The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg

Latest Episodes:

The Rowe Show Aug 10, 2023

Show notes

On today’s Remnant—which happens to be more than a year in the making—Jonah’s joined for the first time by Ian Rowe, a senior fellow at AEI and the author of Agency (2022), which explores how young people can build strong families and take control of their destiny. Much of their conversation focuses on one of Ian’s primary interests, the success sequence, and whether it’s still valid in modern America. But plenty of wonkish musings are also mixed in on the importance of stable marriages, the achievement gap in education, and the values we should impart to our children.

Show Notes:

-Ian’s page at AEI

-Ian’s book, Agency

-AEI’s special forum on the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington

-The Remnant with Thomas Sowell

-Ian: “The Game of Life”

-Ian: “A Vision of Black Success”

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McCarthy’s Law Aug 09, 2023

Show notes

If you were hopelessly confused by Jonah’s recent conversation with Sarah Isgur on the Trump indictment, prepare to be even more bewildered by today’s follow-up, which features the overdue Remnant return of Andy McCarthy, National Review’s chief legal poobah. It’s an episode of relentless legal nerdery as they dig deep into the weeds on Trump’s latest legal woes, and whether the claims against him hold up to scrutiny. There’s also some less mind-melting discussion mixed in on the legacy of the Civil Rights Act, the madness of Sidney Powell, and whether the federal government was right to punish Al Capone for tax evasion (yes, really).

Show Notes:

- Andy’s page at National Review

- Jonah and Sarah on the indictment

- The McCarthy Report on the indictment

- Andy: “Anti-Indictment and Pro-Editorial”

- Andy: “The Civil-Rights Theory of Indicting Trump for Election Interference”

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None Like It Hot Aug 05, 2023

Show notes

From a mysterious fortress in the depths of the Adirondacks comes today’s Ruminant, which may be the most pointless in quite some time. Addled from weeks of often traumatic travel, Jonah can’t quite keep his thoughts in order, and the result is an episode that glides across the surface of a whole range of topics. Among these are English theater, the Trump indictment, and the evolving Hunter Biden saga. But thanks to the sublime landscape around him, he dedicates most of his time to climate change and the latest hysterics from Greta Thunberg. No, Soylent Green still isn’t reality.

Show Notes:

- The Economist: “Soylent Green Is an Eerie Prophecy”

- Jonah: “Soylent Green Is Wrong, People”

- Jonah: “Threat Level Midnight Forever”

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How to Bury a Billionaire Aug 03, 2023

Show notes

Back in the USA—but sadly not back at chez dingo—Jonah’s in a particularly exhausted state on today’s Remnant. It doesn’t help that his original plan for this episode—a fun, substance-free conversation with Sarah Isgur—was thwarted by the latest Trump indictment news, which forces the duo to engage in some actual serious discussion on the subject. They explore whether the indictment holds up to scrutiny, how the field of GOP candidates should respond to it, and whether Trump could rightly be convicted under criminal law. Then, as a bonus feature, Jonah taps into another area of Sarah’s expertise—she’s both the mother and wife of a male—to examine how we can address the challenges facing men in civil society. It’s an episode so informative, you’ll wonder why that niche legal podcast even exists.

Show Notes:

- The Collision, Sarah and Mike Warren’s new newsletter

- Sarah and Mike on the new Trump indictment

- The Morning Dispatch, three strikes edition

- Jonah: “Who Are the Real Kingmakers? Voters.”

- Nate Cohn: “Yes, Biden and Trump Are Tied”

- Christine Emba: “Men Are Lost. Here’s a Map Out of the Wilderness.”

- Jonah: “The New Right Is Neither New nor Right”

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Masters of the Universe Aug 02, 2023

Show notes

There’s been no shortage of disgruntled commentary in conservative media about the state of New York City recently, but it’s important to remember how bad things used to be in comparison. Today, Jonah is joined by old friends Tevi Troy and Vincent Cannato to reflect on what the Big Apple was like in the ‘70s. They dig into urban politics, criminology, and what it takes to reverse social decay, while also providing a few nostalgic musings that could serve as the foundation for an Odd Couple reboot. Just as Rodgers and Hart intended, they’ll have Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island too.

Show Notes:

-Tevi’s webpage

-Vin’s webpage

-Broken windows theory, again

-The Remnant with criminologist Shawn Bushway

-The Remnant on Portland’s decline with Nancy Rommelmann

-Tevi’s Intellectuals and the American Presidency

-Tevi: “The Odd Couple Metric”

-The Remnant with Matt Continetti on The Right

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Goldbergs and Englishmen Jul 29, 2023

Show notes

Today’s Ruminant finds Jonah across the pond, indulging in greasy fish wrapped in newspaper while trying to forget about some of the less pleasant aspects of his recent trek through the Italian mountains. After recounting a few tales of that arduous expedition, he switches his brain into pundit mode, addressing some of the biggest political questions that have arisen during his absence. What’s going on with the Hunter Biden plea deal? Have the wheels fallen off the DeSantis bus? And what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

Show Notes:

-The Telegraph’s Ukraine podcast, which should really be sponsoring the show at this point

-The McCarthy Report on Hunter Biden’s plea deal

-Kathryn Jean Lopez: “Jason Aldean Isn’t Helping”

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Heaven Can't Wait Jul 27, 2023

Show notes

Thanks to David French’s treachery, Jonah is forced to step into the world of evangelicalism on today’s episode, which features the Remnant debut of Russell Moore, a theologian, pastor, and writer at Christianity Today. Dr. Moore’s new book, Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America, calls for an evangelical revival in the face of America’s contemporary challenges. Together, he and Jonah take a deep dive into what that revival should look like and what role religion should play in American life, while providing enough context to ensure heretical listeners won’t be lost at sea.

This episode is sponsored by our friends at FIRE. FIRE's mission is to safeguard and uphold the right of all Americans to freedom of speech. Be a part of the front line of a growing movement by joining the FIRE Update.

Show Notes:

-Dr. Moore’s webpage

-Dr. Moore’s new book, Losing Our Religion

-C.S. Lewis’ The Weight of Glory

-Christine Emba: “Men are lost. Here's a map out of the wilderness.”

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Get Out of My Head Jul 26, 2023

Show notes

If you’re fearful of the future, you may not want to tune in to today’s terrifying Remnant. Jonah’s guest is Nita Farahany, a professor at Duke Law School and the author of The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology. The book explores the rise of neurotechnology—devices designed to track our brain signals to figure out exactly what we’re thinking and feeling and why. But would a world of mental surveillance and ubiquitous neural interfaces be exciting or dystopian? And what are the implications of this technology for our laws, behaviors, and liberties?

Show Notes:

-Dr. Farahany’s webpage

-Dr. Farahany’s new book, The Battle for Your Brain

-The Remnant with Jonathan Adler

-Dr. Farahany: “TikTok Is Part of China’s Cognitive Warfare Campaign”

-Shoshana Zuboff’s The Age of Surveillance Capitalism

-Dr. Farahany: “Searching Secrets”

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In Abe We Trust Jul 20, 2023

Show notes

Jonah performs a rare act of magnanimity on today’s Remnant, freeing Abe Greenwald, Commentary’s executive editor, from the verbal oppression of John Podhoretz. Abe’s first appearance on this program is long overdue, and he’s quick to dispense some dark secrets of the Commentary podcast that he’s clearly been bottling up. But when the political analysis begins, it’s as pure and wide-ranging as you’d expect. There’s an extended discussion of how America became a low-trust society, an exploration of conspiracy theories and whether those who peddle them are worth debating, and a round of obligatory kvetching about the state of conservatism. Whether Jonah and Abe are as seductive as many new right thinkers seem to be, however, is for you to decide.

Show Notes:

- Abe’s page at Commentary

- The John Podhoretz Show, aka the Commentary podcast

- Abe: “The Trust Crisis”

- Abe: “Leave the Grandkids Out of It”

- Jonah: “When Reality Is a Punch in the Face”

- Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s mishap

- David French: “The Rage and Joy of MAGA America”

- Crushing Senority on the Commentary podcast

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Ditch the Rich Jul 19, 2023

Show notes

Any malefactors of great wealth who also happen to be devoted Remnant listeners may wish to avoid today’s episode. Jonah’s guest is Matt Lewis, a senior columnist at The Daily Beast, who’s on the program to discuss his new book, Filthy Rich Politicians: The Swamp Creatures, Latte Liberals, and Ruling-Class Elites Cashing in on America. Together, they explore “how the rich get elected and the elected get rich,” and what that means for American politics. Some grouchy musings on the future of the GOP are also mixed in, as well as a few more wholesome reflections on Matt’s life in West Virginia.

Show Notes:

- Matt’s new book, Filthy Rich Politicians

- Matt’s page at The Daily Beast

- Mike Murphy on why Trump won’t win the primary

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