The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg

Latest Episodes:

Monkey Business May 25, 2022

Show notes

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

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Irreplaceable You May 21, 2022

Show notes

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

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Tim Alberta Is Angry May 19, 2022

Show notes

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:

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Ghastly Groupishness May 17, 2022

Show notes

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

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It’s No Game May 14, 2022

Show notes

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

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Liberty, American Style May 13, 2022

Show notes

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”

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Paying Up May 11, 2022

Show notes

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”

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Drive-Time Ruminant 13: Big, if True May 07, 2022

Show notes

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”

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Young at Heart May 05, 2022

Show notes

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

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Master and Commander May 04, 2022

Show notes

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