America Is Haunted by the Ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi | Ruminant

Jonah Goldberg opens The Remnant Podcast with a mix of personal anecdotes, linguistic curiosities, and behind-the-scenes updates about his new office at AEI—complete with a window and a swarm of earnest young staffers. Amid the banter about Pippa the spaniel’s limp and his wife’s late rise, he pivots to a deep dive into the etymology of 'slush fund,' tracing it to 18th-century Royal Navy grease collection practices. He then expands on how war and military life have shaped everyday language—from 'over-the-top' to 'scuttlebutt'—arguing that the history of words is a richer form of historical storytelling than traditional narratives. The episode also serves as a promotional engine for The Dispatch’s membership model, with multiple calls to action, promo codes, and technical guidance for accessing the members-only feed. Despite the self-deprecating humor and meandering tone, the core idea—that language is a battlefield of meaning—lurks beneath the surface, suggesting a deeper commentary on how cultural memory is preserved through semantics.