“Common Sense with Dan Carlin” is a political podcast that sooner or later you will disagree with, but that is one of the things that makes it so much fun to listen to. I first learned of Common Sense though a blurb that Carlin did on his another podcast, “Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History.” I liked his history podcast, so I thought I would give his political podcast a try. I am glad that I did.
For those who have yet to get involved in the world of podcasts, podcasts are audio, and occasionally video, shows that are periodically released by their creators. They can range from the absolute silly, like “Ask a Ninja,” to academic and instructional (many college instructors are recording their lectures). Common Sense falls in between these two poles. Podcasts can be downloaded to your computer and listened to at home, or be transferred to mobile devices, such as IPods.
Dan Carlin is an ex-newsman, who has decided to go into podcasting. His political views do not fit neatly in any particular political box. There are times that he sounds like a conservative; other times, he sounds like a liberal. He is pro-gun, but anti-war. I am not sure what label to slap on him. Then again, I am not sure what label to slap on myself politically either.
What I like about Dan Carlin is that he makes me think. I don’t necessary agree with him, but that is okay. I am a person that likes to think about the issues, and I am mature enough to change my mind if you can convince me that I am in error. Dan Carlin examines why he takes the positions that he does. As a result, I have examined some of my own political viewpoints and the reasons that I feel the way that I do.
As I said, occasionally there are notes of humor in the show. Quite often, the funniest moments are the “Please send a dollar to cure Ben of his current illness;” particularly amusing was the “Leech and Bad Blood” bit. It is an entertaining way to beg for money; Carlin is trying to make a living doing this and his history podcast. He asks for a dollar a show. Considering how many times I have listened to some of the episodes, I would have to say that a dollar a show donation is not asking for too much.
Common Sense with Dan Carlin is a podcast I recommend to anyone who does not fit into a clear-cut political box, or is interested in understanding what is really driving the political engine in this country. You may not agree with Dan Carlin, and that is half the fun, but the show will give you pretty to think about.
For instance, in one of his recent shows, he talked about how the political parties have a vested interest in getting you to vote, even if you are not an informed voter. In fact, the parties may not want you to be educated about what you are voting about, so that they can sway you with commercials aimed at your hot button issues. Carlin talked about testing people to see if they know enough about the government and issues before allowing them to vote. “Can you name the three branches of the government?” If not, you are not informed enough to vote. It is not a nice thing to kick around, but considering the leaders that we have been getting lately, I saw his point.
So I encourage you to go over to the ITunes store or his website http://dancarlin.com/ to download some of the episodes. You may not agree with him, but that is not the reason you should listen to him. As my economics professor, Martin Sabo, says “The mind must first ache before it can expand.”
