The Loudest Minority

On today’s Ruminant, Jonah is back in good health and high spirits, so much so ...

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On today’s Ruminant, Jonah is back in good health and high spirits, so much so that he can’t resist boasting about a meeting he enjoyed this week with former President Bush. He’s also concerned about the prospect of a second Trump presidency, intrigued by the debate over whether America was right to bomb Hiroshima, and fixated on George Will’s idea that history is shaped by “small, compact, idea-driven minorities.” Members of the ambivalent right will find much to appreciate.

Show Notes:

– The Remnant with George Will

– Jonah on elites and Pareto distribution

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  1. Avatar photo
    Israel Bigelow

    Interesting take on the Prieto distribution and our post-liberal moment. The combination of Jonah's column on third parties with George Will's new found appreciation for the Bolsheviks and George Bush wanting to chat over coffee at a Conservative conference with Jonah makes me think something is in the works third party wise for 2024. Perhaps I'm reading the tea leaves a little prematurely but the Remnant forms a third party, I've already trademarked "the Dingo Party" and Jonah will have to pay me royalties if he wants to use it.

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  2. Will

    I listened to this on Monday while I was running. I demand a correction!

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  3. Zack Frank

    I liked Tim Ryan, but the dude has to evolve past the deer-in-headlights moments that ruined his primary.

    Also: I ended up with "Establishment Democrat" in that Pew Quiz, but had basically the same qualms with the questions as you

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    Justice

    Appreciate this podcast. To your point about elites: I think the concern people who are critiquing the elites have is not the fact that there are elites, but that the elites do not understand or represent them—in fact have open disdain for them. For many who support him, Trump is an elite—but he's THEIR elite. Someone on their side. Same would go for Hawley, Cruz, etc.

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    Greg Hurley

    Jonah, running. I know but please read anyhow. I say this as a recovering runner, not an active runner. I had a trauma that's left me with 'bad knees'. So I say this with removed perspective. I think there's probably merit in understanding the runner's perspective.
    First, the animal brain has 3 primary functions: obtain resources, reproduce, navigate (or food, sex, moving). There's an invertebrate called a sea squirt. In its larval form it has a primitive brain and moves through the water. It finds a nice place to put down for go. First order of business, eat brain. It's no longer necessary. A huge amount of the brain is called into action when one is moving through the world. Think about it. Every step you take your brain needs to recalculate its circumstance in a 360 radius. The more familiar the place the less brain needed, of course. This is why a walk through the woods is so mentally stimulating. You don't get the nearly the benefit from driving. There is a very basic mental reward for 'choosing' the right foot placement. If you ever hike you know the feeling of picking your foot placement. Even the joy one gets from walking through a clean home. It just feels good to be able to walk through your own home without stepping over things, right? It's picking your path and your brain gives you a little jolt for doing it well.
    Finally, and, to me, most importantly, there's "the rush" (different from a "runner's high"). For me it's at 20-25 minutes. If you're paying attention you can actually feel the surge. Your circulatory system douses your brain with fresh blood. You begin thinking more clearly than at any other time and your outlook becomes more positive. I keep a notebook next to my treadmill because I invariably have a eureka moment. You are in a mentally elevated state. My personal theory, which I find to be sensible, is to think about it anthropomorphically. I suspect all higher order animals will have a similar experience but it would've stayed with us as we evolved into modern humans. If you've been running, spending a whole lot of extremely valuable calories, for, say 20 consecutive minutes, that likely means one of 2 things: 1. you're chasing something pretty hard or, 2. you're running FROM something. In either case, if its been 20 minutes and you find yourself STILL needing to run, something is about to go down. Either your strategy of chasing is paying off and you're about to engage with a large animal (you don't run after squirrels for 20 minutes)or you're not getting away from what's chasing you and turning and facing a dangerous predator in a life or death situation is becoming an increasingly real prospect. And, as with the adrenaline rush you get in an accident, your body sends adrenaline to your brain to give it the resources it needs to figure out a successful strategy. Whatever the physiological explanation is, the results persist all day long. You will think clearer. You will have a confidence that you can handle what's coming at you. You will have more discipline and you will sleep better. THAT is what runners are addicted to, not the actual running. Cheers my audio friend! I don't know what's been troubling you but I'll remember you in my prayers. Take a walk in the woods and stay off of Twitter. I can't say that will fix it but it will only do you good. I really do worry about you. I can tell you that when I feel like it's my duty to tell other people what's on my mind I feel terrible. Then I remember that I don't HAVE to say what I'm thinking to anyone and that alone makes me feel better. For what it's worth, I'm very glad that you DO share what's on your mind, but that's not my right. The thing that brings me the most peace is prayer; simply checking in with the Creator and sharing my thoughts with him. The best part about talking to God is that He's the BEST listener in the entire Universe! He doesn't say much. But, when he does say something to you, you can be very sure that it's worth listening to!

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      Greg Hurley

      I think it should be "anthropologically". :-)

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  6. Richard Fulmer

    Youngkin's election disproves the MAGA crowd's claim that the day of Reaganesque politicians is over. Their claim that "fighting" must replace sunny dispositions, future-oriented policies, and good humored sparring ring very hollow today.

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    Luke Sherman

    Still catching up on the podcast, but quick clarification about a comment during the Rittenhouse section. Antioch Illinois is about a 30-40 minute drive to Kenosha. The comment wasn't a big deal but since I am from that region I figured I would get that down on the record.

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    Ted Gale

    I’m not entirely happy with Jonah’s take on moderation. Obviously, building a bridge halfway across a river is silly . . . but that is not really what moderation and compromise are about. It’s more often more like this:

    Suppose there are a bunch of people who think the bridge is a good idea, even a majority. There is a plurality against it (e.g., the ferry operators’ lobby, and they have their advocates, but most people recognize they are trying to preserve their current monopoly). The real question is: How big will the bridge be and (related) how much will it cost? The compromise between no bridge (ferry operators win) and bridge (motorists win) is not half a bridge. In fact, that is not where the compromise will happen at all (because the ferry operators will win in either event). The compromise (if it happens) is between those who want a bridge at all costs and those who might be willing to support a bridge (preferably just two lanes, with tolls), but don’t want to pay for something with eight lanes designed by Frank Gehry. And they get together, and settle on a pleasing, but not extravagant, four lane bridge, and cobble together a coalition to secure enough support override the ferry operators’ guild. Absent that compromise, absent that moderation, perhaps there is not enough support for any one project, and the guild wins.

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    Dusty

    Jonah,

    I would love to hear you have a discussion with Rob Henderson about “luxury beliefs”. I first heard him explain it on Jordan Peterson’s podcast, and it looks like he was just on with Bari Weiss as well.

    As Weiss writes in her intro to his piece on her site, the idea of “luxury beliefs” is an idea that is hard to un-see. It also plays into your discussion about a small minority of elites holding views that are quite distant from the general populace.

    I’d be very curious to hear your reaction to the concept.

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      Ted Gale

      Each interview was very good . . . each very different from the other, as Peterson and Weiss focused on different things . . . both worth a listen . . .

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        Dusty

        Just listened to it off of your recommendation. Peterson didn’t get into his back story as much, which was really quite fascinating and sad. Definitely worth the listen. Thanks!

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    Ben Connelly

    As someone who spends good portions of Saturday (and most days that end in y) running, I can’t imagine listening to the Remnant while running. Jonah doesn’t talk fast enough to make that a performance boost (even if you were running a 12 min mile that’s true).

    Trump won against a big field of Republicans in 2016. Jonah, I don’t think your suggestion of having a lot of Republicans announce they’ll run anyway is a good one: he’ll split the field and win again.

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