The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg

Latest Episodes:

Happy Families Aug 27, 2022

Show notes

Poised to return from Maine, Jonah’s in especially scatterbrained form on today’s eclectic Ruminant. He begins the program by expanding on Wednesday’s “news”letter and offering some further thoughts on the problematic relationship between data and audiences in today’s media space. Afterward, he addresses Biden’s “morally and politically indefensible” student loan forgiveness plan, the foolishness of politicians who don’t know what they believe, and the nature of a life well lived. Stick around until the end for ruminations on nationalism and fulfillment.

Show Notes:

- The Wednesday G-File

- James C. Scott’s Seeing Like a State

- The Remnant with Klon Kitchen

- The Remnant with Chris Stirewalt

- Jason Furman’s critique of Biden’s student loan plan

- The Washington Post editorial page blasts Biden

- The Remnant with Beth Akers

- Blake Masters backtracks on abortion

- The Remnant with Russ Roberts

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Exit the Dragon Aug 25, 2022

Show notes

The Remnant offers two guests in one today, as AEI scholars Hal Brands and Michael Beckley join the program to discuss their new book, Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China. With the United States and China running a “superpower marathon,” how can we expect the competition to resolve, and is there an appropriate historical analogy for China’s current state? Furthermore, what foreign policy should we pursue toward China? Can China make a stable transition to democracy? And will Michael go down in Remnant history as the only guest to join from the back of an Uber?

Show Notes:

- Hal and Michael’s new book, Danger Zone

- Hal and Michael: “What Does China Want?”

- Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson’s Why Nations Fail

- Hal: “The Dangers of China’s Decline”

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His Boy Friday Aug 24, 2022

Show notes

Chris Stirewalt makes his long-awaited twentieth Remnant appearance today to discuss his new book, Broken News: Why the Media Rage Machine Divides America and How to Fight Back. It’s a giant-sized extravaganza of an episode, which covers the evolution of America’s major news networks, the need for journalism to be vocational rather than professional, and the nature of “fair and balanced” media coverage. Ultimately, Chris is keen to stress a particular point: Americanism is central to American journalism.

Show Notes:

- Chris’ new book, Broken News

- Chris previews Broken News in The Dispatch

- Yuval Levin’s The Fractured Republic

- Andrey Mir: “How the Media Polarized Us”

- William Raspberry: “In Praise of Hypocrisy”

- The New York Times on Chris’ book

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Keeping Cool Aug 20, 2022

Show notes

Entering the final week of his sojourn in Maine, Jonah begins today’s Ruminant with an account of a drive he recently took to Chautauqua, New York and a reflection on the joys of travel. He also offers a few thoughts on free speech and the stabbing of Salman Rushdie, as well as the nature of patriotism and the importance of gratitude for the things we’ve inherited. The episode concludes with some especially ranty punditry on Liz Cheney’s defeat and ludicrous explanations for why Trump took classified documents to Mar-a-Lago. Plus, there’s an appeal for you, our listeners, to suggest future guests for the program, provided they meet certain strange criteria.

Show Notes:

- The Remnant with Russ Roberts

- Yuval Levin: “Conservatism is Gratitude”

- “The jerk store called…”

- Jonah on “fundamentally transforming” America

- Bananification

- Duke’s bipartisanship leaderboard

- The Remnant with Carlos Lozada

- The Dispatch Podcast on Liz Cheney’s defeat

- Jonah: “The Only Adult in the Room”

- Advisory Opinions on the history of English

- Advisory Opinions on orc battle tactics

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Free to Choose Aug 17, 2022

Show notes

What constitutes a life well lived, and what does it mean to truly flourish? Noted economist Russ Roberts provides answers to these pressing questions on today’s Remnant, which concerns his new book, Wild Problems: A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us. In life, we’re faced with many big decisions that can’t be solved by calculation, like when to marry, what career to choose, and whether to have children. Russ is here to explain how we should approach these problems, and to reassure us that it’s okay to make mistakes. Plus, he explores how it feels to be a “recovering economist.”

Show Notes:

- Russ’ podcast, EconTalk

- Russ’ new book, Wild Problems

- Russ: “How to Make a Decision When There’s No ‘Right’ One”

- Jonah’s hatred of new ideas

- An inefficient Christmas

- Sebastian Junger’s Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging

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Last Man Standing Aug 13, 2022

Show notes

Jonah continues to swelter in Maine on today’s Ruminant, as he examines the aftermath of the FBI’s raid on Mar-a-Lago and how we should interpret Merrick Garland’s response. There’s also an extended discussion of Trump’s psychology, the allure of conspiracy theories, and the nature of American exceptionalism, as Jonah explains how he made peace with being part of the Remnant.

Show Notes:

- The latest Dispatch Podcast

- Jonah: “Did the GOP Peak Too Soon?”

- Wednesday’s bananified G-File

- The Remnant with Kevin Williamson

- First Things: “Abortion and a Nation at War”

- Andrew McCarthy: “Thoughts on AG Garland’s Remarks”

- Kevin Williamson: “Big Lies Matter”

- Advisory Opinions on the Mar-a-Lago raid

- Greatest country in the world?

- Trump’s “a nation in decline” video

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Going Bananas Aug 11, 2022

Show notes

With his faithful canine in tow, Kevin Williamson saddles up for another Remnant escapade. This time, he and Jonah explore the Mar-a-Lago raid, the problem with new ideas in politics, and the Texas midterm elections. Plus, there’s plenty of dingo discussion mixed in for your edification. Is the president above the law? Should dog shows be banned? And can Kevin’s neighbors convince him to vote for Beto O’Rourke?

Show Notes:

- Kevin’s page at National Review

- The Remnant: AMA edition

- Jonah: “Westminster Eugenics Show”

- Kevin: “Do We Believe Our Own Dogma?”

- An emergency Advisory Opinions on the Mar-a-Lago raid

- Mike Huckabee’s crazy argument

- This week’s Dispatch Live

- Kevin: “Big Lies Matter”

- Jonah: “Bonfire of the Asininities”

- Jonah: “The Descent of Men”

- Kevin: “Thanks For the ‘Memory’”

- Jonah: “All Quiet on the Black-Ops Front”

- The Remnant with David Bernstein

- Hillary’s cows

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Jonah’s Delicate Condition Aug 10, 2022

Show notes

Jonah’s aversion to preparation catches up with him on today’s sweaty Remnant. Stuck without a guest, he’s forced to spend an hour answering listener questions selected by Guy, his AEI research assistant. The result is an eclectic throwback to the Remnant AMAs of old, which covers everything from the disappearance of “The Couch” in the G-File to the prospect of a Ron DeSantis presidential bid. How do Liberal Fascism and The Tyranny of Cliches hold up? Did Jonah enjoy his time at Goucher College? And can Jonah and Guy discuss episode 11 without turning to ash?

Show Notes:

- Dingos in Maine

- The Remnant with Tom Sowell

- Guy and Jonah’s first encounter

- Jonah: “What I Got Wrong About Fascism”

- Jonah’s recent G-File adapted from The Tyranny of Cliches

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New Dogs, Old Tricks Aug 06, 2022

Show notes

Live from an undisclosed location in heat-struck Maine, Jonah gets ranty on today’s vigorous yet thoughtful Ruminant. In light of his surroundings, he begins with a few reflections on Ted Kennedy’s incident at Chappaquiddick before launching into a passionate tirade against the foolishness of the new right. In distinctly nerdy fashion, Jonah leaves no room for interpretation: There is no place on the right for racist politics, and white supremacist and anti-semitic ideas must necessarily be treated with moral outrage.

Show Notes:

-The Cover-Up podcast on Chappaquiddick

-The Ted Kennedy incident

-Leo Damore’s Senatorial Privilege

-The July jobs report

-Jonah’s column on the Inflation Reduction Act

-The Dispatch: The New Right Finds a Home at the Intersection of Populism and Elitism

-The Economist on the new right

-Kevin WIlliamson on Trump the manly man

-Last Friday’s G-File on the descent of men

-Rockefeller’s diet

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Cool Katz Aug 04, 2022

Show notes

Back in the Remnant driver’s seat, Jonah invites newly minted AEI fellow Joshua Katz onto the program for a nerdtastic discussion of language and how free we are to use it. Inevitably, their conversation touches on Joshua’s departure from Princeton, cancel culture, and broader illiberalism in American life. But it also explores current issues in linguistics, how much we can really know about classical civilizations, and what “literally” actually means. Tune in to find out whether Socrates had it coming.

Show Notes:

- Joshua’s page at AEI

- Joshua: “Status and ‘Virtue’ at the Dalton School”

- Philology

- Socrates deserved it?

- Joshua on his departure from Princeton

- Joshua’s Declaration of Independence

- College essay prompts get absurd

- The latest issue of Sapir

- Adrian Goldsworthy’s Caesar: Life of a Colossus

- Barry Strauss’ The Spartacus War

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