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The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg

News & Politics Podcasts

In “The Remnant," Jonah Goldberg enlists a “Cannonball Run”-style cast of stars, has-beens, and never-weres to address the most pressing issues of the day. Is America doomed? Has liberalism failed? And will mankind ever invent something better than ‘90s-era “Simpsons?” Mixing political history, pop culture, rank punditry, and shameless book-plugging, Goldberg and guests will have the kinds of conversations we wish they featured on TV. And the nudity will (almost) always be tasteful. Brace your bingo cards.

Location:

United States

Description:

In “The Remnant," Jonah Goldberg enlists a “Cannonball Run”-style cast of stars, has-beens, and never-weres to address the most pressing issues of the day. Is America doomed? Has liberalism failed? And will mankind ever invent something better than ‘90s-era “Simpsons?” Mixing political history, pop culture, rank punditry, and shameless book-plugging, Goldberg and guests will have the kinds of conversations we wish they featured on TV. And the nudity will (almost) always be tasteful. Brace your bingo cards.

Language:

English

Contact:

2022766630


Episodes

War Pigs

3/16/2024
Jonah overcomes his flu-induced hallucinations and ruminates on the current attempt by Congress to force a sale of TikTok and Trump's suspicious flip-flop on the issue. The hallucinations reappearing, Jonah begins to complain about the bots on Twitter making dumb arguments for isolationism and ending Ukraine aid. With whatever sanity he has left he argues against Chuck Schumer's call for new elections in Israel and explains the importance of commitment to allies. Show Notes: —The Dispatch editorial —Boiling Frogs on TikTok divestment —ISW: The Kremlin's Occupation Playbook —Jonah's LA Times article on the use of "genocide" —Sen. Schumer calls for new elections in Israel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:59:01

Destroying Hamas

3/14/2024
Dan Senor, author of The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World and host of Call Me Back with Dan Senor, returns to discuss the state of Israel's war against Hamas as the IDF begins to move into Rafah. How is Israeli society holding up? What should we make of growing accusations of genocide? Can Israel achieve its military objectives? What do Israelis think about American politics? And what is does future for Jews in America look like? Show Notes: —Tablet: How the Gaza Ministry of Health Fakes Casualty Numbers —John Podhoretz: They’re Coming After Us —Dan Senor's previous appearance on The Remnant —Jonah: The Many Problems With Accusing Israel of ‘Genocide’ in Gaza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:31:37

Be Less Thirsty

3/13/2024
Chris Stirewalt, the Arby's of punditry and host of The Hill Sunday, was so eager to return to The Remnant that he joined in the midst of another episode. Awkwardness overcome, the two tackle the big questions: Why can't we learn our lesson? Where are Nikki Haley voters going come November? How should we interpret primary turnout? When will the reckoning come? And why can't democrats figure out crime? Chris "Unpledged Delegate" Stirewalt has the answers. Show Notes: —The Hill Sunday —Jonah's LA Times column on the GOP establishment —Skiff AMA 3 —Dune Part Two Skiff Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:06:32

Take a Deep Breath

3/9/2024
Jonah reassures listeners on today’s Ruminant that this election is not a Flight 93 election and America as we know it will not end come January 2025. He then turns to comment on the Supreme Court ruling that Colorado can’t disqualify Trump from their ballots and the growing treatment of presidents as monarchs. And just as you thought you avoided more State of the Union rank punditry... Show Notes: —G-File: Apocalypse Not —The Dispatch editorial: The American People Should Demand Better —Advisory Opinions on the Colorado SCOTUS decision —The Dispatch's new newsletter Techne —The Skiff on Dune: Part Two Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:05:45

The Gene Genie

3/7/2024
The last time Razib Khan—a geneticist and author of the Unsupervised Learning Substack—appeared on The Remnant to discuss genes and behavior, Jonah couldn’t resist focusing their conversation exclusively on canines. Today, Razib is finally back to explore the genetic makeup of the world’s second most important animal, human beings. He and Jonah try to keep the science simple and the nudity tasteful as they explore some highfalutin topics: How has our knowledge of genetics evolved over time? What can our genes tell us about our ancestors? And are genes the ultimate predictor of intelligence and disease? Show Notes: - Razib’s Substack, Unsupervised Learning - Razib: “The Longer I Live, the Wronger I Get to Be” - Razib interviews Chris Stringer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:20:07

Bad Habits

3/6/2024
How do habits influence behavior? Significantly, according to returning Remnant favorite Cass Sunstein, Harvard professor and co-author of the new book Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There. In it, he argues that breaking habits and routines can enable us to find greater fulfillment in life. But why did humans evolve to acquire habits in the first place? How do habits desensitize us? And how can we encourage people to adopt healthy habits of the heart? Show Notes: - Cass’ new book, Look Again - Cass and co-author Tali Sharot on how we become habituated to horrible things - Cass’ Democracy and the Problem of Free Speech Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:24:23

Bored Out of Their Minds

3/2/2024
Jonah, used and abused by CNN, is prepared to deliver a level of rank punditry not yet seen in legacy media. He begins today's episode of The Ruminant by eulogizing Mitch McConnell's tenure in the Senate, noting the positive correlation between disdain for McConnell and general unseriousness. Briefly touching on the state of primaries and Biden's low popularity, he then explains his most recent G-File on Aaron Bushnell's suicide and how boredom is (not so slowly) killing us. Stick around for some ruminations on his episode with James Kirchick. Show Notes: —G-File on boredom —The Remnant with James Kirchik —Principles First conference Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:20:56

Too Cool for School

2/29/2024
If the American Enterprise Institute were a prison, education policy scholars Rick Hess and Michael McShane would be the leaders of its most feared inmate gang. Today, they join Jonah not simply to pressure him into swearing loyalty, but to discuss their new book, Getting Education Right: A Conservative Vision for Improving Early Childhood, K-12, and College. It’s no secret that America’s education system is struggling, but what can actually be done to reform it? What does it mean to be a conservative in education? Are teachers paid enough? And does the Department of Education have any reason to exist? Show Notes: -Rick’s page at AEI -Mike’s page at AEI -Rick and Mike’s new book, Getting Education Right -The Remnant with Brad Wilcox -Rick and Mike: “The Past and Future of Education Reform” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:13:58

Queer Factors

2/28/2024
Today’s episode of The Remnant features James Kirchick, the prolific pundit and author of Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington. Recently, James published an essay in Liberties that examined how gay culture has changed in American life since the 1980s. But despite the success of the gay rights movement, LGBTQ issues remain prominent in the culture war. Why is this the case? Where do we go from here? And how would Jonah’s grandpa feel about this episode? Show Notes: —Watch this episode on YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:07:56

Relearning the Basics

2/24/2024
Jonah attempts to avoid the straitjacket while The Fair Jessica is away, so he decides to spend an hour talking to himself in a dark basement. He goes through a number of topics to make even the most excitable eggheads nauseated, from the fad of stay-at-home girlfriends (why milk the cow ladies?) to Biden’s irresponsible dog ownership. Jonah regains sanity for a second to talk about the Alabama Supreme Court's IVF ruling before hallucinating about rodents and going gonzo on Tucker's trip to Russia. Show Notes: –Stay-at-Home Girlfriends Are Having a Moment – Brad Wilcox on The Remnant – Listen to Advisory Opinions on Alabama's IVF issue – Biden's German shepherd banished from the White House – Jonah's G-File: Nations, Nation-States, and Nationalism – The Lewis brothers on The Remnant Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:18:18

There’s Something About Marriage

2/22/2024
Marriage is a fundamental institution, so why is it under attack from both ends of the political spectrum? In his new book, Get Married, Brad Wilcox—a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a professor at the University of Virginia—makes the case that getting married and starting a family is the best way of leading a prosperous life. But how can law and culture encourage Americans to tie the knot? Why has public interest in marriage declined? And how does marriage make people better off? Show Notes: – Brad’s page at AEI – Brad’s new book, Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization – Brad: “Marriage Is Key to Living Your Best Life” – Brad: “Why You Should Get Married” – The Remnant with Russ Roberts – Elizabeth Grace Matthew: Can People Be Persuaded to ‘Get Married’? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:10:04

Tapping Out

2/21/2024
On today’s episode of The Remnant, Jonah’s disdain for the elderly leads him to step into the intellectual octagon with a man nine days his senior: novelist and CNN host Jake Tapper. Jake’s new show, United States of Scandal, takes a darkly comedic look at some of America’s wildest political controversies, and Jonah’s eager to discuss all the sordid details while keeping the nudity as tasteful as possible. Is Washington full of conspiracies? How many chemicals were in Larry King’s hair? And do scandals even matter anymore in the age of Trump? Show Notes: - Jake’s new show, United States of Scandal - Jake on the origins of the series - Watch this episode on YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:08:24

Useless Idiots

2/17/2024
Having woken up to the Alexei Navalny news, Jonah spends this Ruminant thinking through what the Russian opposition leader’s death might portend. From tzars and (real) settler colonialism to useful idiots a-la Tucker Carlson, the good listener should expect a very Russian episode. Пожалуйста. A more patient listener will also hear Jonah revisiting his conversation with the Lewis brothers, due to somewhat popular demand. Show Notes: -The Lewis brothers on The Remnant -Kevin Kosar on The Remnant -Bernie Sanders on Soviet chandeliers -Dan McLaughlin: "Tucker Carlson's Lowest Moment" -Kevin D. Williamson: "The Full Duranty" -WSJ: "China's Shipyards Are Ready for a Protracted War. America's Aren't" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:31:26

The Democrat Deficiency

2/15/2024
Once again, Jonah has abandoned his Remnant duties to spend the week nibbling on sponge cake while watching the sun bake. Fortunately, Chris Stirewalt, America’s favorite simple country pundit, is on hand to take control of the program. He’s joined by Ruy Teixiera, author of Where Have All the Democrats Gone? and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, to discuss what the wretched state of our parties could mean for the 2024 election. The GOP has spent the last decade having an extended nervous breakdown, so why haven’t the Democrats used this opportunity to become the dominant party? For that matter, why can’t Democratic candidates get a grip on working class voters? And why can’t all politicians just be normal? Show Notes: - Ruy’s AEI webpage - Ruy’s Substack, The Liberal Patriot - Ruy’s latest book, Where Have All the Democrats Gone? - Ruy’s The Emerging Democratic Majority Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:56:40

The Name Game

2/14/2024
Is there really such a thing as left and right? Scholars Hyrum and Verlan Lewis don’t think so. In their book, The Myth of Left and Right, the brothers argue that this generalization is undermining sophisticated political discourse. And on today’s episode of The Remnant, they join Jonah to explain why, when two tribes go to war, a point really is all you can score. Do terms like conservative and liberal really have any use? Why are we having an election between two wretched candidates? How do industrialized democracies around the world think about the political spectrum? And will Jonah ever get sick of talking about Liberal Fascism? Show Notes: - Hyrum’s blog - Verlan on the myth of ideological polarization - Hyrum and Verlan’s book, The Myth of Left and Right Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:27:24

Jonah Bahama

2/10/2024
Tired and sunburnt, Jonah chimes in from somewhere in the Virgin Islands to share his thoughts (ramblings?) on the little he knows from the news of the past week. But stay tuned for a crossover of his appearance on Kevin Williamson’s podcast, How The World Works. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:19:37

Making Plans for Edward

2/8/2024
If you’ve never been a resident of the Washington egghead-osphere, you’re probably not familiar with the 20th-century political scientist Edward Banfield. But Kevin Kosar—a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and noted KISS fanatic—thinks that you should be. In 1951, Banfield published Government Project, an account of the U.S. government’s attempt to remake the lives of some of its citizens by establishing a cooperative farm in Arizona during the Great Depression. The project didn’t go so well, and Kevin believes it holds vital lessons about the limits of government planning that Americans across the political spectrum would be wise to recall today. Tune in for neocon nerdery, but stick around for some more contemporary wonkery on what’s gone wrong with Congress. Show Notes: - Kevin’s page at AEI - Kevin’s podcast, Understanding Congress - Edward Banfield’s Government Project, reissued with a new introduction by Kevin - Kevin on Banfield’s The Unheavenly City - Banfield’s The Moral Basis of a Backward Society - Kevin and Phil Wallach: “The Case for a Congressional Regulation Office” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:57:15

Works for Me

2/7/2024
What’s the meaning of life? 42? Pizza? The Remnant? David Bahnsen may or may not have the answer, but he’s at least certain of what makes life satisfying: honest, productive work. In his new book, Full-Time, he explores how work can allow us to find purpose and fulfillment. But is all work equally meaningful? Is the market best placed to determine its value? And does David have a higher net worth than Scrooge McDuck? Show Notes: – David’s webpage – David’s new book, Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life – David: “The Problem with a ‘Work–Life Balance’” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:25:05

The Eternally Recurring Grift

2/3/2024
Jonah starts on a cheerful note with lessons from Groundhog Day, but quickly the grim realities of our fallen world drag him back to punditry. If you manage to get past the brooding about Taylor/Kelce, philosophical pragmatism, and the American propensity for conspiracies, then you'll be subjected to passages from Liberal Fascism and, worst of all, notes about anti-NATO Twitter. Good luck. Show Notes: –Jonah: “It’s Nietzsche’s World, You’re Just Living In It” -Jonah: "A Movie for All Time" -The United States of Paranoia: A Conspiracy Theory -Jonah: "Look What You Made Me Do" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:24:08

Thus Spoke Berkowitz

2/1/2024
Jonah serves up a jumbo slice of rank eggheadery on today’s Remnant to compensate for yesterday’s shockingly (or perhaps mercifully) brief episode. He’s joined for the first time by Peter Berkowitz, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and prolific writer on politics and America’s liberal tradition, to wax Yiddish on topics of both broad and minimal interest. What do academics and philosophers have against the English language? Do ideas actually matter? And what does the nationalist right get wrong about freedom? Show Notes: -Peter’s webpage -Jonah: “It’s Nietzsche’s World, You’re Just Living In It” -Peter’s first book, Nietzsche: The Ethics of an Immoralist -Samuel Moyn’s Liberalism Against Itself -Peter’s Constitutional Conservatism: Liberty, Self-Government, and Political Moderation -Peter responds to Robert Kagan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:21:15