Right Brain Left Brain

In this round, Mike and Kurt weigh the implications of closing down the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Guantanamo Bay Prison Camp was opened in 2002 to hold high-value prisoners in the War on Terror. 780 were mean and boys were detained in the ensuing years. As of 2021, 40 foreign detainees remain in US custody, without criminal charge or trial. Is this justified? Who remains? What is the legacy of GITMO? And should the Biden administration finally shutter the camp for good? Join...

In this round, Mike and Kurt weigh in on the presidential election. Who should America choose to lead the country for the next four years, Donald Trump or Joe Biden? Join us as Mike and Kurt pound everclear, make some predictions, and lay out the reasoning for their presidential picks in this special Presidential Election episode of Right Brain Left Brain!

We’re back! In this round, Mike and Kurt discuss the merits and pitfalls of a US national mandate to wear protective masks. In the midst of a global pandemic and the run-up to a presidential election, opinions are divided on whether the federal government should step in and order that everyone in America wear a protective mask in public. Would such a mandate be effective? Would it create more problems than it would solve? Or is this the a necessary part of a strategy to keep the country safe...

Because we can't produce our show in person, we're launching a mini-series called "Summer Interlude." Until we can get back into the studio to record our normal show, we'll be publishing regular conversations about the ongoing coronavirus and protest issues facing our nation. In this episode, we get you caught up on where we each stand as we embark on the difficult process of trying to understand one another and find common ground during dark times.

In this round, Kurt and Mike explore the controversy surrounding Democratic nominee Joe Biden and the credible sexual assault allegations against him. In a world where liberals have accused conservatives of moral bankruptcy for supporting Donald Trump, have the new allegations against Biden caught the Democrats' hand in the moral cookie jar? Is there a morally consistent way to believe women and still vote for an accused sex offender? Join us as Mike and Kurt pop a couple beers and debate...

In this round, Mike and Kurt examine the Trump Administration's coronavirus response. In an ongoing crisis with variables that change daily, COVID-19 has posed a challenge that would be difficult for anyone to handle. Donald Trump has come under fire for his leadership during the pandemic response, but is that criticism fair? Is Trump really as incompetent as his toughest critics say, or is he doing an adequate job? Join us as Mike and Kurt meet at the virtual bar to debate these questions -...

We're back! In this round, there's no round at all. Mike and Kurt catch you up on where we've been, what we've been doing, and how we plan to irresponsibly spend our stimulus checks. Join us as we try to take this thing remote and laugh through the tears on this week's episode of Right Brain Left Brain!

In this round, Mike and Kurt debate the billion-dollar question: Should billionaires exist? Is the world's wealthiest class a bug or a feature of capitalism? What harm - or good - do billionaires really do? And what should we do about billionaires as their numbers increase? Join us as Kurt and Mike knock a couple back and debate these questions - and more - on this week's Right Brain Left Brain!

In this round, Mike and Kurt examine the Trump Administration's decision to send a surge of tactical immigration agents into sanctuary cities. The surge is designed to assist in apprehending immigrants who commit crimes who are also suspected of being in the United States illegally, with the intention of deportations. Is this policy just? Will it help to root out particularly bad criminals from immigrant communities, or will the presence of increased federal agents do more harm to these...

In this round, Mike and Kurt take a look at the ongoing Democratic primary season. With results in from two states, the early frontrunners of the party are apparent - Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Bernie Sanders. What are the key differences between the candidates? And which of the two is better suited to challenge and ultimately defeat Donald Trump? Join us as Kurt and Mike drink spiced rum and debate these questions - and more - on this week's episode of Right Brain Left Brain!

In this Patreon round, Mike and Kurt dive into the controversy surrounding the 2020 Iowa caucus. With Mayor Pete and Bernie Sanders both claiming Iowa victory, who's the real winner? Does the dubious outcome of the caucus foreshadow a presidential contest fraught with failures for the Dems? Or is the delay in Iowa results just a minor blip on an otherwise fair and reasonable primary election? Join us as Mike and Kurt drink mai tais and debate these questions - and more - on the February...

In this round, Mike and Kurt take a deep dive into a recent Federal court ruling regarding the rights of the homeless. The US Supreme Court has declined to take up a controversial Idaho case in which it was ruled unconstitutional to prohibit homeless people from sleeping in public spaces. Are this district ruling, and the Supreme Court decision to let it stand, just? Who does this ruling most impact? Will it foster a change to the way we address homelessness, or does it create more problems...

In this round, Mike and Kurt dive into the US military killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in Iraq. Was Donald Trump justified in killing the man? What gives him the authority to do so? Was it the right thing to do, or will it lead to more bloodshed - perhaps even all-out war? Join us as Kurt and Mike mix rum and tequila and debate these questions - and more - on this week's episode of Right Brain Left Brain!

In this Patreon-only round, Mike and Kurt debate the ongoing controversy around so-called "2nd Amendment Sanctuaries." Are these places, where folks boldly claim that they will not enforce certain gun-control laws, bastions of self-determination? Or are they lawless regions, devoid of concern for the common good? Or something else entirely...? Join us as Kurt and Mike knock back tequila shots and debate these questions - and more - on this week's episode of Right Brain Left Brain! Listen to...

In this round, Mike and Kurt debate the Articles of Impeachment that have been passed in the US House of Representatives. Now that the inquiry phase is complete, do the Democrats have the goods? Is conviction in the Senate likely, or even possible? Senate trial outcome notwithstanding, does the case against Trump warrant removal from office? Join us as Mike and Kurt drink 100-proof rye and debate these questions - and more - on this episode of Right Brain Left Brain!

In this round, Mike and Kurt examine the Trump Administration's recent rule change to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as S.N.A.P., or Food Stamps. With Trump's new eligibility rules, fewer folks are expected to receive SNAP benefits moving forward. Yet many support the move, arguing that SNAP is too generous, wasting taxpayer money on those who shouldn't qualify. Is this new rule reasonable, or is Trump the Grinch they say he is? Join us as Mike and Kurt debate...

In this round, Mike and Kurt size up the top Democratic contenders remaining in the 2020 field. With the departure of Beto O'Rourke and the first primary just a couple months away, now seems like a good time to check in on the remaining candidates. The top of the field has young moderates, old socialists, estabilshment Dems, and septuagenarian hellraisers duking it out for the top spot. As the Iowa caucus swiftly approaches, who will come out on top? What are the target demographics, and...

In this round, Kurt and Mike look at the ongoing fight for Hong Kong independence through the lens of American reactions. While world-wide-web-warriors tweet out their thoughts and prayers, some high-profile commentators find themselves in hot water for showing too much - or not enough - moral support for the massive Hong Kong protests. What's really going on in Hong Kong? With millions of Americans weighing in on the issue, who's the biggest hypocrite of them all? Join us as Mike and Kurt...

In this round, Mike and Kurt discuss the recent Turkish incursion into northern Syria. After President Trump removed US troops from the region of Syria bordering Turkey, Turkish president Erdogan moved quickly to invade the region, sending troops and paying proxies to launch attacks agains Syrian Kurds - our allies in the fight against ISIS. The attacks have been roundly condemned, but questions remain: What's the US's responsibility to the Kurds? Should the US do anything in reprisal over...

In this round, Kurt and Mike discuss Donald Trump’s sudden decision to pull all remaining US troops out of northern Syria, where they’d been embedded with allied Kurdish fighters in the war against ISIS. Many critics of this move argue that this is a major double-cross of the Kurds, who face hostility from a Turkish military that's been waiting to invade northern Syria. Does Trump’s move give Turkey the green light to massacre the Kurdish fighters who frontlined the fight against ISIS? Will...