The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg Circling Liberalism’s Wagons | Interview: Adrian Wooldridge
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May 6, 2026 
Adrian Wooldridge, Bloomberg Opinion columnist and author of The Revolutionary Center, explores what liberalism means today and why it needs defending. He discusses tolerance as epistemology, immigration and assimilation challenges, limits of tolerance, Big Tech’s impact on attention, the role of universities and public broadcasting, and why liberals must reclaim cultural confidence to protect liberal institutions.
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Three Core Pillars Of Liberalism
- Liberalism rests on three non-negotiables: individualism, tolerance, and limitations on power.
- Adrian Wooldridge argues these three defend against strongmen, university intolerance, and erosion of personal responsibility.
Liberties Of The 90s Created Blind Spots
- The 1990s Lib-Lab/Bobo consensus paired market liberalism with social libertinism, but that hands-off stance now blinds liberals to problems like mass immigration and social disorder.
- Wooldridge warns unchecked tolerance of business and lifestyles fuels populist backlash and weakens centrism in Europe.
Don’t Tolerate Intolerance That Seeks Liberalism’s End
- Do not tolerate institutions that actively seek to destroy the social contract; invoke Popper's paradox of tolerance.
- Wooldridge suggests preventing academics or communities from teaching total societal destruction or forcing oppressive practices on children.
