On The Posner Show, Sarah talks with Geoff, author of the book Rule and Ruin. Geoff argues that we are living in a new era of a far-right Republican Party. They discuss the role of the John Birch Society in the GOP’s rightward tilt in the 1960s, and its legacy of attacking conservatives for betraying its view of American ideals. Geoff breaks down what last year’s Republican National Committee “autopsy” says about the death of moderation in the GOP. Can Mike Lee or Chris Christie be the moderates of the future? Plus: Why the conservative movement has no pope anymore.

On Foreign Entanglements, Rob and Kelsey don their Breaking Bad Halloween costumes to talk about drones and science fiction. Kelsey describes many of the less well-known uses of drones, including anti-poaching and disaster relief efforts. They identify a distinction between how drones are really used and their popular image. They then discuss the technological cross-pollination between military and civilian uses. Turning to the new Ender’s Game film, they explore how the sci-fi series treats child soldiers and anticipates drone warfare. What can the Ender series tell us about the moral implications of drones?

On The DMZ: Matt says Obama lied by saying, “If you like your plan, you can keep it.” Will he and/or the Affordable Care Act suffer politically? Matt sees Obamacare as a vindication of conservative epistemological modesty over liberal paternalism. Have shutdown cheerleaders Ted Cruz and Mike Lee changed their tune? Bill recalls Calvin Coolidge as an example of a temperamental conservative. Matt reviews the downs and ups of the recent crop of GOP politicians. Plus: Does the likely Democratic gubernatorial win in Virginia have national significance?

On The Glenn Show, the topic is the student protest at Brown University that thwarted a speech by NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly. Glenn accuses the protesters of “intellectual thuggery.” John says the blame ultimately lies with Brown professors who taught their students poorly, but Glenn defends Brown’s ideological heterogeneity. John argues that undergrads are not truly taught both sides on issues where race and politics intersect. Glenn and John present the more cogent case against stop-and-frisk policing. John emphasizes the performative aspect of student protests. Plus: The way in which racial debates are harder now than in 1963.

On Interrobang‽, Jillian and Katherine survey Sisi Fetish, a tumblr chronicling strange forms of adulation for Egypt’s military leader. Should liberals be wary of embracing libertarians in the fight against NSA surveillance? They discuss revelations about German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone being tapped, and how new European data protection regulations will affect US tech companies. Have the NSA revelations hurt US attempts to track terrorist financing? Jillian highlights Mark Zuckerberg’s very selective approach toward free expression. Does Facebook want to become a news platform?

On The Glenn Show, Harold laments the “humiliating” failures of Healthcare.gov, but points to ways the Affordable Care Act has already succeeded. Could the website glitches lead to an adverse selection disaster? Apportioning blame for the problems, Harold looks at both GOP intransigence and the government’s technical ineptitude. Will this fiasco do permanent damage to Americans’ confidence in government? Glenn and Harold discuss the decision by many Republican governors to refuse Medicaid expansion. Harold shares his personal frustrations with the website’s failures. Plus: Would a certain former Republican presidential candidate have been the ideal person to manage the website rollout?

On The Glenn Show, Steve and Glenn revisit an earlier conversation about what’s wrong with economics—namely, that it’s too insular and overly focused on technique. But, to be fair, some contemporary research in development and behavioral economics defies this description. Steve gets meta and proposes a behavioral theory to account for these exceptions, and Glenn bemoans the field’s “intellectual infantilization.” Glenn holds up the career of Paul Samuelson as an example of how an academic discipline can be revolutionized. They close by worrying about the narrow ideological range of the president’s economic advisers.