Rod Dreher on Preparing for 'Weimar America' | Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

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. 1:41 - The decline of Christianity & Western civilization 5:40 - Modern aesthetics and a loss of meaning 7:57 - Is wokeness a form of soft totalitarianism? 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 - The parallels between 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 - Combatting dark re-enchantment and A.I. as a "vector for the demonic" Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. Read the full transcript here: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/op... 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.