The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg The Dispatch

Finally on the verge of overcoming his lingering COVID symptoms, Jonah approaches today’s rambly Ruminant with renewed verve. After tackling the strangeness of Elon Musk’s Twitter reign and the freakishness of Kanye West, he explores how Trumpification has changed the right and what sane Republicans can do to move forward. From there, things get philosophical, as Jonah examines the nature of ethical universals and what specifically is immoral about authoritarian regimes. Finally, things conclude with some sweet, nourishing dog content.

It’s been a while since the Remnant featured a dog expert, but today, Dr. Alexandra Horowitz—a professor at Barnard College of Columbia University—joins the program to fill that void. Some seriously rank cynology ensues, as Jonah and Alexandra explore everything you could ever want to know about canine cognition. Do dogs have a unique friendship with humans, or are they just social parasites? Why do dogs react in different ways to different people? And are dog shows a stain on mankind?

Revitalized after his latest struggle with COVID, Jonah invites AEI senior fellow and foreign policy expert Michael Rubin back to the Remnant to discuss how America should respond to challenges posed by China, Russia, and the Middle East. Should the U.S. government embrace regime change? What’s at stake for the West in Taiwan and Ukraine? And should we be optimistic about liberalism in China and Iran?

Last year, Remnant regular Matt Ridley published Viral: The Search for the Origin of COVID-19, which explored the theory that the virus leaked from a laboratory. Today, he’s back on the program to discuss how things have changed since the book’s publication with a suitably COVID-addled Jonah. Has the lab-leak theory become more persuasive? Did the pandemic fuel a backslide in vaccinations? And can Britons and Americans ever resolve their linguistic differences?

After a long and draining week of speeches, fancy dinners, and finally acknowledging the existence of his intern, Jonah phones in the beginning of today’s Ruminant by simply reading through the stories in Friday’s Morning Dispatch. Luckily, things quickly pick up speed when Jonah turns to a wacky article by the mother of the recently disgraced CEO of FTX on why we should abandon the concept of personal responsibility. A lengthy philosophical discussion follows on the problems inherent in critical analysis, the necessity of pricing signals, and why bad ideas must be taken seriously. Following some thoughts on judicial activism and the future of the Federalist Society, Jonah wraps things up by discussing hope, optimism, and the nature of despair.

In recovery mode from a hectic period of midterm punditry, Jonah invites his immigrant amanuensis Guy back to the Remnant to spend some time answering listener questions. A strange and broad conversation ensues, as Jonah provides some rank predictions for the 2024 election cycle, reflects on his career in blogging, and indulges in a few fiendishly nerdy asides about Marvel and Star Trek. And of course, he can’t resist interrogating Guy about his recent voyage on a Kiss-themed cruise.