryan to admit that this case was framed by the le...
S01E17 - Is Critical Race Theory a big deal?
November 17, 2021 15:35 - 1 hour - 30.4 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battlegrounds, we discuss Critical Race Theory (CRT). Josh argues that CRT is being taught. Ryan agrees that it is being taught in college, but not really in K-12. Josh also argues that CRT is influencing society and can lead some people to adopt a victim mindset. Ryan equivocates on the degree to which it is influencing society and also dislikes victim mindsets. Ryan takes a more meta approach in this episode and explains what Critical Theory is, then gives...
S01E16 - Was Trump on his way to becoming a dictator?
November 04, 2021 20:17 - 1 hour - 26.3 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battlegrounds, we tackle the question of whether Trump was (or was going to become) a dictator. We agree on some basic definitions - dictator, authoritarianism, totalitarianism, and fascism. We then agree that Trump was not a dictator despite many dictator-like tendencies, but primarily because of the checks and balances that exist in the US government. We also agree that Trump was/is a terribly cruel, unkind, tyrannical human being. His moral character mak...
S01E15 - What's behind the gender pay gap?
October 15, 2021 19:22 - 1 hour - 38.2 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Josh, Ryan, and Tom discuss the often-repeated finding that women are paid less money than men, which is commonly referred to as the "gender pay gap." There is general agreement that the gender pay gap exists, but disagreement about how big it is and what the cause is. We agree that other differences between men and women - like hours worked or years on the job - account for some of the differences in pay. Where the primary disagreement lies ...
S01E14 - Does the mainstream media have a liberal bias?
October 02, 2021 15:32 - 1 hour - 30.7 MBIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Josh, Ryan, and Tom explore whether there is a liberal bias in the mainstream media. We begin by detailing what we understand the mainstream media to be - major television networks ABC, NBC, and CBS, major newspapers and reporting agencies like Reuters, Associated Press, Newsweek, the New York times, and certain cable and radio stations. We note that there are different ways that bias can manifest in media - in how the news is reported and in...
S01E13 - Are conservatives anti-science?
September 24, 2021 19:16 - 1 hour - 26.9 MBIn this episode of the Finding Common Battle Grounds podcast, we examine the question of whether conservatives are anti-science. We agree on what science is (a method for investigating the natural world), on the roles of conservatives and progressives, and that there are some scientific findings that are erroneous. But we also agree that science is self-correcting. Finally, we agree that both conservatives and progressives cherry-pick science, rejecting some scientific findings that disag...
S01E12 - Should abortion be legal?
September 07, 2021 14:31 - 52 minutes - 22.2 MBIn this issue of Finding Common Battle Grounds we discuss abortion. We chose this topic because of the recently passed law in Texas (Senate Bill 8) restricting abortions to within the first 6 weeks. We find agreement that there should be access to abortions for women who have been raped or when a mother's life is in danger. We even agree that there should be abortions available for others, though we disagree over when access should be cut off. Most of the disagreement in this discussion lies...
S01E11b - Should the US have left Afghanistan - ADDENDUM
August 26, 2021 14:03 - 24 minutes - 10.8 MBIn our first addendum episode, Josh and Ryan revisit their discussion about Afghanistan and whether the US should be leaving. Both admit to being very conflicted about the whole situation. There is clearly a lack of information about what is happening and what has happened in Afghanistan. Josh raises some important questions: Was the Afghan military capable of fighting? And, if the US has hundreds of permanent military bases around the world, why couldn't they keep one in Afghanistan? We end...