The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg

Jonah plunges into the danger zone on today’s Ruminant, covering topics ranging from the somber to the downright bizarre. After offering a few thoughts on Wednesday’s indulgent “news”letter and the nature of writer’s block, he turns to television, republicanism, and superstition, providing exceptionally nerdy disquisitions on each. Does the djinn genie live on his back? How does Jonah really feel about the Second Amendment? And after the success of the 500th Remnant-palooza, could further live events be coming soon?Show Notes:- The Wednesday G-File- Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special- Justin Fenton’s We Own This City- The Remnant with Yuval Levin- The Remnant with Tony Mills- The Remnant with Francis Fukuyama- When market failure is government failure- The Remnant with Stephen Gutowski- David French on red flag laws- The Ayn Rand poster saga continues- The 500th Remnant-palooza- Have a minute to share The Dispatch? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tony Mills, a senior fellow at AEI whose work focuses on science policy and political theory, joins the Remnant for an ultra-nerdy exploration of the American political tradition. He and Jonah examine whether liberalism alone can sustain the United States and why our experts have fallen into such low repute. Is free market capitalism corrosive? Why is civic republicanism important? And what are the advantages and disadvantages of bureaucracy? Show Notes:- Tony’s page at AEI- The Remnant with Yuval Levin- Tony: “Liberalism is Not Enough”- Tony: “Illiberalism’s True Colors”- Russell Kirk and Lionel Trilling- The Remnant with Daniel Hannan- Daniel Burns: “Liberal Practice vs. Liberal Theory”- Schumpeter’s Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy- Daniel Bell’s The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism- James Burnham’s The Managerial Revolution- Orwell: “Second Thoughts on James Burnham”- Jonah on beastly bureaucracy- Tony: “Unmasking Scientific Expertise” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At long last, the Remnant-palooza celebrating Jonah’s 500th episode is here for your listening pleasure. Recorded live at the American Enterprise Institute before a crowd of Dispatch devotees, the episode features two panel discussions featuring three of the program’s most cherished guests. To begin, Sen. Ben Sasse joins Jonah for an hour of high-minded eggheadery, covering the merits of Bigfoot erotica, the loss of a common American culture, and how we can heal the political wounds caused by populism and negative polarization. Then, Chris Stirewalt and A.B. Stoddard take the stage for rank punditry on the midterm elections and what we can expect from the next presidential election. Finally, Jonah fields questions from the audience, greets a special guest, and offers a few words of appreciation for those who’ve made The Remnant so successful. It’s been a weird and wonderful journey to 500 episodes, and we’re grateful to you all for sharing it with us. Show Notes:- The Remnant’s first episode- Jonah on mandatory voting- Renaming natural gas- There he goes again…- A.B.: “Trump - Maker of Clusters, Not Kings”- Chris on the prospect of Trump 2024- Yuval Levin: “Trump Party or Trump Faction?”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s another very, very early morning Ruminant today, yet somehow Jonah is annoyingly bombarded with texts at the start of the podcast. After figuring out how to stop the interruptions, he delves into what he thinks are the essential books for all conservatives to read. Then, sadly, he shares his thoughts on shootings, guns, body armor, and more. Stick around to hear Jonah’s thoughts on the latest iterations of Star Trek. Finally, a potpourri of topics: Is Jonah actually optimistic about the future of the GOP? Why are we obsessed with “having an honest conversation?” Show Notes:- Road to Serfdom by F. A. Hayek- The Fatal Conceit: The Errors of Socialism by F. A. Hayek- The Use of Knowledge in Society by F.A. Hayek- Why I Am Not a Conservative by F. A. Hayek- Keeping the Tablets: Modern American Conservative Thought by William F. Buckley Jr. (Contributor), Charles R. Kesler (Editor)- The Portable Conservative Reader by Russell Kirk- Irving Kristol Essays- The Remnant with Stephen Gutowski- Sen. Ted Cruz's “American exceptionalism” interaction with reporter- GLoP Culture Podcast- Klon Kitchen on the Heritage Foundation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonah is both excited and sad for today’s Remnant guest because Stephen Gutowski might just be the smartest person in the media today to talk about guns and mass shootings, but that means there was another mass shooting to talk about. Gutowski, founder of The Reload, comes on to talk about guns, gun laws, and the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. What even is an AR-15? Should they be banned? What does the “media” get wrong every time something like this happens? What is a “mass shooting?” What, if anything, can be done to help prevent these events?Show Notes:- The Reload: Sober, Serious Firearms Reporting and Analysis- Sign up for The Reload’s free newsletter- The Reload Podcast- The Reload Podcast with David French- National Institue of Justice study Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James “Jimmy P” Pethokoukis makes his long-awaited Remnant return to assure us that life really is better than it used to be. Alternating between gratuitous sci-fi references and shameless wonkery, he and Jonah explore dynamism in American life, the potential for a new Roaring ‘20s, and the future of technology. Is there a case for universal basic income? Will Elon Musk become the next Howard Hughes? And what can we expect from the new space age? Show Notes:- Jim’s page at AEI- Jim’s Substack, Faster, Please!- Jonah reviews The Reactionary Mind- Jim’s idea of a “post-modern” U.S. economy- America’s new space age- Jim on Musk’s Twitter takeover- Kevin Williamson on the strange case of billionaires- Jim explores Americans’ views on trade Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonah’s in especially ranty form on today’s Ruminant, which finds him once again deprived of sleep thanks to the wailings of a local fox. He begins by offering a few further thoughts on the relationship between religion and politics following Tim Alberta’s Remnant appearance. Afterward, rank punditry ensues, as Jonah explores how both parties are harming the United States through their concern for short-term power above all else. Stick around for lengthy disquisitions on the Great Replacement theory, immigration, and pluralism.Show Notes:- The Remnant with Tim Alberta- Tim: “How Politics Poisoned the Evangelical Church”- Jonah ruminates on abortion- National Review’s “Editors” podcast on the Pennsylvania race- Last Friday’s G-File- Jonah: “Never Trump Nevermore”- The Remnant with Yascha Mounk- Wednesday’s “news”letter- The Dispatch Podcast on the Buffalo tragedy- The Remnant with Paul Bloom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim Alberta of The Atlantic joins Jonah to talk about his latest piece How Politics Poisoned the Evangelical Church. The story and the evangelical church is personal to Alberta, as he grew up a “pastor’s kid” in Brighton, Michigan, and has witnessed a changing of the church from the frontlines. What surprised him about writing this piece? Why is he “angry”? Plus, stick around to the end for some rank, 2024 GOP presidential punditry. Show Notes: How Politics Poisoned the Evangelical Church by Tim Alberta Tim’s Twitter Tim’s Atlantic page The Dispatch Podcast episode mentioning Tim’s piece Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yascha Mounk makes his second appearance on The Remnant, this time to discuss his new book, The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure. In a conversation tailor-made for holders of the Remnant bingo card, Yascha and Jonah discuss the dangers of tribalism and populism, America’s crisis of community, and what patriotism should look like. They also examine America’s shifting demographics and take a deep dive into the nuances of liberal philosophy. Show Notes:- Yascha’s web page- The Great Experiment- Yascha’s previous Remnant appearance- The coalitional instinct- The cult of unity- The Remnant with Yuval Levin- The Remnant with Francis Fukuyama Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Haunted by the wailings of a local fox, Jonah brings an elevated degree of curmudgeonliness to today’s wide-ranging Ruminant. After offering some further thoughts on the hyper-politicization of American society and the erosion of institutions, Jonah turns to abortion, dispelling a few common myths and outlining what post-Roe law should look like. He also explores inflation, the ongoing Ukraine conflict, and what separates a eulogy from a resume. Plus, tune in for more details on the Remnant’s upcoming 500th episode extravaganza.Show Notes:- The Remnant with Yuval Levin- WeRateDogs- Washington Post journalists prove Yuval and Jonah’s point- Jonah explains his abortion views- The New Republic blasts Justice Alito- The Wednesday G-File- Midge Decter, R.I.P.- Biden’s recent inflation speech- The Wall Street Journal on the looming battle in eastern Ukraine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices