Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The work of Rod Dreher has a consistent theme: doom. He believes the collapse of Christianity has ushered civilizational decline in Europe, that we’ve traded our humanity for comfort, and he worries that totalitarianism is around the corner for the United States. “I’m worried about Weimar America,” he tells me. “It may not be Hitler 2.0, it may not be Stalin 2.0. It might be something all American, but it’s not going to be what we’re used to.” It’s best not to dismiss him; he’s been right before. We discuss how we got here and the dangers that still lie ahead when we grant godlike powers to our technology.
00:00 - Intro
1:41 - The decline of Christianity & Western civilization
5:40 - Modern aesthetics and a loss of meaning
7:57 - TOTALITARIANISM and WOKENESS
12:26 - Free speech crackdowns in Western Europe
15:50 - Violence and anti-immigration riots in Europe
17:40 - Immigration in Europe
23:55 - The lessons of VIKTOR ORBÁN'S HUNGARY
34:50 - TRUMP and ORBÁN
39:20 - WEIMAR AMERICA: the rise of far right extremism and Nick Fuentes
43:10 - The crisis of young men
46:45 - Dreher's personal journey: Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, divorce, leaving America
55:12 - Dark re-enchantment and A.I. as a "VECTOR FOR THE DEMONIC"
Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com.
Read the full transcript here: nytimes.com/2026/07/09/opinion/preparing-for-weimar-america.html
Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
The work of Rod Dreher has a consistent theme: doom. He believes the collapse of Christianity has ushered civilizational decline in Europe, that we’ve traded our humanity for comfort, and he worries that totalitarianism is around the corner for the United States. “I’m worried about Weimar America,” he tells me. “It may not be Hitler 2.0, it may not be Stalin 2.0. It might be something all American, but it’s not going to be what we’re used to.” It’s best not to dismiss him; he’s been right before. We discuss how we got here and the dangers that still lie ahead when we grant godlike powers to our technology.
00:00 - Intro
1:41 - The decline of Christianity & Western civilization
5:40 - Modern aesthetics and a loss of meaning
7:57 - TOTALITARIANISM and WOKENESS
12:26 - Free speech crackdowns in Western Europe
15:50 - Violence and anti-immigration riots in Europe
17:40 - Immigration in Europe
23:55 - The lessons of VIKTOR ORBÁN'S HUNGARY
34:50 - TRUMP and ORBÁN
39:20 - WEIMAR AMERICA: the rise of far right extremism and Nick Fuentes
43:10 - The crisis of young men
46:45 - Dreher's personal journey: Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, divorce, leaving America
55:12 - Dark re-enchantment and A.I. as a "VECTOR FOR THE DEMONIC"
Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com.
Read the full transcript here: nytimes.com/2026/07/09/opinion/preparing-for-weimar-america.html
Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
