Superb political commentary show that explores multiple sides of every issue in a balanced and thoughtful way. Whether addressing immigration, guns or the Russian/Ukraine War, this is well worth listening to, even if you don’t agree with their conclusions.

Great analysis, context and details about a wide variety of topics.

Israel Palestine episode soon?

I have really enjoyed listening to this pod but boy the “tribal flippage” pod was bad. The description of “tribes” describes exactly zero people that I know. No one in my sphere is that biased (either direction). I live in a very blue state, I hang out with liberal arts majors, and all the other key markers that should make my “tribe” ultra liberal. Nope. Nada. I also have plenty of friends and family who are prototypical “red”. None of them are that stupid and un-self aware. Guys, I think you need to go back and reassess what Americans really think. Adding more March 2021: SSDD!! Eric - please break out of your bubble! Yes there are tribes but there are plenty of us out here who don’t hold hard positions in either. I can hold two ideas at the same time (like immigrants can take jobs and depress wages but are overall good) and lots of others can too. Please. Take a toad trip away from NY, SF, Boston, etc. I’m begging you.

Easily the best podcast out there (yes, even better than Hardcore History). Please come back—you’re our only hope!

The Capital was stormed. I would love your analysis of Trump floating the Rubicon on an air mattress like he needed a tan. Please destroy the conspiracies these d bags believe. Our vote is our country. Blessings, ZS

One of the best podcasts on politics around!

Good stuff usually but they for sure do the thinking for you...

The guys do such a good job of presenting the fact and laying out the information in such a way that the listener can make their own conclusion on what’s happening. They also do an incredible job of keeping the episodes interesting and I find myself listening to old episodes that are still topical and they hold up extremely well. Absolutely awesome podcast.

Xander and Erik are obviously biased in their own way but they have a thoughtful deconstruction on ideas that typically goes deeper than what is available on podcast. I'd recommend checking them out

If you listen to their podcast called "Iran's role in the Middle East in context, with Iftah Burman" released on Jan 27,2020 and you check the time stamp 16:16 onwards you will here Mr Burman saying "they tried to do it but unfortunately for the Iranians there is a bigger warlord in Syria today which is *Censored* and that's....". Why would they censor that? That is blatant manipulation of what their guest is saying. If I was to guess Mr Burman says "and that's America". I never thought Xander and his Co-host would do something so grimey and distasteful. What a disgrace for a podcast that makes the claims that they do. I have lost regard for them. If you want to listen to objective geopolitical analysis look elsewhere.

Great podcast that digs deep into complicated topics

This is a fantastic podcast. It can really help one look deeply at events and at ones own biases. The book wedged is also great. We would not have a political divide if more would look at issues in the way they are presented here. Eric, Xander, I owe you guys a hundred bucks or so at a dollar a show. I will get it to you, your podcast is worth every penny of it!

An absolutely outstanding (and unbiased) look at what is going on both in the US and abroad. An absolute must-listen for anyone who wants to be informed.

Love it. A podcast for people who want facts before they form their opinions. Thank you for such in-depth research.

Thanks for doing a podcast on the Lebanese protests, as it has been overshadowed by other main attractions in the media. Xander and Eric summarized the situation very well. The protests have given us hope for the future, but our past will always make us pessimistic. People under 30, who have no experience of the civil war, nor social conditioning related to that horrendous war are that hope. My children can make Lebanon a better place.

Thanks guys for your podcast. I appreciate the effort and looking at not just A and B, but at C, D, E... I like thinking through the ideas and facts in a less emotionally hyped manor. It is refreshing to me to see a bigger picture and factors that need to be thought out instead of relying on sound bytes. I heard you guys from the Half-hour of Heterodoxy podcast. I used your It Pays to Polarize podcast as lesson in a freshman seminar I lead. Keep it up and keep thinking.

Xander and Eric do a fantastic job covering a very broad range of topics and always manage to provide a huge amount of information in an engaging and approachable way. It's clear they put a lot of work in to making the podcast as brilliant as it is!

As a supporter on Patreon and someone who met these two individuals in person at the Sound Education Podcast conference, I can say I highly recommend this podcast and supporting it. These two go above and beyond at trying to walk an unbiased and informed view of the current geopolitical reality. They express their inherent biases when they have them and actively try to understand deeper realities that aren’t addressed in 5 minute news segments and Ad revenue generating online articles. The best part about it is that by supporting them, you are actively supporting your own unbiased news source/entertainment (and they’re corny political jokes are definitely entertaining) and avoiding the mess of ridiculous propaganda you find on social media. These two may not do the thinking for you, but they’ll do the research for you, and as a millennial trying to navigate the immense amount of information on the internet, this is a much better way of staying informed.

Searching on Google or Youtube to understand current affairs, one tends to find content aimed at pushing a political stance. What you will rarely be exposed to though, is content created with the intention of helping you understand what's going on. It is unfortunate that we are fed (simplistic) policy recommendations before understanding what is actually going on. This podcast does a fantastic job at giving context first so that the listener is better prepared at evaluating the claims and recommendations made by politicians and pundits. tldr: if you want to be capable of being a good citizen listening to this podcast is a big step towards that laudable goal.

I can't praise this podcast enough. Eric and Xander talk about important issues while cutting through fallacies and misleading narratives, and inviting you to draw your own conclusions. Always a pleasure to listen to.

Fun back and forth conversations about newsworthy topics. Currently, listening in on topics pertaining to china. The podcast is a great way to stay abreast on such material. I'd have no other convenient way to learn about this stuff without the pod. Regular news can be superficial. These guys go in depth.

The hosts do an absolutely phenomenal job of explaining the most important concepts in modern global politics. No matter what you already happen to know, Xander and Erik’s explanation will bring you up to speed and completely change your understanding of the issues shaping our world. I never realized how much I could enjoy listening to topics like populist politics and the Austrian school of economics (which I had never even heard of before this podcast).

I really love this podcast. As a foreigner in the US, I am often confused by the political landscape here and it's hard to find impartial media sources that do a good job really explaining what's going on. That's why I love what Erik + Xander are doing - they dive deep into a wide variety of issues but they don't preach a party side. Honestly, they're gold. I tell my friends to listen to them all the time. Highly recommend!

Very very enlightening on topics that I should know more about. Thanks for this podcast. Love it.

I'm a news and podcast junkie, and I have little patience for shallow analysis, partisanship, and regurgitated content. Thankfully the Reconsider guys knock it out of the park on each of these counts. The podcast takes a couple episodes to find its feet but of late I'm consistently impressed by their ability to bring depth to issues and perspectives that I haven't thought of (their South China Sea ep, for example - no idea that was such a thing). Definitely worth a listen.

Unlike the hosts of Reconsider, I'm going to do the thinking for you. You must listen to this show. I've learned so much about many issues I didn't even know I should be thinking about.

I am so often left feeling mildly helpless when caught in the crossfire of all the controversial, nuanced issues that I need to educated myself on, mostly because every source seems to be leaning violently to one agenda or another. I'm sure Xander and Erik have their personal views and biases, and I imagine theses biases must leak into this podcast in some way or another, but I generally feel like I'm getting high-quality research distilled into nice, concentrated episodes whenever I listen, and love that little enlightened feeling after some particularly well-done episodes, like the ones on the South China Sea. This podcast is all too needed in our polarized world.

Just as described, provides a careful and information rich analysis of current events. They know their stuff, and are able to deliver careful analysis in a way that is easily understood by even the more casual observer. Will look forward to more pods, and have especially enjoyed the detail-focused analyses of the Middle East that aren't readily found elsewhere.

★★★★★! I've been incredibly impressed by ReConsider - it is easily the best new podcast I've discovered over the past year. ReConsider takes complex topics related to foreign policy, current affairs, public policy, etc. and breaks them down in a way that is entertaining, illuminating and easy to understand. The hosts very clearly state their own personal biases up front (no pretending to be perfectly neutral, as some do, which would be unrealistic and misleading), yet do their very best to explain all viewpoints. It's not often that a podcast so clearly respects the listener, and ReConsider has been a real breath of fresh air. Give it a listen!

These two do an amazing and well-researched job at breaking down complex issues into something digestible, and really explaining all of the moving parts. The tone is conversational, but high-level. It's given me a much better foundation for understanding my own positions, and is a welcome contrast to the punditry on so many other shows.

Have learned so much and found so much context I hadn't considered in every single episode. Cannot recommend enough. Be sure to go through the archives as well.

These guys live up to their pledge: "to not do the thinking for you." This is a deep dive into world news that really does its best to not take sides. In world of talking heads, shouting matches, Fox News and CNN, it's really, truly refreshing

Good, informative political podcast without being biased. They complement each other well and it is a fun, pithy stroll through current political topics slightly out of the mainstream. Good Job!

These guys do a great job describing the complexities of different political issues in a way that's both easy to listen to and doesn't push one agenda or another.

My understanding of the Isis situation just increased by about 500% after listening to the first episode. It was so refreshing to hear Xander and Erik talk about actual strategies, without any of the easily digestible sound bites and headlines that swamp the media.