The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg

James Meigs, Manhattan Institute senior fellow and contributing editor at City Journal, makes his Remnant debut in today’s wildly wonky exploration of clean energy, tech policy, and environmentalism. He and Jonah kick things off by talking about the elephant(‘s foot) in the room––nuclear power––before seamlessly transitioning to the terrifying subject of artificial intelligence. Come for the well deserved nuclear boosterism; stay for the existential dread provoked by the idea of malevolent chatbots ruling the meatspace.Show Notes:- James’s podcast, How Do We Fix It?- James’ page at the Manhattan Institute- David Blackman: “The Death of Manchin’s Permitting Reform Effort Is A Loss For Everyone- The Remnant with Paul Bloom- The Remnant with Michael H. Parsons- James: “Elite Panic vs. the Resilient Populace” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Bloom—Jonah’s favorite psychologist and author of the new book Psych: The Story of the Human Mind—returns to the Remnant for some intensely eggheady conversation on the workings of the human brain (a three-pound wrinkly mass, as Paul puts it). The two spend the episode leapfrogging between different controversies in the field of psychology, each more complex than the last, with enough speed to make your head spin. From the nature of consciousness, to René Girard’s understanding of identity, to controversial conceptions of the mind, there’s something to delight—and confuse—everyone, least of all our future AI overlords.Show Notes:- Paul’s website- Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil- Psych: The Story of the Human Mind- The Remnant with Joseph Uscinski Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s dyspeptic Ruminant finds Jonah wading through the swampy wreckage of the Republican intellectual movement in an attempt to give new meaning to the phrase “crushing morosity.” From the GOP’s weakness in the face of populism to the loss of objective standards, Jonah tackles all the most important questions facing the right. Why do Fox viewers need safe spaces? What made Trump’s ineffectual trollishness so appealing to so many? And how much screaming of “I told you so” is too much?Show Notes:- Jonah: “Donald Trump’s Megaphone”- Jonah: “In a Slow-Motion Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Media Figures Embrace Trump One by One”- Jenna Ellis further beclowning herself on Twitter- Conch shells and the Fibonacci sequence or something- Jonah: “How Fox News Created a ‘Safe Space’ for Its Audience” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After therapy and court ordered anger management training, Jonah is finally prepared to have David French—newly minted New York Times columnist and noted treacherous misanthrope—back on the Remnant. What follows is an especially freewheeling conversation that begins with a deep dive into the Dominion case against Fox News, then bounces back and forth between a range of topics so controversial you’d swear Jonah wants David to get canceled. From student loans to drag queens, he could be back at The Dispatch before you know it…Show Notes:-Watch Jonah interview NYT columnist David French- David’s page at the New York Times- David’s page at the superior Dispatch- Christianity Today exposes its own scandal- David: “Why Fox Lied to the Viewers It ‘Respects’”- The Economist: “Russia’s Vaunted Second Offensive Is a Damp Squib” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remnant regular Tevi Troy returns for some of the rankest punditry you’ll find this side of the Mississippi. It’s a freewheeling kind of episode that begins with a shameless plug for Tevi’s new leadership program, transitions into a discussion of the GOP presidential primary, and ends with a few musings on how AI could change the world of writing. Tune in also for ruminations on how politics became so childish, whether CPAC can be redeemed, and why Trump can’t find a good nickname for Ron DeSantis.Show Notes:- Tevi’s webpage- Tevi’s course: “1600 Lessons: Leadership Lessons from Our Nation’s Chief Executives”- Trump’s CPAC speech- Tevi: “How Writers Make It Work Now”-Matthew Hennessey’s Visible Hand-America is Sick of Presidents Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonah’s rank wonkishness reaches a new extreme on today’s rantin’, ravin’, ramblin’ Ruminant. After beginning with a diatribe on the Dominion voting lawsuit, he redirects his ire toward cancel culture and the irritating endurance of both-sidesism. Without regard for time (or the suffering of his RA), he closes with some nerdtastic thoughts on the nature of liberalism, the irresponsibility of student loan relief, and the terrifying world of estate law.Show Notes:- Jonah: “Donald Trump’s Megaphone”- Jonah’s Goucher reunion on CNN- The “truth” about Trump’s support for cancel culture- Wednesday’s G-File- Justice Thomas’ dissent in Hudson v. McMillian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live from Tel Aviv, author Oren Kessler joins the Remnant to discuss his new book, Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict. The result is a deep dish slice of eggheady conversation, which mixes rank punditry with historical nerdery and a negligible amount of technical glitches. Things kick off with a history of the Arab-Israeli conflict from the 1930s to the present. Afterward, Jonah and Oren explore some pressing questions surrounding the conflict today. How should we regard the ongoing judicial reforms in Israel? Where does nationalism fit into Arab and Israeli intellectual history? And does Israel need to develop a written constitution?Show Notes:-Oren’s new book, Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict-Oren’s webpage-Oren's book preview on Military History Now-George Antonius’ The Arab Awakening Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back from the Caribbean with a radiant glow, Jonah is joined by Stephen Eide—senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute—for an outrageously wonky discussion of homelessness in America. The two kick things off by exploring the history of transient labor and the categorical distinctions between hobos, tramps, and bums, before turning to the root causes of the growing homeless populations in big cities. They also explore the relationship between homelessness and changes to psychiatric health care, the loss of affordable housing in big cities, and the idea that homelessness is a natural outgrowth of late-stage capitalism.Show Notes:-Stephen’s page at the Manhattan Institute-Stephen’s recent book, Homelessness in America: The History and Tragedy of an Intractable Social Problem-Stephen: “Housing First’s Imperial Overreach”-Stephen: “The Adams Homeless Deluge”-Madness in the Streets: How Psychiatry and the Law Abandoned the Mentally Ill-Sebastian Junger’s Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Jonah continues his search for Spanish gold, Sarah Isgur assumes control of the Remnant once again for some predictably eclectic conversation. She’s joined by former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, who’s also a security expert and national park enthusiast. After briefly discussing the ravages of age, they turn to America’s immense beauty, the terrors of AI, the challenges of immigration reform, and everything in between. Are we in a new Cold War? Could Will be preparing for a shocking announcement? And most importantly, where in San Antonio should you get your taco fix?Show Notes:- Sign up for The Brief- Will: “Would China & Russia Attack Hawaii?”- Will’s questionable national park tier list…- The nēnē- Eric S. Raymond’s The Cathedral and the Bazaar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Jonah shirks his podcasting duties to star in a one-man production of Pirates of the Caribbean, Chris Stirewalt takes his place at the helm of the Remnant for a characteristically wonky discussion of the coming presidential primary. He’s joined by Harry Enten, senior data reporter at CNN and host of the Margins of Error podcast, for a conversation that touches on all of the most pressing questions of the day. Is the GOP unifying behind Ron DeSantis? When is the best time for a candidate to jump into the race? And should we declare Harry the chief diet soft drink expert in the United States?Show Notes:- CNN’s Margins of Error Podcast- Harry: “Why it’s better to start a presidential campaign early”- Harry: “Why Biden shouldn't dismiss his negative poll numbers”- Harry: “Why a historically small presidential primary field is possible in 2024” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices