The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg

On today’s special Ruminant, Jonah assembles a Mount Rushmore of geekdom (David French, Haley Byrd Wilt, and Jack “Butlerian jihad” Butler) to review Denis Vileneuve’s movie adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune. Be prepared for perhaps the nerdiest episode ever, as the quartet explores why it took so long for a Dune movie to be produced (David Lynch’s doesn’t count), what the film got right, and whether any elements of the book were unjustly left out. There’s also broader discussion mixed in on the awfulness of the Star Wars prequels, the best movie adaptations of great sci-fi novels, and why sci-fi as a genre is inherently conservative. Muad’dib! Show Notes: - Frank Herbert’s Dune novels, for the uninitiated - David Lynch’s Dune adaptation, best left forgotten? - Haley’s Dune-filled Twitter feed - Jack’s Dune review - National Review now has a Dune tag - The Chung Kuo series - The Three-Body Problem, by Cixin Liu - The Time Traveler’s Almanac Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Teles joins The Remnant for a second time to explore what can be done to fix our dysfunctional parties. Like many of Jonah’s closest friends, Steve disagrees with his idea that a third party could cure what ails the GOP, and instead argues that we should build moderate factions within it. Brace yourself for an exceptionally wonky discussion, which covers Jonah’s distaste for primaries, why we need a better class of political moderate, and whether Joe Biden should be considered a centrist. There’s also plenty of gratuitous complaining about Congress and the Clintons, so prepare your bingo cards. Show Notes: - Steve’s page at the Niskanen Center - Never Trump, Steve and Rob Saldin’s latest book - The Captured Economy, Steve’s previous book with Brink Lindsey - Steve’s previous Remnant appearance - Jonah: “A Third Party Could Cure What Ails the GOP” - Jonah: “Words with Friends” - Steve and Rob: “The Future is Faction” - “Cost Disease Socialism” - Matt Yglesias: “Congressional Moderates Could Make a Party of Their Own” - Mitt Romney’s child benefit plan - David Shor: “How Democrats Can Save Themselves” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you thought Jonah turned into an excited fanboy when he interviewed Mike Duncan, just wait until you hear today’s Remnant, in which acclaimed psychologist Dr. Paul Bloom joins the program for the first time to discuss man’s search for meaning. Human beings are strange creatures: We often deliberately seek out things that cause us pain or discomfort, like horror movies and spicy foods. What is the cause of this “benign masochism,” and what does it really mean to be happy? Additionally, how should human nature be defined? Could video games and virtual reality destroy the world as we know it? And how can Jonah tie all of this in with neoconservatism? Show Notes: -The Sweet Spot, Dr. Bloom’s new book -Jonah: “Democracy in the Tobacconist’s” -Dr. Bloom’s Google Scholar archive -Conservatives are more easily disgusted than liberals -Arthur Brooks on earned success -Dr. Bloom: “Being in Time” -“Benign masochism” -Jonah: “Fear and Loathing in the Time of COVID” -Political Bloods and Crips -Back to the past -Ezra Klein interviews Noam Chomsky -The experience machine -“We actually compete with sleep” -Dr. Bloom: “Is God an Accident?” -Just Babies -Against Empathy -How You Say It, by Katherine Kinzler -The Remnant with Mike Duncan -A Time to Build, by Yuval Levin -Orwell’s review of Mein Kampf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s Ruminant finds Jonah irritated by back pain, enamored with California roller coasters, and concerned for the health of his loyal spaniel (send her your love!). It also features a lengthy exploration of whether China can still be politically liberalized, why the terms and conditions of Trump’s new social media network are so funny, and how executive privilege actually functions. Stick around until the end for updates about new features on The Dispatch, and a preview of upcoming guests. Show Notes: - The House votes to hold Steve Bannon in contempt - Advisory Opinions explores January 6 - Jonah’s brief history of executive privilege - Gimme some truth - Fresh craziness from J.D. Vance - Klon Kitchen on the dangers of China’s missile tests - Lipset’s modernization theory - Mike Pompeo on Special Report - “We welcome stiff competition” - Visions of China on The Dispatch Podcast - The moral equivalent of war - The Friday G-File Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Presidential historian and Remnant fan-favorite Tevi Troy returns today for more seriously rank punditry. As you may have noticed, we’re living through a strange moment in which it’s becoming shocking to suggest that saying things people want to hear is an effective political strategy. How did we get here, and how can we prevent our institutions from succumbing to the cult of wokeness? For that matter, how can ordinary Americans resist cancel culture? Should conservatives build alternative institutions? And has Joe Biden replaced Jimmy Carter as history’s greatest monster? Show Notes: - Tevi’s page at National Affairs - Tevi’s previous Remnant appearance - Tevi on the Commentary podcast - The GLoP podcast, for all your pop culture needs - Tevi: “How to Defend Free Speech” - Tevi: “Wokeness M.D.” - Bob Woodward pays tribute to Colin Powell - Michael Powell on Dorian Abbot’s cancelation - The Morning Dispatch breaks down the Netflix protests - The Wednesday G-File - Bari Weiss on cancel culture - The latest Dispatch Podcast - Jonah on policing and slave patrols - The Remnant with Scott Gottlieb - Tevi: “Biden’s Legacy is on the Line” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Drucker, senior political correspondent at the Washington Examiner, joins The Remnant for the first time to discuss the state of the Republican Party post-Trump and what the 2024 election cycle will bring. Why do so many Republicans choose to minimize Trump’s destructive tendencies? What can we expect from Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, and other major players going forward? And will the next presidential candidate redefine the GOP’s image? Show Notes: -David’s new book, In Trump’s Shadow -David’s page at the Washington Examiner -David previews his new book in Vanity Fair -Nikki Haley and the confederate flag -John Eastman’s plan for Pence to overturn the election -Peril, by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa -Peril on Trump and Pence -David: “Mike Pence’s Moment of Truth” -Steve Bannon’s war on Mitch McConnell -Chris Christie 2024? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s Ruminant, a predictably sleep-deprived Jonah is haunted by distant memories of his time in Prague and the alluring restaurants that refused his custom. Thankfully, he’s able to process the pain by embarking on a lengthy rant about democracy, capitalism, and the charming brilliance of Irving Kristol. There’s also a disquisition on the philosophy of hit TV shows and the legacy of The Wire, which will delight Breaking Bad partisans. Tune in to find out if Jonah has adjusted to life as an empty nester, but stick around to see if he can get through the whole episode without mentioning third parties. Show Notes: - The Remnant with Michael Brendan Dougherty - The Wednesday G-File - Jonah and Steve Hayes on The Dispatch’s two-year anniversary - “Opposing views” - Jonah’s love of Breaking Bad - Conservatism and The Wire - Biden’s living on a prayer - Scott Lincicome on America’s ports problem - The Morning Dispatch - The birth of The Remnant - Broken windows - James Q. Wilson: “Capitalism and Morality” - The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism - The Remnant with Graeme Wood - Irving Kristol: “When Virtue Loses All Her Loveliness” - The Remnant with George Will - The Remnant with Megan McCardle - The Remnant with Charles Murray Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In light of the reaction to his call for anti-Trump conservatives to form a third party, Jonah invites Michael Brendan Dougherty onto The Remnant to discuss the potential benefits and drawbacks of such an approach. Things don’t entirely go as planned, as their conversation swiftly moves beyond that into the broader strangeness of contemporary politics and the conservative movement. With the American people increasingly defecting from the norms of constitutional government, what can be done to prevent our institutions from collapsing? Show Notes: - Michael’s author page at National Review - My Father Left Me Ireland, Michael’s recent book - Jonah’s uncontroversial column - Michael’s response - Charlie Cooke’s response - Dan McLaughlin’s response - The Wednesday G-File - Trump urges Republicans not to vote - Bill Kristol: “What About Joe?” - The Remnant with George Will - Remember the Obamacons? - Yuval Levin on nationalism and exceptionalism - Stalin’s War, by Sean McMeekin - Macron’s plan to reindustrialize France - Ross Douthat: “How Conservatives Can Reshape Education” - Charlie Kirk at his worst - Joe Rogan debates Sanjay Gupta - The Merrick Garland letter - The National School Boards Association letter - The Daily Signal’s bathroom story - The latest Dispatch Podcast - Norse mythology - David Harsanyi debates Sohrab Ahmari Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dust off your calculators, because beloved economic policy wonk Brian Riedl is back on The Remnant to discuss everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the federal budget, spending, taxes, and deficits. He also touches on the right’s curious lurch toward industrial policy and common good capitalism, and why conservatives and progressives alike can’t resist the prospect of a free lunch. Is the Laffer Curve a force for evil? How progressive is the U.S. tax code? And why is Joe Biden so determined to outspend Mack the Knife? Show Notes: -Brian’s page at the Manhattan Institute -Brian’s previous Remnant appearance -Brian’s latest chart book -Simpson-Bowles and the art of budget negotiations -Brian in The Dispatch on taxing the rich -How does the U.S. tax code compare with other countries? -The great Nordic myth -Jack Kemp and tax reform -Al Gore and class warfare Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s Ruminant, Jonah aims to set the record straight on a matter of international significance: Despite what the producers of American Crime Story would have you believe, he has never owned an oversized poster of Atlas Shrugged. Thankfully, this misunderstanding gives him an excuse to indulge in a nerdtastic exploration of the differences between objectivism and conservatism, the significance of religion to conservative belief, and the differences between conservatives and “men of the right.” There’s also a disquisition on social anxiety and Theodor Adorno’s idea of the “authoritarian personality,” as well as a rant on those who continue to minimize January 6. Plus, as a special treat for The Dispatch’s two-year anniversary, tune in to learn the intimate details of Jonah and Steve Hayes’ late night telephone conversations. Show Notes: -The Dispatch manifesto from two years ago -Today’s underwhelming job numbers -Whittaker Chambers’ review of Atlas Shrugged -The Remnant with George Will -George criticizes Whittaker Chambers -Al Felzenberg on George’s opposition to Spiro Agnew -Jonah ruminates on Richard Hofstadter -The Age of Reform, Hofstatder’s book on status anxiety -Hofstadter’s Social Darwinism in American Thought -The (underrated) Tyranny of Clichés -Theodor Adorno’s The Authoritarian Personality -Sally Satel: “The Experts Have Overlooked Authoritarians on the Left” -Karen Stenner’s The Authoritarian Dynamic -The Remnant with Joe Uscinski -Bring the villain forward -Jonah’s latest Special Report appearance -The January 6 subpoena saga -Dinesh D’Souza’s evil tweet -Jonah and Hugh Hewitt debate the alt-right in 2016 -Jonah: “This Was Always the Plan” -Revelations from Peril, by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa -The Remnant with Scott Gottlieb Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices