Pipe Dreams

On today’s characteristically rambly Ruminant, Jonah seeks to weave a web between current events, history, ...

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On today’s characteristically rambly Ruminant, Jonah seeks to weave a web between current events, history, and philosophy. After briefly theorizing about the identity of the Nord Stream pipeline’s saboteur, Jonah returns to his Liberal Fascism roots to explore the differences between German and Italian fascism and their shared reliance on hyper-nationalism. Next, he addresses the conservative movement’s roots in American exceptionalism and the new right’s embrace of European-style populism. Then, in a contemplative end to the episode, Jonah reflects on his newfound knowledge of rodentology by considering the potential consequences of incestuous rat relationships.

Show Notes:

– The Dispatch Podcast on the Nord Stream sabotage 

– Wednesday’s G-File: “Slouching Towards the Old World”

– The Remnant with rat expert Michael H. Parsons

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Comments (42)
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  1. Max Davies

    I'm new to The Remnant.

    I like podcasts and I'm okay with an informal, unstructured style. But I'm absolutely not okay with rambling that ties itself up in historical nonsense.

    Mr Goldberg: If you're going to talk about Fascism and Mussolini, please give your audience the respect of having researched the subject and knowing more about it that a tiny handful of facts that support the conclusion you came to before you began.

    Mussolini and the Jews, but not a word about the 1938 Italian anti-Semitic, racist laws? Really? They don't prove Mussolini was a racist, but they prove that Italian fascism was at least somewhat anti-Semitic, racist and easily given to the same racial-purity nonsense that the Germans were spouting.

    I turned off shortly after you started rambling about the unification of Germany taking place in the early 20th century.

    I want to like you; I want a decent, mildly right-of-center news and opinion source, but if you want to fill that role and keep me as a subscriber, I have to have confidence that you won't make stuff up and will know what you're talking about. Because its one thing when I know about the subject and can spot baloney, but quite something else when I can't.

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    shannon robertson

    So appreciate you in this space, Jonah. Lively, engaging, intellectually honest. Not afraid of fruitful difference. Sensitive to hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance. Yes, true enough, polyvalence keeps us sharp, and helps to protect us against group-think, but yours is one of the voices we need. Onward...

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  3. Bob D

    Thanks for his rambling podcast. It led me to buy your book and read it over a rainy weekend in central Jersey.

    What’s confusing is that American paleo-conservatism has always had something of a populist element, which is missing in European throne-and-altar conservatism. But Trumpian populism seems to differ materially from that of Pat Buchanan. Trumpian populism does seem to lie more in the vein of the non-Marxist socialism of Woodrow Wilson and Herbert Croly. Or am I being too generous to Buchanan? Maybe it’s better to view Buchanan as a non-Marxist socialist too. After all, most of his writers at The American Conservative are in the Trumpian vein.

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    The Bell Tower

    Awesome Remnant. I remember when my wife, who is from Shanghai, introduced me to some of her family in NY. They called me “country boy,” which was not meant as a compliment.

    I can’t articulate how much of a compliment I consider it. I make it a point to walk around speaking in a loud, redneck accent now just like Jefferson wearing his pajamas and carpet slippers to receive British diplomats.

    I agree, we aren’t necessarily better just different. What we categorically aren’t is worse. Americans are loud, belligerent know-it-alls to much of the world. We eat too much, we drink too much, we spend too much, we talk too much.

    As Heinsenberg said: You’re goddam right.

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    Eric

    *slaps roof of podcast*
    This baby can hold so many Rat Guys

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    Bill Dyer (aka Beldar)

    Mr. Goldberg, please DO get a doggy-DNA expert as a guest for the Remnant! That would be awesome. If I may suggest one line of inquiry: I've read that "spitz"-type dogs — pointed-eared wolfish looking breeds like German Shepherds, Dobermans, Huskies, and a few others (I'm not sure about your dingo!) — are distinctly recognizable not only because they share those physical characteristics, but also a higher percentage of their DNA and behaviors with wolves. The spitz dogs are much closer to wolves on the shared family tree, and aesthetically, I find them attractive precisely because they haven't been "messed with" — bred for specialized functions, e.g., digging after gophers or herding sheep — and they reflect "Nature's choices" rather than man's. Am I being a spitz-snob?

    I gather there's also a lot of cutting edge research going on that involves breeding foxes selectively to try to promote dog-like social behaviors from them. There is much good grist for this mill, so please, carry on!

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    Patrick

    Really enjoyed this one.

    In light of current moment, I think you need to start saying “progressives” instead of “liberals” when referencing people of the left. We clearly need more of the latter, rightly understood.

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    Jordan Ingram

    Good podcast Jonah.

    Coming from Australia where the term conservative is lacking on the concept of conserving anything besides the vague notion of a market economy and cultural values, it's hard to describe in terms what I believe to others when I can't use terms or labels.

    Australia is a petri dish showing what makes America exceptional. Our history and governments are similar but with obvious differences. The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal parliamentary system with a lower and upper house yet what conservatism means here is different from conservatism in America: the principles of the founding.

    We have 'conservative' and 'progressive' coalitions/parties, yet the conservative party isn't focused on principles, governance or liberalism; the differences in parties are flavors of government and people choose their preferred flavor. We don't have the principles and philosophy which makes American exceptionalism - exceptional.

    What makes America different is special and should be cherished.

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    Ben Connelly

    David Marcus has long been an idiot. Ignore him.

    In the 2050s, some heir to Matt Continetti will write an update to The Right. Jonah Goldberg will figure heavily in it, perhaps more prominently than he realizes. I doubt Marcus will garner a mention.

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    C C Writer

    Jonah was on CNN today as I write this (Sunday), or so I hear, indirectly. I have never been able to catch him or record him on CNN because apparently the information about imminent TV appearances of Dispatch principals is classified. Sigh.
    Can't you just declassify it, Jonah? I bet you can. But please don't just think it--tell the minions. Thanks.

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      C C Writer

      I managed to find the transcript. But why should I have to? I'm not even familiar with the CNN shows, hosts, panelists, etc. You'd think it would be in someone's interest to try to improve on that.
      I'm sharing this link because Jonah said some really interesting stuff.
      https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ip/date/2022-10-02/segment/01

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