Podcasts

Say It Loud

Jonah makes an unexpected return to the AEI studio for another in-person Remnant, this time featuring Keith Whittington, beloved egghead and Princeton political scientist. A deep dive ensues into America’s unique preoccupation with free speech and the nature of academic freedom, which raises a number of pertinent questions. How concerned should we be about the state of free speech on college campuses? What are some common misconceptions about academic freedom? And what should we make of Ron DeSantis’ approach to these issues? Those feeling free and expressive are particularly encouraged to tune in.

Show Notes:

Keith’s page at Princeton

Keith: “Hamline Takes Quashing Academic Freedom to a Whole New Level”

Keith: “Academic Freedom for Whom?”

Nathan Glazer: “What Happened at Berkeley”

From the New College of Florida to DeSantis U?

Spies, Shredders, and Mistaken Identities

Honor, thy name is the Pence staffer who found classified documents and resisted the urge to accidentally let them slip into a shredder. In addition to covering the latest in the Trump-Biden-Pence-Carter documents drama, David and Sarah discuss what’s shaping up to be one of the most egregious cases of spy corruption in American history.

Plus:

-A Georgia grand jury update
-A head-scratcher case of wrongful arrest
-Some thoughts on Florida’s crackdown of the College Board’s African American Studies AP curriculum

Show Notes:

Classified documents discovered at home of former VP Mike Pence

Ex-FBI arrested for alleged money laundering

Georgia election probe report to remain secret for now

DeSantis sparks outrage with rejection of African American studies class

The Dispatch: Academic Freedom for Whom?

G-File: Reading, Writing, and… Black Queer Studies?

Hayek’s Last Gleaming

In what may be one of the most brazenly nerdy Remnant episodes ever recorded (which is really saying a lot) Duke University’s Bruce Caldwell joins the program to discuss the life and work of Friedrich Hayek. Dr. Caldwell, the pope of Hayekian geekdom, recently published the first installment of a two volume biography of the famed economist. Guided by Jonah’s gleeful prompting, he explores how Hayek rose to international prominence, what he was like as a man, and how we should view his great works today. If you woke up feeling all Austrian this morning, it’s a must listen.

Show Notes:

Dr. Caldwell’s page at Duke

Dr. Caldwell’s new book, Hayek: A Life, 1899–1950 

Dr. Caldwell’s intellectual biography of Hayek, Hayek’s Challenge

Hayek: “The Intellectuals and Socialism”

Hayek: “The Use of Knowledge in Society”

Dr. Caldwell on Political Economy with Jim Pethokoukis

Twitter Files Explained w/ Kmele Foster

Elon Musk opened up the secret Twitter vaults before a select group of journalists who went on to chain-tweet their findings. David French sits down with Kmele Foster, co-host of The Fifth Column podcast, to figure out whether the response to the findings should be a vociferous freak out, a tired shrug, or something more nuanced. They discuss political censorship, media spins, and Big Tech.

Show Notes:

David French: Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson Don’t Understand the First Amendment

– Kmele Foster, We The Fifth

Rod Rosenstein Talks Special Counsels

If somebody understands the challenges of appointing special counsels, it’s Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. He joins Advisory Opinions to talk (and reminisce) about DOJ drama. Also: Sarah and David have some tepid SCOTUS updates.

Show Notes:

NYT: Investigators Seize More Classified Documents From Biden’s Home

-The Dispatch Podcast: The Biden Files

David French and Curtis Chang Answer Listener Mail

For the first time ever, Good Faith podcast co-hosts David and Curtis answer questions from listeners.  In this special “Ask Me Anything” podcast, they respond to questions about how to find a good church; how to interact with family and friends who are lost in the right wing media bubble; how to consume pop culture; and all the ways in which Curtis is an apostate from progressive orthodoxy. It’s a fun, free-flowing conversation where the listeners are in charge.

Show Notes:

A New Chapter in Millennial Church Attendance: “Patterns of attendance among younger generations can be especially important—and perplexing—for pastors to understand, in their own church and at large. Barna Group has studied the intersection of faith and culture for nearly four decades, with an emphasis on generational trends. This article explores recent data to help church leaders ground themselves in the present reality of church attendance across generations—especially Millennials—in 2022.”

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America

by Richard Rothstein: “Richard Rothstein argues with exacting precision and fascinating insight how segregation in America—the incessant kind that continues to dog our major cities and has contributed to so much recent social strife—is the byproduct of explicit government policies at the local, state, and federal levels.”

The Technological Society by Jacques Ellul: “Ellul offers a penetrating analysis of our technological civilization, showing how technology—which began innocuously enough as a servant of humankind—threatens to overthrow humanity itself in its ongoing creation of an environment that meets its own ends.”

Fasting: The Ancient Practices by Scot McKnight: “Christianity has traditionally been at odds with the human body. At times in the history of the church, Christians have viewed the body and physical desires as the enemy. Now, Scot McKnight, best-selling author of The Jesus Creed , reconnects the spiritual and the physical in the ancient discipline of fasting.”

Nancy French’s entertainment suggestion tweet thread: “In the French house, David and I love to watch series. Frequently, people ask what good shows we’ve watched, so I thought I’d start a list (and I’ll keep adding to it) of some of the binge-worthy TV we’ve enjoyed.”

Old Ideas

Today’s annoyingly whispered Ruminant comes to you live from Portland, where Jonah’s on a clandestine mission with his wife. Unfortunately, the city doesn’t seem to be doing so well, which prompts him to begin with a lengthy diatribe on urban decay, the crisis of homelessness in America’s cities, and what’s specifically wrong with Portland. Stick around afterward for some thoughts on Davos and the economic elite, and a rambling digression about the enduring relevance of Liberal Fascism.

Show Notes:

Jonah: “One, Maybe Two, Cheers for Partisanship”

The LA Times on Portland’s homeless problem

The Remnant with Jim Pethokoukis

Philip Coupland: “H.G. Wells’s ‘Liberal Fascism’”

Jonah: “Bellamy’s Children”

China’s Demographic Decline

China’s population is getting older and older and analysts warn this could have significant global impact. Deputy Morning Editor of TMD Esther Eaton sits down with Scott Kennedy of the Center for Strategic and International Studies to dig into the root causes behind the country’s demographic decline and the impact this will have on economic and labor conditions.

Show Notes:

Esther Eaton’s TMD Piece: China’s Looming Demographic Crisis

Extraordinary Measures

Sarah, Jonah and David wonder what’s left of fiscal responsibility in the Republican Party as the debt-ceiling deadline hits Congress. Who’s serious about digging in and balancing the budget? Will taking on the “weaponized” bureaucracy make a dent? And, haven’t we been in this before? The crew also tallies which countries are providing tactical support to Ukraine (and how much). And of course, stay tuned for an extra salty Not Worth Your Time.

Show Notes:

Watch: White House Press Briefing on Debt Ceiling

Brian Riedl for The Dispatch: How Republicans Can Get Serious on Spending

The Spinach Wars

Brian Riedl, also known as the “balanced budget good government guy,” is back on the Remnant to answer a pertinent question: Should we believe that the GOP suddenly cares about fiscal responsibility? He and Jonah also provide some wonkified commentary on a whole host of other economic issues. What’s to be done about the national debt? How should conservatives approach the IRS? And is it possible to reform the tax system?

Show Notes:

Jonah: “The GOP’s Spending Fight Is More About Fighting Than Spending”

Brian Riedl: “How Republicans Can Get Serious on Spending”

The Remnant with A.B. Stoddard

Byron Donalds spars with Joy Reid

Surprise by Cert

The Supreme Court saves the day (or at least, this episode) with a slew of last-minute cert grants. A consolidated immigration case; a legal battle between a 93-year-old woman and the state of Minnesota over a foreclosed condo; a search for the line between free speech and death threats; and, for good measure, David lets out a bee that’s been buzzing in his bonnet since law school over a religious accommodations case. Plus: so long sans serif!

Show Notes:

Pugin v. Garland, Garland v. Cordero-Garcia

Tyler v. Hennepin

Counterman v. Colorado

Groff v. DeJoy

McSweeneys: I’m Comic Sans

Old Man Blues

The Remnant gets back to basics today, as A.B. Stoddard returns to the show for some deeply rank punditry on (what else?) the dysfunctional state of our parties and the prospect of a second term for Biden. With insurgents rising among both Republicans and Democrats, how long will it take for the parties to get healthy again? For that matter, how concerned should Democrats be about the loss of black and Hispanic voters? Will the GOP actually raise the debt limit? And is there any way of excusing Biden’s document blunder?

Show Notes:

A.B.’s page at RealClearPolitics

A.B.: “Yes, He Will Burn It All Down”

Jonah: “GOP’s deficit reduction is a cynical performative gesture”

A.B.: “Kevin McCarthy Is Already a Gift to Democrats”

Jonah: “McCarthy’s Misery”

Stop Doing This

As they consider the meaning of Robert Hur’s appointment as Special Counsel, Sarah and David cast a wish to the universe that top officials be held accountable for mishandling classified documents (or that they just stop doing that). They also discuss whether collegiality is declining among Supreme Court justices, take the pulse of religious liberty in the law, briefly discuss Fairfax county’s “war on merit” controversy, and offer a simple-to-follow definition of academic freedom.

-”Should have no impact

Steven Mazie on SCOTUS collegiality

The president of Hamline University responds

The latest from Fairfax County

David on the ruling out of Eugene, Oregon

What Is Courage?

In this podcast, David and Curtis return from trips around the world to give us a philosophical insight on courage. From Churchill to Lord of The Rings, stories of virtue can influence our own actions when tests cross our paths. They talk about the power of narratives and how they can build moral courage and character. Both dig into their past to bring up personal models of strength that have influenced who they are today. They wrap up with a critical look at political institutions under this moral framework.

Show Notes:

-There’s a Question My Confederate Ancestors Taught Me To Ask by David French.  In this April 26, 2020 Dispatch article, David writes about the incredibly powerful pull of tribe over truth.

-After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory by Alasdair MacIntyre: Alasdair MacIntyre examines the historical and conceptual roots of the idea of virtue, diagnoses the reasons for its absence in personal and public life, and offers a tentative proposal for its recovery. 

-The Literary Churchill: Author, Reader, Actor by Jonathan Rose: Rose examines Churchill’s careers as statesman and author, revealing the profound influence of literature and theater on Churchill’s personal, carefully composed grand story and on the decisions he made throughout his political life. 

-Curtis’s account of Churchill’s book “Savrola” is taken from Gideon Haigh’s 2014 Sydney Morning Herald article, “Winston Churchill’s literary and theatrical influences” and his account of Nuremberg can be found at Nuremberg as the “City of Nazi Party Rallies.”

-A Hidden Life: Written and directed by Terrence Malick, this film depicts the true story of an Austrian farmer facing execution for refusing to fight for the Nazis during World War II.

It’s A Gas

Today’s Ruminant, a self-described “rambling, weird, incoherent hot mess,” can perhaps be taken as a reflection of Jonah’s addled brain. With his wife and daughter on a road trip, his mind has regressed into bachelor mode, and he’s begun to subsist on chicken eaten over the kitchen sink. Thankfully, he still has opinions on the biggest stories of the day, including the Biden administration’s potential ban of gas stoves, how Biden’s classified document scandal compares with Trump’s, and technological developments that could counteract climate change. Come for the punditry, but stay for the strange digression about the mating habits of deer. 

Show Notes:

The Dispatch breaks down the battle over gas stoves

NPR: “We need to talk about your gas stove, your health and climate change”

Jonah: “The Hypocritic Oath”

The Dispatch Podcast on Biden’s classified document scandal

Wall Street Journal: “Climate Startup Removes Carbon From Open Air in Industry First”

The Remnant with Jim Pethokoukis

Jonah: “Two Cheers for Techno-Marxism”

The Biden Files

Declan joins Sarah, David and Steve to break down President Biden’s classified documents scandal. The team then discusses McCarthy’s backroom dealing, the proposed SANTOS act, and the riots in Brazil. Plus: An anatomically descriptive Worth Your Time(?) segment that made David deeply uncomfortable.

Show Notes:

The Dispatch: House GOP Moves to Messaging Bills and Investigations

Proposed Bill Text: SANTOS Act 

The Atlantic: Prince Harry’s Book Undermines the Very Idea of Monarchy