Megan McArdle returns to the Remnant today for a discussion that has the luxury of being detached from current events. Things operate at a high level of abstraction throughout—even the rank punditry is more nerdishly academic than usual—as she and Jonah analyze and debate a handful of topics that seem to render him increasingly despondent. Can resentment among elites explain Donald Trump’s success? Do ideas actually matter, or have all intellectuals wasted their lives? Just how ugly should we expect 2024 to be? And can Jonah outrun his ongoing mid-life crisis in a ramshackle RV?
Show Notes:
-Megan’s page at the Washington Post
-Fusion, a new magazine from the American Institute for Economic Research
-The Remnant with Tom Nichols
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Bad Idea, Old Idea

In “The Remnant," Jonah Goldberg enlists a “Cannonball Run”-style cast of stars, has-beens, and never-weres to address the most pressing issues of the day. Is America doomed? Has liberalism failed? And will mankind ever invent something better than ‘90s-era “Simpsons?” Mixing political history, pop culture, rank punditry, and shameless book-plugging, Goldberg and guests will have the kinds of conversations we wish they featured on TV. And the nudity will (almost) always be tasteful. Brace your bingo cards.

News

Politics

On this week’s Ruminant, Jonah drinks coffee and remembers things. Topics include his thoughts on the newest installment of the Mad Max franchise, Donald Trump’s karmic retribution, and a Muslim exotic dancer named Lulu. He also touches on the state (or lack thereof) of the alt-right, and responds to the critiques of Wednesday’s G-File.
Show Notes
—Chris Hemsworth’s Prosthetic Nose
—Trump’s Guilty Verdict (and the subsequent reactions)
—Auditions for Trump’s VP Ticket
—“Radical Chic” Politics
—Wednesday's G-File
—The Rise and Fall of the Alt-Right
—Why Islam needs a Pope
—Bigotry and Crackpots on the Right
—Bigotry and Crackpots on the Right
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Bad Karma-Lago

Atlantic writer Caitlin Flanagan joins Jonah for an episode that bounces from topic to topic, from the “trans thing” to the COVID-10 lockdowns and the failure of the modern-day lefties. Take out your daubers for a number of bingo card call-outs and stay tuned for a sentence Jonah’s never uttered before.
Show Notes:
—Alice Walker's issue with the Jews
—Tom Wolfe's "The Great Relearning" essay
—UCLA medical school's racial quotas
—Jesse Singal's Remnant appearance
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Black Panther Breakfast Club

Jonah hijacks the GLoP Culture podcast, kicks John Podhoretz out of the driver’s seat, and floors it into The Remnant feed with Rob Long sitting shotgun. They discuss Rob’s Come to Jesus moment, Jonah’s crass words to Jon Karl (are there any dues?), and of course, a little bit of pop culture. Stick around to hear hot takes on improv, The Fall Guy, and Frosted. And John, we know you’re listening.
Show Notes:
—Rob Long's X profile
—GLoP on Apple Podcasts
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You Had Me at Middle Aged

Jonah picks a fight with the alts—both left and right—on this episode of TheRuminant, with a healthy dose of both-sides-are-wrong argumentation. Tune in for thoughts on Justice Samuel Alito’s flag-gate, President Joe Biden’s commencement speech at Morehouse College, and America’s proud (?) history of moral panics.
Show Notes:
—AO episode on Alito flag incident
—Biden’s Morehouse College commencement address
—Ken Pollack on The Remnant
—Countries recognizing a Palestinian state
—Michael Warren’s piece on the Mar-A-Lago raid
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Panics and Maniacs

Ken Pollack, a Remnant all-star and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins Jonah for an extended discussion on the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the race to be the supreme leader’s successor. The two also get into the various Iran appeasement campaigns, Biden’s approach to Israel, and the necessity of the United Nations.
Show Notes:
—Reuters reporting on the Ayatollah’s successor
—Ken’s profile at AEI
—Ken’s profile at Georgetown
—Ken’s most recent book, Armies of Sand: The Past, Present, and Future of Arab Military Effectiveness
—This week’s Dispatch Live
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Bad Idea, Old Idea

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