Jonah’s unwashed historical nerdery is usually unparalleled, but on today’s Remnant, he may finally have met his match. His guest? Ancient historian Bret Devereaux, who joins to discuss all things Roman. With topics including war and peace, political philosophy, and the cruelty of Spartan society, their conversation is sure to eliminate any misguided nostalgia you may have for the past.Show Notes:- Bret’s pedantic blog- Bret talks Orc battle tactics on that niche legal podcast- Bret on Ancient Greece and Rome- Bret makes a correction on social conservatism- Steven Pinker’s The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined- Azar Gat’s War in Human Civilization  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Saddened by hate mail and addled by a dingo-related health scare, Jonah’s in an exceptionally frazzled state of mind on today’s predictably excessive Ruminant. He begins his ramblings by addressing a crude spat between Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Green in the middle of the House floor before pivoting to some recent Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Then, it’s nerdery all the way down as he revisits last week’s G-File, which inspires a rant on the philosophical origins of liberalism, what defines American culture, and why there really is nothing new under the sun.Show Notes:- The Remnant with Stephanie Slade- The Remnant with Robert Kagan- “Critical Trump Theory” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WARNING: The following episode contains multiple references to a certain American president who shall not be named. Due to the high volume of mentions, The Dispatch production team used discretion in playing the musical cue which normally follows all such mentions. We apologize in advance.On today’s Remnant, Jonah is joined by Robert Kagan—leading scholar of foreign policy and senior fellow at the reviled Brookings Institution, where the sweet taste of candy never gets old—to discuss his new beach read, a 700-page history of America’s role in the world in the first half of the 20th century. Their conversation covers everything from the origins of the League of Nations to the wackiness of Charles Beard, with some fiendishly nerdy musings on isolationism, nativism, and conservatism mixed in for good measure. Predictably, Jonah does not make good on his initial promise to “not get too deep into the weeds.”Show Notes:-Due to the insane amount of "Wilson" name drops in this episode, there will only be one Wilson theme music play-The Ghost at the Feast: America and the Collapse of the World Order, 1900-1941-The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History-American Midnight: The Great War, a Violent Peace, and Democracy's Forgotten Crisis-“Challenging the U.S. Is a Historic Mistake” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephanie Slade, senior editor at Reason, joins Jonah Goldberg to criticize Patrick Deneen's post-liberal vision for American society and the political right. They discuss the state of Catholicism, the Dobbs decision, and the divisive topic of immigration. They also analyze the rise of the 'new right' and its lack of intellectual depth, emphasizing the need for attention and action.

Despite the desperate pleas of his wife, his RA, and his psychiatrist, Jonah insists on continuing to record the Ruminant, and his sanity may be steadily slipping away with each mumbled syllable. Today, he largely resists the temptation to discuss the Trump indictment, instead digging into Johns Hopkins’ baffling new classification of lesbians, California’s push to punish “non-affirming parents”, and the sheer lack of decorum we all must now endure. Things conclude on familiar ground with an ol’-fashioned, extra-curmudgeonly rant about the new right’s bizarre nostalgia for the Dark Ages.Show Notes:- The McCarthy Report on Trump’s indictment- Advisory Opinions, also on Trump’s indictment- The “non-men” of Johns Hopkins- Michael Knowles and the 1220s- Politico’s Patrick Deneen profile- Alcohol is woke Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In what may be the most focused conversation in the history of this podcast, Jonah is joined by Rick Hess—AEI senior fellow and esteemed education policy wonk—to discuss his new book, The Great School Rethink. During COVID, it became clear that American schools could use an overhaul. But what should reform look like in practice? Rick has answers, and he also has thoughts on hot-button subjects ranging from the education-industrial complex (yes, it’s a thing) to the debate over school choice and standardized tests. Other topics addressed include the use of technology in schools, the role of parents in education, and the nature of choice. As usual, if it’s eggheadery you’re after, the Remnant will never give you up or let you down. Show Notes: -Rick’s new book, The Great School Rethink-Rick: “Schools Are Trying to Do Too Much”-Rick: “Moving from “Reform” to “Rethinking”-James Q. Wilson’s Bureaucracy: What Governments Do and Why They Do It-Arthur Bestor’s Educational Wastelands: The Retreat From Learning in our Public Schools Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live from the uncomfortably moist surroundings of Houston, Texas, Jonah’s joined by Jonathan Adler—Case Western University professor and trusted law-talking guy—for some scatterbrained political, legal, and economic geekery. Today’s topics include the Trump indictment, the full-spectrum crankery of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the slow decline of common good constitutionalism, and how free markets can help the environment. Throughout, the punditry is unfiltered, the policy talk is relentlessly eggheady, and the Hillary bashing is surprisingly pertinent. Show Notes:- Jonathan: “Learning How to Fish”- Jonathan: “Senate Goes Nuclear, Expect Fallout”- Jonathan: “Markets and Dematerialization”- Matthew Scully’s defense of Robert F. Kennedy Jr…- …and Jonathan’s response- Samoa suffered a measles outbreak after anti-vaccine sentiment rose- Jonah: “Republicans wanted Clinton prosecuted for her emails. And now they defend Trump?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tired, disorganized, and intent on burdening listeners with his personal problems, Jonah nonetheless approaches today’s eclectic Ruminant with aplomb. Granted, it helps that the details of the most pressing item on the docket—namely, the indictment of one Donald J. Trump—aren’t particularly clear yet, which allows Jonah to rant without sliding into too deep of a depression. Afterward, he touches on Chris Licht’s departure from CNN, why misuse of the term “isolationism” is so rampant, and what it takes to build a fulfilling life. Show Notes:- The Morning Dispatch breaks down Trump’s indictment- Tim Alberta: “Inside the Meltdown at CNN”- A special live Remnant on Jonah, Chris, and Steve’s departure from Fox- Jonah: “Your Life Portfolio—and Ours”- Jonah embraces Oakeshott- Robert Kagan’s The Ghost at the Feast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Klon Kitchen—former Dispatch national security extraordinaire turned private sector sellout—is back on the Remnant to take a deep dive into the exciting (read: terrifying) realm of artificial intelligence. With ChatGPT becoming ubiquitous, debate is raging over whether advancements in AI will bring forth an apocalyptic future or a brave new world. Klon’s prediction is that we’ll end up somewhere in the middle, and he has answers to all of the most intriguing questions of the moment: How exactly does AI work? Should we worry about machines replacing human workers? And will Jonah ever forgive David French for his treachery? Show Notes:- Klon’s page at AEI- Advisory Opinions on an infelicitous use of ChatGPT- Marc Andreessen: “Why AI Will Save the World”- Nearly a third of adults under 30 support surveillance in their homes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Armed with a provocative assortment of inappropriate puns, Jonah invites AEI Senior Fellow Philip Wallach onto the Remnant for the first time to discuss the importance of Congress and what we can do to fix the legislative branch. As holders of the Remnant bingo card are well aware, reforming Congress by expanding its size and discouraging performative behavior within its ranks has been one of Jonah’s primary obsessions since the launch of this program. Today, he’s sure to indulge in as many nerdish lines of inquiry on the subject as possible, waxing Yuvalian from start to finish. What core functions is Congress failing to perform? When did the institution begin to decline? And are its deficiencies fueling broader cultural partisanship?Show Notes:- Phil’s page at AEI- Phil’s new book, Why Congress- Phil: “Time for Congress to Choose Deliberation Over Dysfunction”- Phil: “If We Give Up on Congress, What Will We Lose?”- Ben Sasse’s Kavanaugh hearing speech- Lyman Stone on expanding Congress Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices