What constitutes a life well lived, and what does it mean to truly flourish? Noted economist Russ Roberts provides answers to these pressing questions on today’s Remnant, which concerns his new book, Wild Problems: A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us. In life, we’re faced with many big decisions that can’t be solved by calculation, like when to marry, what career to choose, and whether to have children. Russ is here to explain how we should approach these problems, and to reassure us that it’s okay to make mistakes. Plus, he explores how it feels to be a “recovering economist.” Show Notes:- Russ’ podcast, EconTalk- Russ’ new book, Wild Problems- Russ: “How to Make a Decision When There’s No ‘Right’ One”- Jonah’s hatred of new ideas- An inefficient Christmas- Sebastian Junger’s Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging

Free to Choose

Jonah continues to swelter in Maine on today’s Ruminant, as he examines the aftermath of the FBI’s raid on Mar-a-Lago and how we should interpret Merrick Garland’s response. There’s also an extended discussion of Trump’s psychology, the allure of conspiracy theories, and the nature of American exceptionalism, as Jonah explains how he made peace with being part of the Remnant. Show Notes:- The latest Dispatch Podcast- Jonah: “Did the GOP Peak Too Soon?”- Wednesday’s bananified G-File- The Remnant with Kevin Williamson- First Things: “Abortion and a Nation at War”- Andrew McCarthy: “Thoughts on AG Garland’s Remarks”- Kevin Williamson: “Big Lies Matter”- Advisory Opinions on the Mar-a-Lago raid- Greatest country in the world?- Trump’s “a nation in decline” video

Last Man Standing

With his faithful canine in tow, Kevin Williamson saddles up for another Remnant escapade. This time, he and Jonah explore the Mar-a-Lago raid, the problem with new ideas in politics, and the Texas midterm elections. Plus, there’s plenty of dingo discussion mixed in for your edification. Is the president above the law? Should dog shows be banned? And can Kevin’s neighbors convince him to vote for Beto O’Rourke? Show Notes:- Kevin’s page at National Review- The Remnant: AMA edition- Jonah: “Westminster Eugenics Show”- Kevin: “Do We Believe Our Own Dogma?”- An emergency Advisory Opinions on the Mar-a-Lago raid- Mike Huckabee’s crazy argument- This week’s Dispatch Live- Kevin: “Big Lies Matter”- Jonah: “Bonfire of the Asininities”- Jonah: “The Descent of Men”- Kevin: “Thanks For the ‘Memory’”- Jonah: “All Quiet on the Black-Ops Front”- The Remnant with David Bernstein- Hillary’s cows

Going Bananas

Jonah’s aversion to preparation catches up with him on today’s sweaty Remnant. Stuck without a guest, he’s forced to spend an hour answering listener questions selected by Guy, his AEI research assistant. The result is an eclectic throwback to the Remnant AMAs of old, which covers everything from the disappearance of “The Couch” in the G-File to the prospect of a Ron DeSantis presidential bid. How do Liberal Fascism and The Tyranny of Cliches hold up? Did Jonah enjoy his time at Goucher College? And can Jonah and Guy discuss episode 11 without turning to ash? Show Notes:- Dingos in Maine- The Remnant with Tom Sowell- Guy and Jonah’s first encounter- Jonah: “What I Got Wrong About Fascism”- Jonah’s recent G-File adapted from The Tyranny of Cliches

Jonah’s Delicate Condition

Live from an undisclosed location in heat-struck Maine, Jonah gets ranty on today’s vigorous yet thoughtful Ruminant. In light of his surroundings, he begins with a few reflections on Ted Kennedy’s incident at Chappaquiddick before launching into a passionate tirade against the foolishness of the new right. In distinctly nerdy fashion, Jonah leaves no room for interpretation: There is no place on the right for racist politics, and white supremacist and anti-semitic ideas must necessarily be treated with moral outrage. Show Notes:-The Cover-Up podcast on Chappaquiddick-The Ted Kennedy incident-Leo Damore’s Senatorial Privilege-The July jobs report-Jonah’s column on the Inflation Reduction Act-The Dispatch: The New Right Finds a Home at the Intersection of Populism and Elitism-The Economist on the new right-Kevin WIlliamson on Trump the manly man-Last Friday’s G-File on the descent of men-Rockefeller’s diet

New Dogs, Old Tricks

Back in the Remnant driver’s seat, Jonah invites newly minted AEI fellow Joshua Katz onto the program for a nerdtastic discussion of language and how free we are to use it. Inevitably, their conversation touches on Joshua’s departure from Princeton, cancel culture, and broader illiberalism in American life. But it also explores current issues in linguistics, how much we can really know about classical civilizations, and what “literally” actually means. Tune in to find out whether Socrates had it coming. Show Notes:- Joshua’s page at AEI- Joshua: “Status and ‘Virtue’ at the Dalton School”- Philology- Socrates deserved it?- Joshua on his departure from Princeton- Joshua’s Declaration of Independence- College essay prompts get absurd- The latest issue of Sapir- Adrian Goldsworthy’s Caesar: Life of a Colossus- Barry Strauss’ The Spartacus War

Cool Katz

Filling in for an absentee Jonah, Chris Stirewalt is joined by A.B. Stoddard to provide some overpoweringly rank punditry on the state of the midterms. They begin by analyzing how current trends may affect the election results, before turning to the prospect of a political realignment in 2024 and the fear that the Inflation Reduction Act might fail to reduce inflation. Could a third party candidate win the next presidential election? Is Nancy Pelosi ready to step down? And is August an appropriate time to eat roast pork? Show Notes:- A.B.’s page at RealClearPolitics- Chris’ page at The Dispatch- NewsNation’s recent election poll- Joe Manchin on Bret Baier- A.B.: “Biden Should Announce in 2023 That He Will Not Run Again”- Hakeem Jeffries: The next face of the Democratic Party?

Fresh Meat

It’s a man’s, man’s world—or so Josh Hawley would have you believe. On today’s Ruminant, Jonah takes a deep dive into the new right’s obsession with masculinity and what it really means to be manly. He also assesses the pros and cons of codifying gay marriage into law, rants about Joe Manchin’s deal with Chuck Schumer, and gives some further thoughts on whether it’s right to launch criminal prosecution against a former president. It’s a radioactive episode.Show Notes:- Wednesday’s “news”letter- The Remnant with Charles C.W. Cooke- Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin make a deal- Josh Hawley’s book announcement- Tom Klingenstein: “Trump is a manly man”- Kevin Williamson: “The Virile Style”- Madeline Kearns: “Marital Clash”- The Editors on Congress’ gay marriage bill- Andrew Sullivan’s case for gay marriage

Man of the Year

With inflation increasing and the prospect of recession making headlines, David Bahnsen returns to the Remnant to answer a pressing question: How should conservatives approach economic policy? It’s an ultra-wonky conversation that also touches on common errors made by media outlets in their economic coverage and the relationship between moral and economic well being. Plus, tune in to find out which nefarious supervillain organization David secretly funds. Show Notes:- David’s webpage- David’s Capital Record podcast- The New York Times headline that ruined Jonah’s morning- Bastiat’s parable of the broken window- The Remnant with Robert Sirico

You Can Bank on Bahnsen

Klon Kitchen returns to the Remnant for another round of vigorous wonkery on all things national security. This time, he’s primarily concerned with the threat of Chinese espionage and the prospect of a geopolitical confrontation between China and the U.S. But he also has thoughts on the Ukraine conflict, the morality of Edward Snowden and Julian Assange, and the nature of quantum computing. Plus, tune in to hear his case for why you should delete TikTok. Show Notes:- Klon’s page at AEI- The Current, Klon’s Dispatch newsletter- CNN’s Huawei exclusive- Klon: “Ban TikTok Now”- China’s “thousand grains of sand” approach to intelligence collection- Klon: “When the Chips Are Down”- Last weekend’s Ruminant- Klon: “Quantum Q&A”

Secret Agent Klon

Refreshed from his Adirondack vacation, Jonah begins today’s Ruminant with an update on the January 6 hearings and a rant on the strange phenomenon of “capture the flag” media coverage. He also explores the merits of the MAGA republicans testifying in Congress, the silliness of the idea that there’s a “right side of history,” and the general awfulness of Steve Bannon. Stick around until the end to hear why you should subscribe to The Dispatch if you haven’t already.Show Notes:- The Remnant with David Bernstein- The Remnant with Brent Orrell- Adam Davidson’s podcast advice- Jan 6 and Secret Service agents- Pence refused to get in car- Cassidy Hutchinson stands by her testimony- The Holy War over Hunter Biden’s laptop- The Rolling Stone UVA story- Jonah on Honestly with Bari Weiss- Steve Bannon’s trial- Steve Bannon’s leaked audio- “The right side of history”- What a second Trump administration would mean- Join The Dispatch

Jumping Ship

AEI Senior Fellow Brent Orrell joins the Remnant for a cheerfully wonky exploration of the modern workplace. With institutions and communities collapsing, Americans are increasingly looking to work as their main source of fulfillment, but is this a healthy development? For that matter, how does immigration alter the workforce? Will artificial intelligence have a positive or negative effect on the American economy? And what should we make of the “Great Resignation?” Show Notes:- Brent’s page at AEI- Brent’s podcast, Hardly Working- Arthur Brooks on earned success- Brent: “The Great Resignation Shows It’s Time to Rethink Worker Dignity”- Brent’s “Dignity at Work” report- Brent: “How AI Is Being Transformed by ‘Foundation Models’”- The Remnant with Jim Pethokoukis

Worked Up

The Remnant’s wonky streak continues as David Bernstein, professor at Antonin Scalia Law School, joins the program to discuss his new book, Classified: The Untold Story of Racial Classification in America. Racial classifications are ubiquitous in American life, but David believes they are becoming increasingly arbitrary and incoherent. His solution is to abolish official racial classification altogether and replace it with a separation of race and state. But what would this look like in practice, and how did terms of racial classification originate in the first place? Show Notes:- David’s webpage- David’s new book, Classified- David: “How Well Do You Know America's Racial Classification System?”- Sean Trende’s The Lost Majority- The Remnant with Noah Phillips- The Remnant with Ruy Teixeira

People Are People

July’s drive-time Remnant extravaganza is here, and it’s as deprived of substance as you’d expect. Wedding proposals, cruises, road trips, and other offbeat subjects are all discussed at unnecessary length, but a modicum of serious punditry is also mixed in on the upcoming midterms and the potential for a Trump re-election campaign announcement. Plus, tune in to hear Jonah detail his bygone days as an opera supernumerary and the rebranding of Bloggingheads.tv.Show Notes:- What’s Next Summit Tickets- Last month’s drive-time- Guy’s Kiss trip- Breezewood, PA- The Daily on the James Webb Space Telescope- Bad strategy- Nonzero, formerly Bloggingheads.tv- The SmartLess podcast- The Dispatch Podcast on the James Webb Space Telescope- Ruy Teixeira joins AEI

Terms of Engagement

Paul Miller, Georgetown professor and regular contributor to The Dispatch, returns to The Remnant to discuss his new book, The Religion of American Greatness: What’s Wrong with Christian Nationalism. In formidably highfalutin fashion, he and Jonah explore what drives mankind’s nationalistic impulse, why Christianity and nationalism have historically been intertwined in America, and what should hold our country together beyond the creed outlined in the Declaration of Independence. Stick around to hear Paul turn the tables on Jonah and ask him a few questions about the legacy of Suicide of the West.Show Notes:- Paul’s page at The Dispatch- Paul’s new book, The Religion of American Greatness- Paul’s appearance on Dispatch Live- Jonah: “The Dangers of Unchecked Nationalism”- Chris Hedges’ American Fascists- Arlie Russell Hochschild’s Strangers in Their Own Land- Rich Lowry’s The Case for Nationalism- Michael Burleigh’s The Third Reich- Yuval Levin’s The Great Debate- The Remnant with Charles C.W. Cooke- David Bell’s The Cult of the Nation in France

What’s in a Nation?

An unwashed Charles C.W. Cooke returns to the Remnant for a predictably rank exploration of gun rights, criminal law, and electoral politics. There’s also a deep dive into linguistics prompted by Jill Biden’s taco gaffe, an discussion of America’s fondness for elderly political figures, and an examination of whether stop and frisk policies are constitutional. How is the 2024 presidential race shaping up? Should Trump be prosecuted for his actions on January 6? And what can we do about mass shootings? Show Notes:- Last weekend’s Ruminant- Jill Biden’s taco blunder- Charlie: “Jill Biden’s ‘LatinX IncluXion Luncheon’ FiaXco”- Bill Bryson’s Mother Tongue- Jonah: “Where Did Biden Go Wrong?”- Charlie: “Democrats Prepare to Throw Biden Overboard”- Charlie on dismal polling for Trump and Biden- Brandenburg v Ohio- The Editors on prosecuting Trump- James Q. Wilson: “What To Do About Crime”

Et Tu, Cooke?

After kicking off today’s Ruminant with a few reflections on his pesky first name, Jonah soon embarks on a thorough analysis of Joe Biden’s rise to the presidency and the intellectual insecurities that often come packaged with the Oval Office. An eclectic potpourri follows as Jonah explores the distinction between assassination and murder, his relationship with a top British cabinet official, and the hypocrisy of European nations regarding the abortion debate. It all ends with a more lighthearted assessment of the differences between Hollywood movies and real life.Show Notes:- The Remnant with Noah Phillips- The Remnant with Noah Rothman- David Bernstein’s work for Reason- Dana Milbank: “Give Biden a Break”- Mitt Romney: “America is in Denial”- Vice presidents who became presidents themselves- The Shinzo Abe assassination- Boris Johnson’s resignation- Assasination versus murder- Michael Gove- The EU condemns Dobbs- The Remnant with Megan McArdle- Jonah’s twitter thread on political movies

London Calling

Commentary ‘s Noah Rothman makes an overdue return to the Remnant to discuss his new book, The Rise of the New Puritans, which compares today’s woke progressives with their pious ancestors. Alternating between vigorous agreement and spirited debate, Noah and Jonah explore the morality of wokeism, the state of sex and comedy, and what’s behind mankind’s puritanical impulse. They also touch on the importance of staying in your lane, the future of safetyism in American life, and whether Mike Pence should be disqualified from pursuing another presidential bid. Show Notes:- Noah’s page at Commentary- Noah’s new book, The Rise of the New Puritans- Noah: “Joyless on the Fourth”- Josh Barro on Elon Musk- George McKenna’s The Puritan Origins of American Patriotism- Noah: “The January 6 Commission’s Biggest Reveal”- The Remnant with FTC Commissioner Noah Phillips- The latest Dispatch Live

Holy Rollers

Noah Phillips of the Federal Trade Commission brings his expertise to the Remnant today for an exceedingly wonky discussion of American law and bureaucracy. The debate over Big Tech has whipped up plenty of discussion about antitrust reforms recently, but how effective could such reforms actually be? For that matter, how problematic are monopolies? Is the FTC in good shape? And how can the harmful effects of social media be mitigated? Show Notes:- Noah’s FTC webpage- Sen. John Cornyn booed at Texas GOP convention- Amy Klobuchar’s self-preferencing bill- Hipster antitrust- Scott Lincicome on the Jones Act

Noah, Can You Paradigm?

If you’re hitting the road this weekend, today’s extra-long, extra-patriotic Ruminant should be a perfect accompaniment for your travels. Jonah begins by looking at the Dobbs decision, the relationship between the judiciary and the legislature, and why conservatives believe in originalism. Then, after offering some additional thoughts on consequentialism and a generous helping of rank punditry, he turns to the Fourth of July. In a moment where pride in America is particularly low, Jonah believes we should still be bullish about this country, and he has enough philosophical insights on hand to explain why. Show Notes:- Last weekend’s Ruminant- Last Friday’s G-File- Joshua Zeitz: “The Supreme Court’s Faux ‘Originalism’”- Wednesday’s “news”letter- David French: “Roe Is Reversed, and the Right Isn’t Ready”- The Remnant with Megan McArdle- Only 38% say they’re extremely proud to be American- Calvin Coolidge on patriotism

The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg

The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg

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