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 g...
Feb 01, 2024•1 hr 19 min
Has America lost its sense of humor? In Jonah’s view, only a Brit with a distinctly stiff upper lip can answer that question. He’s joined on today’s Remnant by journalist and politician Daniel Hannan, who’s back on the show to explore when and why America began to take a turn for the crazy. Why do recessions lead to populism? Is political apathy actually a good thing? And has the United Kingdom become besotted by its own post-liberal movement? Show Notes: – Daniel’s webpage – Steven Pinker’s The...
Jan 31, 2024•38 min
Jonah is well-rested which means an extra long and digressive Ruminant in which he recounts his experience debating Ezra Klein at an event in Ohio. He then ruminates on conservative intellectual history (the free spot on your bingo cards), the left-wingification of the right wing, and the benefit of “invisible hand” systems. Ignore the sounds of the asylum staff trying to break through the door. Show Notes: — Jonah: Does Reality Change Ideas or Vice Versa? — Adrian Vermeule: Liberalism and the I...
Jan 27, 2024•1 hr 34 min
Finally back from his escapades in the Midwest, Jonah invites Brian Riedl, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and resident "debts and deficits" wonk, back on The Remnant . They discuss the necessity of raising taxes on the middle class, how much weed it would take to balance the budget, and the extinction of fiscally conservative Republicans. What can be done about the debt? What would happen if the IRS is abolished? Why is Jonah so afraid of monetary policy? Show Notes: — Brian's page a...
Jan 25, 2024•1 hr 7 min
On today’s special and prematurely released episode of The Remnant, Jonah is joined by Sarah Isgur, the host of the niche legal pseudo-podcast, Advisory Opinions, to explain Chevron deference and its prognosis at the Supreme Court. They explore the potential implications of overturning it—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and the likelihood of Congress getting its act together. However, the main event is the debate over whether our lizard brains truly care about policy. Did the abolition of slaver...
Jan 23, 2024•1 hr 15 min
Jonah is in a suspiciously pleasant mood coming off The Dispatch's live event in New Hampshire but regular disclaimers of tiredness still apply. Before replaying the Ruminant's greatest hits, he criticizes Rand Paul's ironic response to Donald Trump's claim of presidential immunity, explains how 2024 might begin to look like 2016, and kvetches about the anti-Trump crowd's catastrophization. Stick around for some ruminations on doggy eugenics. Show Notes: — Trump's "full immunity" truth — Rand Pa...
Jan 20, 2024•1 hr 16 min
While Jonah heads to New Hampshire, Chris “Dixville’s Notch” Stirewalt reassumes his rightful position as chief poobah of The Remnant . He’s joined by Christine Rosen—AEI senior fellow, Commentary magazine columnist, and noted “quiet car Karen”—to discuss the state of the 2024 election as we approach the New Hampshire primary. At this point, it seems certain that Trump will be the GOP nominee, but what will this mean for his opponents? For that matter, who will be his running mate? Is America st...
Jan 18, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Ross Douthat is back on TheRemnant to provide a post-mortem for the Iowa caucuses. With the first result of the race now in, is Donald Trump’s renomination guaranteed? Where did Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley go wrong? Would a second Trump administration be staffed entirely by crazy people? And could a Trump-Biden rematch cause Jonah and Ross to rethink their life choices? Show Notes: -Watch this episode on YouTube - Ross: “How Trump’s Opponents Made Iowa Easy for Him” - Ross’ 2020 book, The Decad...
Jan 17, 2024•1 hr 17 min
Full of rage and regret, Jonah reconsiders the life choices that led to him watching the interminable DeSantis-Haley debate start to finish, and plans to inflict his pain on listeners. He also revisits his argument about Hitler inflation in Democratic electioneering, and, at a listener's request, considers the ties between DEI and Marxism. Show Notes Jonah's Never Go Full Hitler Jonah on CNN (DEI debate) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Jan 13, 2024•1 hr 12 min
Determined to prove that Advisory Opinions is merely a niche secondary podcast, Jonah is joined today by Adam White—the American Enterprise Institute’s resident law-talkin’ guy—to ramble through the latest in legal controversies. Topics on the docket include a potential Biden impeachment, legal threats to Donald Trump, and how the Supreme Court is holding up in these turbulent times. Plus, tune in to find out if America will ever become a land without lawyers. Show Notes: — Adam: “Common Law Jud...
Jan 11, 2024•1 hr 11 min
Get your bingo cards ready, because Remnant stalwart Mo Elleithee makes an overdue return to the program to kvetch about some familiar topics. Mo believes that we’re heading for a terrifying 2020 rematch. But could one of Donald Trump’s opponents still make a comeback, and will Joe Biden manage to make it through a full campaign? For that matter, what’s wrong with American elites? How can we reverse declining trust in institutions? And how did Jonah come to have more hatred for primaries than li...
Jan 10, 2024•1 hr 25 min
Hungover from a night of CNN debate wonkery and inadequately caffeinated, Jonah provides an especially nerdy Ruminant covering yesterday’s town hall with Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, the strange desire to have a beer with presidential candidates, and the Biden administration’s lacking response to the Houthis, the latter inevitably leading to a lengthy defense of having a Navy. He discusses all of this while leaving enough (probably too much) time for the reification of diversity and some lousy ...
Jan 06, 2024•1 hr 23 min
Jonah completes his American Enterprise Institute hat trick on today’s Remnant with Yuval Levin, AEI’s director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies. The two start with some hesitant media criticism of the reaction to Harvard President Claudine Gay’s resignation before turning to the novelty, or lack thereof, of the oppressor-oppressed paradigm, the usefulness of horseshoe theory, and the need for strong institutions. Prepare your bingo cards. Show notes: - Yuval's AEI page - Conserva...
Jan 04, 2024•1 hr 8 min
It’s finally 2024, but instead of looking ahead with optimism, Jonah would rather use The Remnant to kvetch about the many lows of last year. Today, he’s joined by Matthew Continetti—still adjusting to his new role as the American Enterprise Institute’s leading corporate suit—to decide whether 2023 should be considered the worst year in modern political history. But given the unfolding presidential race, is 2024 shaping up to be any better? Is a Trump renomination guaranteed? And will Biden even...
Jan 03, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Of all the (many) things Jonah hates, he has a unique resentment for the concept of New Year’s Eve. If you share his disdain for the holiday, then try ringing in 2024 with the bitter grumblings of today’s discombobulated, needlessly lengthy Ruminant rather than a trip to Times Square or an overpriced prix-fixe dinner. As usual, a number of urgent questions are addressed: Could Nikki Haley’s recent slavery gaffe tank her campaign? Why is partisanship problematic? What’s the latest on the war in I...
Dec 30, 2023•1 hr 21 min
Jonah’s in full fanboy mode on today’s long-anticipated Remnant . His guest is Paul Bloom—respected psychologist, prolific author, and noted body double for Al Gore and soundalike for Donald Sutherland—who’s back on the program at last to answer all of Jonah’s burning questions about human behavior and the mind. How should we feel about Freud? Who should decide what issues are taboo? And are people born with an innate political orientation? Viking babies and sci-fi aficionados alike will find mu...
Dec 28, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Jonah indulges in one of his favorite traditions in today's Remnant: kvetching about economics with Michael Strain, the American Enterprise Institute’s director of economic policy studies. Their conversation offers a crash course in the history of economics as a social science, a guide to the myths of income inequality, and a few musings on what really caused the Great Depression. Plus, they explore perhaps the most important topic of all: TV shows you should watch instead of paying attention to...
Dec 27, 2023•1 hr 12 min
The holidays are nearly here, and there’s nothing more likely to encourage festive cheer than a wide-ranging, ultra-rambly Ruminant . Today’s episode offers musings on Trump’s removal from Colorado ballots, the complicated politics of abortion, and the enduring dumbness of populism. But those also looking for an uplifting seasonal message will find it in Jonah’s thoughts on why gratitude is so important this time of year. Merry Christmas! Show Notes: - The Remnant with Frederick Kagan - Advisory...
Dec 23, 2023•1 hr 20 min
As 2023 draws to a close, Jonah invites Frederick Kagan—director of the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project—back on The Remnant to explore how we can expect the conflicts between Israel and Hamas and Russia and Ukraine to unfold in 2024. They also discuss how the Biden administration should approach Iran and China, what the 2024 election could mean for American foreign policy, and what history can teach us about modern warfare. Show Notes: - Dr. Kagan’s page at AEI - Dr. Kag...
Dec 21, 2023•1 hr 8 min
In this interview only episode, Eli talks to Jonah Goldberg, host of the Remnant Podcast and a founding editor of the Dispatch. They discuss the inevitability of a GOP Trump nomination and the recent warnings that a second Trump term will bring the end of democracy. Note: This episode originally aired on The Re-Education with Eli Lake Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Dec 20, 2023•1 hr 28 min
Jonah’s even more bleary-eyed than usual on today’s Ruminant , which begins innocently enough before transforming into an epic rant of astonishingly nerdy proportions. After opening with a few thoughts on why free speech absolutism might actually not be something to strive for, he dives into an ultra-indulgent reflection on the legacy of Liberal Fascism prompted by a recent Niall Ferguson piece on the goals of higher education. Listeners with a penchant for intellectual history will delight in t...
Dec 16, 2023•1 hr 29 min
On today’s Remnant, Jonah joins GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas to discuss what we can do to fix Congress and our other broken institutions of government. Come prepared with your bingo cards, because the nerdery covers some of Jonah’s favorite bugaboos, including Congress’ transformation into a parliament of pundits, the weakening of our major parties, and the historical roots of antisemitism. Note: this episode originally aired on We Hold These Truths with Dan Crenshaw. Show Notes: -Watch this e...
Dec 14, 2023•1 hr 49 min
Ancient historian Bret Devereaux is back on the Remnant to provide a definitive answer to the year’s biggest question: Why do men really think about the Roman Empire? He also gives an overview of Israel’s history and the origins of today’s conflict, and examines whether Donald Trump could really become the next Caesar. Prospective dictators in need of career advice are strongly encouraged to tune in. Show Notes: -Watch the episode on YouTube - Bret’s pedantic blog - Bret’s previous Remnant appea...
Dec 13, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Hulkamania’s running wild on the latest excruciatingly indulgent Ruminant , which sees Jonah’s curmudgeonly ranting reach new heights of excess. Major topics today include the rise of antisemitism on college campuses, the hideousness of Vivek Ramaswamy, and whether the ongoing GOP primary is just one big waste of time. But devoted listeners should also tune in to learn about the link between pro wrestling and Donald Trump, Jonah’s growing urge to deport his assistant, and why the Howard Zinnific...
Dec 09, 2023•1 hr 33 min
Since the war in Ukraine began, Jonah has made a habit of plugging the Telegraph’s daily podcast on the subject, Ukraine: The Latest. Today, Francis Dearnley—an assistant comment editor at the newspaper and one of the podcast’s regular hosts—joins The Remnant for an in-depth look at how the show gets made, and what the future holds for Ukraine. Other topics include the fatal allure of historical determinism, the dreary state of British politics, and why Woodrow Wilson is still history’s greatest...
Dec 07, 2023•1 hr 36 min
While Advisory Opinions continues its slow transformation into a dating podcast, Jonah invites Sarah Isgur back to The Remnant for some potent punditry on the unfolding 2024 election. Are the Bidens a crime family? Is it inevitable that Trump will be renominated? And what would a second Trump term actually look like? All of these questions and more will be addressed, but you’ll need to stick around until the end to learn about a man’s correct placement on the sidewalk and the virtues of food sha...
Dec 06, 2023•1 hr 32 min
On today's interminable Ruminant , Jonah subjects listeners to musings about the death of Henry Kissinger and the gross reveling by some. He then turns to the shortcomings of realpolitik and realism, the debate between Gov. DeSantis and Gov. Newsom, the anticipated sequel to Suicide of the West, and the presence of post-liberalism on the right. Stick around to find out why Jonah doesn't write comedic columns anymore. Show Notes: -G-File: Elizabeth Warren, Countess of Sandwich, Schmears the Marke...
Dec 02, 2023•1 hr 21 min
Jonah returns to distinctly Frenchian territory on today’s Remnant , which explores the state of evangelicalism in America. His guest is Tim Alberta, a staff writer at The Atlantic and author of The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism . Tim’s new book raises an exigent question: Why are so many interpreting faith through the lens of politics instead of the other way round? Tune in to learn all about Tim’s religious journey, how Donald Trump’s relations...
Nov 30, 2023•1 hr 12 min
Today’s Remnant features the overdue first appearance of AEI senior fellow Danielle Pletka, who joins the program to discuss the ongoing conflicts in Israel and Ukraine. What does the future hold for both countries? Why has antisemitism become so prevalent? How’s Benjamin Netanyahu doing? And does the U.N. have any reason to exist? Show Notes: - Danielle’s page at AEI - Danielle’s podcast, What the Hell Is Going On? - Ruth Wisse on the explosion of antisemitism - Mike Gallagher on TikTok’s propa...
Nov 29, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Jonah delivers another ill-advised Ruminant full of his regular grievances such as: the lack of national gratitude, the moral equivalent of war, the antiquated concept of left and right, and of course the misuses of the term fascism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 25, 2023•1 hr 13 min
