The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg

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

Yuval Levin returns to the Remnant to provide his signature brand of edifying eggheadery. Institutions, the culture war, and the necessity of staying in your lane are all covered in this high minded conversation. Jonah and Yuval also discuss America’s unique fusion of liberalism and republicanism and what we can expect from abortion law if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Plus, tune in for an update on the Remnant’s special 500th episode live event. Show Notes:- Yuval’s page at AEI- Yuval: “How to Curb the Culture War”- The Wednesday G-File- Francis Fukuyama’s Liberalism and its Discontents- The Remnant with Francis Fukuyama- Daniel E. Burns: “Liberal Practice v. Liberal Theory”- Carl Eric Scott: “The Five Conceptions of Liberty”- Yuval on Obama’s second inaugural- Yuval: “Family Policy After Roe” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beth Akers, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins The Remnant for extreme wonkery on student debt and the economics of higher education. Why have the Democrats become so fixated on the issue of forgiving student loan debt, and can a moral argument be made for forgiveness? Furthermore, are most graduate programs pointless? How can we fix America’s universities? And can anyone match Jonah’s raw disdain for journalism schools? Show Notes:- Beth’s page at AEI- Beth’s first book, Game of Loans- Beth’s latest book, Making College Pay- Beth on why student loan cancellation will backfire- Jonah ruminates on student debt- The Remnant with Alex Tabarrok - Bryan Caplan’s The Case Against Education- Bryan on Beth’s podcast, “An Economist Goes to College”- Bryan on the Remnant- WSJ: “The Elite Master’s Degrees That Don’t Pay Off” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The drive-time Remnant format returns for another eclectic broadcast that, initially at least, comes dangerously close to providing actual substance. In predictably freewheeling fashion, Jonah, Guy, and Ryan explore the abortion debate and how the culture war manifests in various cultures, evaluate the merits of The Batman, and ponder when China’s influence on Hollywood will decrease. They also make an exciting announcement: On May 24th, the Remnant’s 500th episode will be recorded live at the American Enterprise Institute, and Dispatch subscribers are invited to attend. Tune in to hear all the juicy details, and keep a close eye on the site over the coming days for more information.Show Notes:- The Wednesday G-File- The Remnant with Chris Stirewalt- Yascha Mounk’s The Great Experiment- Last week’s nerdtastic GLoP- Lady Liberty stands tall- Jonah: “A Slow Kowtow to China” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fairy tales can come true, and it may happen to you on today’s Remnant, which sees Jonah reunite with Chris Stirewalt for more rank punditry, dated pop culture references, and gratuitous Clinton bashing. They begin by exploring the Roe leak, digging into what it means for abortion law and how Biden should handle the situation, before turning to J.D. Vance’s victory in Ohio and what we can expect from the Pennsylvania Senate primary. Tune in for political insight, but stick around to see whether Jonah and Chris can resist discussing testicle tanning.Show Notes:- Chris’ page at The Dispatch- The Remnant with Francis Fukuyama- The Remnant with H.R. McMaster- The Remnant with Thomas Chatterton Williams- The Brimley/Cocoon Line- The Wednesday G-File- The Dispatch breaks down J.D. Vance’s win Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Retired Gen. H.R. McMaster—Hoover Institution senior fellow, former national security adviser, and foreign policy expert—makes his first appearance on the Remnant to discuss China, Russia, and Afghanistan. He and Jonah examine what led to the war in Ukraine, the likelihood of Xi Jinping invading Taiwan, and whether institutional failures were to blame for the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal. They also dig into America’s shifting role on the world stage and what our defense budget should look like. By the end, one question remains unanswered: What’s the best war movie ever made? Show Notes:- McMaster’s page at the Hoover Institution- “GoodFellows,” McMaster’s group video show at Hoover- “Battlegrounds,” McMaster’s interview program- Battlegrounds, McMaster’s latest book- Dereliction of Duty, McMaster’s first book- Putin’s case for invading Ukraine- The Remnant with Klon Kitchen- Sergei Lavrov compares Zelensky to Hitler- The Remnant with Hal Brands on Cold War history- The Economist on countries faking their COVID numbers- Operation Market Garden Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the mend from his sudden bout of illness, Jonah approaches today’s Ruminant with his standard level of nerdy panache. After offering a few thoughts on how The Tyranny of Clichés holds up today, he commences a lengthy rant on why canceling student debt would be a serious moral and political blunder, before turning to Francis Fukuyama’s work on liberalism. What does the relationship between virtue and responsibility look like? When is grad school worthwhile? And is John Rawls one of history’s greatest monsters?Show Notes:- The Remnant with David French - The Remnant with Francis Fukuyama- Wednesday’s totally uncontroversial G-File- Game of Loans, by Beth Akers and Matthew M. Chingos- Puppet Master- Shoshana Weissman on occupational licensing- WSJ: “The Elite Master’s Degrees That Don’t Pay Off”- Jonah reviews Nine Days- The Moynihan Report- Charles A. Reich’s The Greening of America- Jonah’s notes on nationalism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s Remnant, Francis Fukuyama finally stops by to discuss his new book, Liberalism and its Discontents, and Jonah can barely contain his enthusiasm. The resulting conversation is a feast of philosophical nerdery, which explores the origins of the liberal tradition, the state of liberalism in contemporary America, and the future of the free world. How did “neoliberal” become such a popular pejorative? What are the limits of federalism? And should we be optimistic about the political trajectory of the United States? Show Notes:- Liberalism and its Discontents- The End of History and the Last Man- Our Posthuman Future- The Origins of Political Order- Dr. Fukuyama previews Liberalism and its Discontents in American Purpose- Justice Scalia’s commencement speech- Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff’s The Coddling of the American Mind Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sick with a nasty fever, Jonah approaches today’s Remnant not as an emergency podcast, but a podcast imbued with a sense of emergency. His guest is David French, who returns for a lengthy discussion of Ron DeSantis’ feud with Disney and what it reveals about American polarization. Also on the docket is what we can expect from Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter and how Jonah and David would change the site if they were given control. Stick around until the end for obligatory discussion of TV, movies, and other items of nerdy miscellanea. Show Notes:- David’s page at The Dispatch- The Morning Dispatch breaks down Florida’s plan to annex Disney World- Charlie Cooke: “Ron DeSantis’s Misguided Attack on Disney’s Legal Status”- An extra-feisty Charlie Cooke on National Review’s “Editors” podcast- Jonah’s latest column on the Disney saga- David: “How Twitter Beclowns the American Elite”- Nate Cohn and Kevin Quealy on the Democratic electorate- Francis Fukuyama’s Liberalism and its Discontents Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices