Mr. Popularity

After providing an update on his absence this week, Jonah begins today’s Ruminant on a ...

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After providing an update on his absence this week, Jonah begins today’s Ruminant on a note of uncertainty: He hasn’t decided whether an Elon Musk Twitter takeover is something we should welcome or fear. His mind is also occupied by the idea raised by Megan McArdle that Americans are increasingly “sidestepping institutions” in their daily lives, as well as Matt Continetti’s perspective on the term “right-winger.” Plus, tune in for a predictably nerdy disquisition on populism and why an old-fashioned liberal ethos is what separates conservatism from statism.  

Show Notes:

– The Remnant with Megan McCardle

– Martin Kramer’s The War on Error

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  1. Avatar photo
    Ben Connelly

    Hey, Jonah, I don’t know what’s going on and don’t need to. If you want to tell us, you’ll tell us and if not that’s your business. But whatever is going on, just know that your loyal audience of Dispatch subscribers and Remnant listeners (mostly) all support you. At least I do. There’s not much we can do for you, but I’ll speak for the audience and say that we’re happy to give you a break on G-Files if you need to take a personal day (or week). I look forward to the G-File! But I’d rather miss one than have you or Steve get burnt out.

    Anyway, I hope you’re doing okay and your family is doing okay. I hope your health is okay. Don’t listen to anyone on Twitter who gives you a hard time for going through a hard time.

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  2. Avatar photo
    Denise Cote

    I'm sorry there are personal things going on that caused your absence. Folks need to chill. We have to afford you the same opportunity to have a life that we all want and insist on.

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  3. Avatar photo
    Marian Cates

    I don't agree that your female guests are better than your male guests.

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    1. Avatar photo
      Marian Cates

      Excellent podcast!

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  4. Avatar photo
    Anne W (Raw5254)

    Okay, I’m someone who is actually amazed at the number of podcasts and essays you put out, Jonah. Do you ever rest? I missed seeing you on Dispatch Live, but my *assumption* was you were busy with something else. As someone else pretty much said, TD is very well staffed, so I have never felt *slighted* by anyone’s absence. In fact, it gives me an opportunity to read some of the other things I don’t always have time for.

    Thanks for all of your hard work, and I’m thrilled to see that TD is doing so well, in general. And, I think everyone here wishes you the best.

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  5. Bill DeVinney

    Missed you the last few days, I hope everything is OK with you and the family.

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  6. Avatar photo
    Kenton A. Hoover

    Goldbergology is less rewarding than Kremlinology, and thus attracts a worse kind of analyst.

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  7. Avatar photo
    Silvertide

    Hi Jonah,

    I don't usually agree with your opinions but I do enjoy reading and listening to you. I also have no idea what you have been going through this week but I hope it all turns out okay for you. As much as I enjoy your content your personal life comes first and I hope most of the people reading this would agree with that.

    Keep up the good work and I hope you take off whatever time you need to get yourself back to a good place.

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  8. Scott Mc

    Hope you are well, I wish you the benefits of people loving your books (read and buying) and work (via subscriptions) and not obsessing over all you mentioned. I wish they were focused on Tyranny of Cliches. I appreciate your work, your thoughts, ruminations, ideas and okay your humor and sweet nerdiness... Take good care
    ps. while I (reluctantly) accept the fact people take vacation and need time away for other items in their lives and my narcistic existence is interrupted, it is amazing how journalists and columnists become part of a reader's daily habit and an important part of one's day, week, year, well life...thank you for your work, it is important and a good to many of us...

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    1. Avatar photo
      Anne W (Raw5254)

      I was hoping my husband had gotten the Kindle version of that book. (“Suicide of the West” was really good, too.) He just checked, and we don’t have it, but we will!

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    kategolden

    I don't think you owe anyone an explanation. I hope things are ok. You know what the important things are in life, it's part of why we like you.

    I appreciate the high-quality guest hosts when necessary (I thought French/Rauch episode was great). Maybe if the regularly scheduled programming isn't possible, serve up something from the greatest hits?

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    1. Jacob W

      Really well said. I agree!

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  10. Avatar photo
    Michael Garrett

    Jonah's discussion of the tendency of institutions to pivot to new battles once their primary stated goals have been reached brought to my mind one the most lasting lessons I learned in college (from a professor I could go on praising for several paragraphs). Whatever their stated cause, every's institution driving goal is self-preservation. The case we studied was the March of Dimes. You know them, right? They are a charity now dedicated to fighting birth defects.

    Does anyone know why the March of Dimes began?

    To find a cure for polio.

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    1. Avatar photo
      Aylene Wright

      I mostly agree, but I don't think the NAACP and ACLU are in the same boat as the March of Dimes, though. Polio was eradicated from the US. But although the legally sanctioned "de jure" racial discrimination the NAACP was originally created to fight has ended, but "de facto" racial discrimination still persists, though we can argue about the extent of it.

      The ACLU becoming more of a generic left wing group actually disturbs me more, because civil liberties are always under threat *somewhere* in the US. So it's not even that they solved the original problem before adding to their portfolio. I actually think the better parallel to the ACLU is the NRA going from focusing on training people to use guns responsibly to a gun rights lobbying group, to a generic right wing group, and finally degenerating into a slush fund for Wayne LaPierre.

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      Kenton A. Hoover

      Founded by FDR. HIAS was founded to get Jews out of Russia. NFPs should terminate when their objective is met, though they would just create legal structures to prevent that. It is our version of Tammany Hall.

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