The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg

Live and under-caffeinated from a mysterious compound buried deep in the Adirondacks, Jonah focuses today’s Ruminant on nationalism, liberalism, and the American tradition. After providing an update on the state of The Dispatch and a few thoughts on integrity in politics, he launches into an epic rant on the recent National Conservatism Conference in Miami and the movement behind it. Throughout, he’s keen to stress a particular point: Our constitutional order still works.Show Notes:- Peter Thiel, losing Arizona- Jonah: “Mugged by Fallacy”- The Ahmari-French debate- National conservatism: a primer- Jonah: “Bellamy’s Children” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Determined to reclaim his Remnant throne from Chris Stirewalt, Jim Geraghty returns to the program to discuss his new thriller, Gathering Five Storms. The novel also provides a launch pad for some exceedingly rank punditry on Russia, the midterms, and the state of the Republican Party. Earlier in the year, it seemed certain that the GOP would make significant gains in November, but is that still the case? For that matter, why does the foreign policy establishment seem to get so many things wrong? How does writing fiction compare to writing about politics? And can any pundit match Jim’s Trump impression?Show Notes:- Jim’s page at National Review- Jim’s new novel, Gathering Five Storms- Jonah and Yuval Levin’s first Remnant encounter- Jim: “Control of the Senate Is Still a Jump Ball”- Jim: “Does AOC Want to Be Anything More Than a Celebrity?”- Jonah: “Principles vs. Partisanship” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s Ruminant, Jonah provides a distinctly Goldbergian fusion of punditry and nerdery. After evaluating Joe Biden’s use of the phrase “MAGA Republicans” and offering a few further thoughts on the Philadelphia speech, he discusses Steve Bannon’s arrest, the ongoing fallout from the Mar-a-Lago raid, and Gov. Greg Abbott’s migrant busing policy. It all ends on a philosophical note, as Jonah reflects on the distinction between conservatism and radicalism.Show Notes:- Last weekend’s Remnant- Last Friday’s G-File- Texas’ migrant bussing- Muriel Bowser declares a public emergency- Steve Bannon’s arrest- Andy McCarthy on Bannon’s indictment- The Dispatch Podcast on the Mar-a-Lago investigation- Greta Van Awful- The pandemic erased two years of progress in math and reading- The Remnant with Matt Continetti- Leo Ribuffo’s The Old Christian Right- Ukraine lures Russian missiles with fake HIMARs- Attend The Dispatch’s What’s Next summit in Naples Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a while since the Remnant featured an expert on crime, but today, Manhattan Institute fellow Rafael Mangual joins the program to fill that void. Recently, Rafael published Criminal (In)Justice, in which he argues against decarceration and depolicing. Using that book as a launch pad, he and Jonah discuss the sociological factors behind criminality, how crime can be deterred, and why the U.S. is an outlier in its incarceration rate. Plenty of policy wonkery is also mixed in. Show Notes:- Rafael’s Manhattan Institute webpage- Rafael’s new book, Criminal (In)Justice- Rafael: “The Cost of Decarceration”- The D.C. sniper attacks- Jonah: “Abolishing Police Departments Is Insane”- Stanton Samenow’s Inside the Criminal Mind- Rafael: “Are Democrats Serious About Gun Crime?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cato Institute uberwonk Marian Tupy returns to the Remnant to discuss his new book, Superabundance: The Story of Population Growth, Innovation, and Human Flourishing on an Infinitely Bountiful Planet. For some time, the idea that overpopulation will deplete the world of its resources has been popular in sociology. In this extra-long, extra-nerdy outing, Marian explains why its proponents are mistaken. He and Jonah also explore how nations become prosperous, the problem of collapsing fertility rates, and the appeal of apocalyptic predictions. Show Notes:- Marian’s page at the Cato Institute- Marian and Gale L. Pooley’s new book, Superabundance- HumanProgress.org- The Simon-Ehrlich wager- Jane Goodall and Prince Harry on sustainability- Nick Eberstadt: “The Americans Who Never Went Back to Work After the Pandemic”- Jonah’s review of The Reactionary Mind- The Morning Dispatch breaks big news Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With no preparation and last minute coordination, the drive-time Remnant format returns. Today’s pointlessly random audio adventure covers Biden’s polarizing speech in Philadelphia, Jonah’s unique theory of what happened at Mar-a-Lago, and the dark connection between fast food magnates and conservative think tanks. Musings on TV, movies, and the strange nature of the solo Ruminant are also mixed in. Plus, stick around until the end for some breaking news about The Dispatch. Show Notes:- Biden’s Philadelphia speech- Marc Thiessen: “Biden is disgracing the institution of the prime-time presidential address”- Jimmy Carter’s malaise speech- The gap between Trump and his lawyers- Michael D. Higgins…- …and his dogs- The Thailand cave rescue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katherine Mangu-Ward is back on the Remnant, and although Jonah had planned on hosting her for an episode of rank punditry, their conversation takes a more philosophical turn instead. After digging into the weeds of libertarian philosophy, the nature of the social good, and the relationship between libertarianism and feminism, they explore a potpourri of topics ranging from drug liberalization to the transgender debate. Be prepared for unfettered nerdery. Show Notes:- Katherine’s page at Reason- The Remnant with Sarah Isgur- David Friedman on medieval Iceland- The Remnant with Megan McArdle- Nate Cohn: “How Educational Differences Are Widening America’s Political Rift” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a Dispatch crossover on today’s Remnant, as Sarah Isgur returns to the program to explore the aftermath of the Mar-a-Lago raid, the meaning of executive privilege, and whether this situation can be compared with the Hillary Clinton email controversy. There’s also an extended discussion of child-rearing and the neuroscience of motherhood prompted by a recent New York Times op-ed. Oh, and a look at Sarah’s strange relationship with spiders. Show Notes:- Who gets to classify (and declassify) government secrets?- Chelsea Conaboy: “Maternal Instinct Is a Myth That Men Created”- Caroline Criado-Perez’ Invisible Women- Radiolab’s “The Unsilencing”- The Remnant with Paul Bloom- Paul Bloom’s Just Babies- James Q. Wilson’s The Moral Sense Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices