Badlands Book Club Ep. 16: Overruled by Justice Neil Gorsuch & Janie Nitze – Chapter 5

In this episode, Ashe in America and CannCon continue their deep dive into Overruled, focusing exclusively on Chapter 5, “The Forgotten Americans.” The reading unpacks how America’s sprawling regulatory state punishes the poor, religious minorities, and small businesses while favoring entrenched corporate interests. Listeners hear the story of Amish families in Minnesota forced into years of litigation over septic system mandates that violated their faith, and the monks of St. Joseph Abbey, who battled Louisiana regulators just to sell handmade caskets. The discussion draws striking parallels to today’s economic landscape, where overregulation crushes small farmers and fishermen, fueling consolidation and dependency.

Ashe and CannCon reflect on James Madison’s warnings about endless laws eroding liberty and fairness, and explore how COVID-19 policies accelerated these dynamics, destroying thousands of small businesses while enriching mega-corporations. They close by brainstorming the next book selection and encouraging the audience to suggest titles, all while sharing plenty of banter about the absurdities of modern compliance culture and the unintended consequences of bureaucratic control.