A Requiem for America This Week

Summary

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Podcast Summary:

Free Thinking Through the Fourth Turning with Sasha Stone
Episode: A Requiem for America This Week
Date: February 11, 2026

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Episode Overview

This reflective episode serves as both a tribute and a postmortem for the podcast "America This Week," hosted by Matt Taibbi and Walter Kern. Sasha Stone weaves together personal essay, literary references, and substantial excerpts from the show's hosts to mourn the show's abrupt end and consider its significance as a critical, outsider voice on American politics, media, and culture. The discussion frames the podcast’s value through a lens of intellectual honesty, creative independence, and resistance to cultural conformity.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Literary Heart of "America This Week"

• Centrality of Books
  Sasha underscores how ATW often began with literary references—notably this episode's focus on Brave New World and Animal Farm. This set the tone as a show rooted in substantive, literary inquiry, inviting a deeper look at politics and culture.

  • Quote:
    “The novel for the week was Brave New World. Matt Taibbi and Walter Kern were preparing to lead us through was more disturbing and more timely than 1984.”
    —Sasha Stone (00:00)

• Animal Farm as Allegory
  Walter and Matt riff on Animal Farm, musing on the nature of revolution, betrayal, and the cyclical nature of power—drawing explicit parallels to contemporary America.

  • Quote:
    “America is now… a Zapruder film, basically. Is all America is Now. And we are going to rewind it endlessly, over and over.”
    —Matt Taibbi (02:26)
  • Quote:
    “It's a choose your own Adventures of Bruder film... you can branch off into various interpretations... a tiny miniature branch of the Zapruder universe.”
    —Walter Kern (02:46)
  • Quote:
    “[Old Major] says, is it not crystal clear then, comrades, that all the evils of this life of ours spring from the tyranny of human beings?... Once we realize that there is an oppressor that, that we can be rid of, then we can finally be free and graduate into a higher form of existence. And it's kind of convincing at the beginning of the story, isn't it?”
    —Matt Taibbi (04:49–05:54)

On the Culture of Exclusion and Conformity

• From Inclusion to Exclusion
  Sasha laments the contemporary shift from inclusivity to a culture that demands rigid adherence and silence from outsiders, likening it to the dystopian dynamics in classic literature and drawing on Milan Kundera's metaphor of the “gulag on the side of Eden.”

  • Quote:
    “Culture has dramatically changed. It has become exclusive rather than inclusive. Despite how they would describe themselves… you have to be a true believer if you want in.”
    —Sasha Stone (03:13)
  • Quote (Kundera):
    “Totalitarianism is not only hell, but all the dream of paradise… So the rulers of paradise must build a little gulag on the side of Eden.”
    —Quoted by Sasha Stone (09:06)

The Breakup: The End of "America This Week"

• Abrupt Conclusion Announced
  Matt Taibbi addresses the audience solo, announcing Walter Kern’s departure and the end of the show's original format. He cites a desire to move away from the “takes” culture plaguing modern journalism.

  • Quote:
    “Apparently this is the last episode of this show, as I've just discovered, because my longtime partner does not want to take part in the new iteration of the site… This is the end of takes. I hate takes so much. I'm willing to spend a million dollars never to give one again.”
    —Matt Taibbi (10:09–11:50)

  • Quote:
    “Walter is a… unique partner for podcasting and as a co host because he and I had the same sense of humor. We like, enjoyed the same things, we liked the same books for the most part. And all that's going to be said to not do anymore, but life goes on and this is the beginning of something, not the end of something.”
    —Matt Taibbi (12:57–13:56)

  • Walter Responds Publicly
    Sasha shares Walter Kern’s clarifying message on X, expressing his high regard for Matt and sorrow over the confusion.

    • Quote:
      “I didn't intend to end America this week... I've had the time of my life doing the show and hold my friend Matt Taibbi in the highest esteem as one of the greatest journalists of our era.”
      —Walter Kern, via X (14:47)

The Role of Audience, Authenticity, and the Heterodox Space

• Audience Capture and Risks
  Sasha explores the concept of ‘audience capture,’ warning of its dangers for creators—referencing Candace Owens as an example. She frames both Matt and Walter as people fundamentally incapable of dishonesty for the sake of audience approval. She connects her personal journey as a “former Democrat and Leftist” to this mode of outsider authenticity.

  • Quote:
    “If you want to keep the clicks and views coming, you must give your audience what they want. If you decide you can't anymore, you risk what I did—losing everything... If I felt that way, I would still take the leap and jump rather than lie to them. Some of us just can't do the other thing, and I suspect both Walter and Matt are like that too.”
    —Sasha Stone (16:48)

• Uniqueness of "America This Week"
  Sasha extols the podcast as a unique voice for outsiders—especially those alienated by both mainstream and “heterodox” media—crediting its blend of literary insight, empathy for the ‘forgotten,’ and resistance to tribalism.

  • Quote:
    “America this week was the cure. It was reality. It was original thought. Walter has a deep empathy for the forgotten men and women in this country whom the establishment discarded and then demonized… What made theirs different is that they're novelists. They're absurdist thinkers who see the times we're living through as material…”
    —Sasha Stone (17:58–19:15)

• On Loss and Farewell
  The episode closes on a personal note, with Sasha mourning the loss of her “touchstone” and echoing Douglas Adams: “so long and thanks for all the fish.”

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Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• “America is now… a Zapruder film, basically. Is all America is Now. And we are going to rewind it endlessly, over and over.”
  —Matt Taibbi (02:26)

• “[Old Major] says… is it not crystal clear then, comrades, that all the evils of this life of ours spring from the tyranny of human beings?”
  —Matt Taibbi (05:11)

• “I hate takes so much. I'm willing to spend a million dollars never to give one again. So this is the end of takes.”
  —Matt Taibbi (11:45)

• “I didn't intend to end America this week… hold my friend Matt Taibbi in the highest esteem as one of the greatest journalists of our era.”
  —Walter Kern, via X (14:47)

• “We also don't get acceptance from the podcasts that call themselves heterodox, but to test people who voted for Trump and thus keep themselves within arm's reach of paradise.”
  —Sasha Stone (19:40)

• “All I can say to both of them is a line they will know: ‘so long and thanks for all the fish.’”
  —Sasha Stone (22:30)

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Structure & Flow of Episode

• 00:00–02:26: Literary discussion, podcast banter, American mythology, and satire about conspiracy theories.
• 02:26–08:00: “Animal Farm” as allegory; reflections on ideology, power, and psychology of the masses.
• 08:00–10:09: Sasha reflects on the value of book-centric, outsider analysis, and the cost of cancel culture.
• 10:09–13:56: Matt Taibbi’s on-air announcement of the show's end, Walter’s absence, and reasons for the shift.
• 14:47–16:48: Sasha reads fan reactions, Walter’s social media statement, and unpacks the dynamics behind the breakup.
• 16:48–22:30: Extended reflection on audience capture, the special role of the podcast, the pain of losing it, and personal gratitude.
• 22:30–End: Emotional coda, closing acknowledgements, and musical tribute.

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Tone and Style

The episode is rich in literary references, mournful yet incisive, and features a blend of satirical banter, reflective memoir, and media criticism. The original, candid tone of Sasha, Matt, and Walter is preserved throughout.

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Conclusion

This episode stands as both a eulogy for a singular podcasting partnership and a meditation on intellectual autonomy in a time of increasing conformity. For listeners and outsiders alike, it reaffirms the value found in dissent, friendship, and original thought.

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Transcript

[Sacha Stone]

This is free thinking through the fourth turning. My name is Sacha Stone. A requiem for America this week. Say it ain't so. The novel for the week was Brave New World. Matt Taibbi and Walter Kern were preparing to lead us through was more disturbing and more timely than 1984. Another novel in the outsider Book club that many of us have become a part of over the last few years with two of the greatest teachers alive.

[Matt Taibbi]

Welcome to America this week. I'm Matt Taibi.

[Walter Kern]

And I'm Walter Curran.

[Matt Taibbi]

Walter, I'm in an undisclosed location outside the United States, so everybody's got to be patient with me today.

[Walter Kern]

Are you safe? That's what's. Are you safe in this undisclosed location?

[Matt Taibbi]

I believe I am.

[Walter Kern]

Are you. Are you in a place with full diplomatic relations with the United States?

[Matt Taibbi]

I am in such a place, actually. A place that's actually very good on those issues and has already confirmed all of my cliche beliefs about this country in a very short period of time. They're all positive.

[Sacha Stone]

So good.

[Walter Kern]

Well, I hope it's Hungary then. Places my ancestors. But I won't press you. I'm in a place that has poor diplomatic relations with the United States. Washington, D.C. across from the White House. I can look out the window to my left and see the construction cranes flying American flags that will someday complete a beautiful ballroom on the side of the White House.

[Matt Taibbi]

Yeah, excellent. Which will be torn down by a subsequent president.

[Unknown / Narrator or Music]

Right.

[Walter Kern]

Many conspiracy theorists believe this ballroom is, of course, a ruse to conceal a giant world eating AI computer that will be buried beneath Washington D.C. and control our affairs for the next millennium.

[Matt Taibbi]

Wait, does people actually believe that?

[Walter Kern]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt Taibbi]

Really?

[Walter Kern]

They're like, yeah, ballroom, right?

[Matt Taibbi]

Yeah.

[Walter Kern]

The ballroom is the dance floor on top of the giant data center that was going to, you know, control nuclear exchanges and, you know, earthquake machines and other futuristic weaponry.

[Matt Taibbi]

Oh, my God, this country is awesome. As you say. Like, I don't think this line is getting enough play. America is now is a. It's a Zapruder film, basically.

[Walter Kern]

Yes.

[Matt Taibbi]

Is all America is Now. And we are going to rewind it endlessly, over and over.

[Walter Kern]

It's a choose your own Adventures of Bruder film. Yeah.

[Matt Taibbi]

Even better.

[Walter Kern]

It's not just one. In the old days, there was just one. In this one, you can branch off into various interpretations based on, you know, you know, the driver, zoomp. And then you go off into a tiny miniature branch of the Zapruder universe.

[Sacha Stone]

How lucky we were. I always thought every time they dug into a new book, culture has dramatically changed. It has become exclusive rather than inclusive. Despite how they would describe themselves, Matt and Walter on America this week filled a deep, dark and dry well for thirsty people in need of the kind of observations of human behavior, fearlessness and wit we used to get from great writers of the past. You can partake of the culture now, but you have to be a true believer if you want in. You have to love Big Brother or at least have learned how to keep silent enough so that no one ever notices. Matt and Walter, two dissidents from the decaying dystopia our culture has become. We're never going to play that game. They gave us so much just by taking us back to a time when writing was brilliant and thinking was essential.

[Walter Kern]

The funny thing about Orwell is that these are all farm animals. None of them went to Hotchkiss. In other words, none of them are actually, you know, infiltrators from the upper classes and not really animals. That's, that's the mind bending part of this, of this current predicament. In this one, they're all actual farm animals with a legitimate grief ins, which is that they, they're sent off to slaughter. They're fed just enough so that they can.

[Matt Taibbi]

Work to death. Yeah, work to death.

[Walter Kern]

I mean, you sympathize with them. And the farmers are drunk.

[Matt Taibbi]

Absolutely. And, and look, there's probably a reference here to the real world progression of the Russian Revolution, right? Lenin, Lenin's will, his testament, you know, the dying revolutionary leader, you know, reportedly told. Right, you know, right. So there's, there's a hint of that in this, which, which is that Major's dream is going to become the sacred text of the movement. Much in the way that, you know, the, the sort of post Lenin history of the Soviet Union was much, was a lot about reading the doctrine of Lenin's words or making this or that mean support for, you know, future programming. But what you said, what you said about the essential point, I think was summed up in, in this part of Major speech which is where he says, is it not crystal clear then, comrades, that all the evils of this life of ours spring from the tyranny of human beings? Right? So the. He gives us very eloquent, very, very enraging passionate speech about the mistreatment of farm animals at, at the hands of, of the, you know, Jones the farmer, and builds up to this point where he says, you know, he's even set us animals against one another. We have to realize our common interests and once we do, we, we will be Free. Once we realize that there is an oppressor that, that we can be rid of, then we can finally be free and graduate into a higher form of existence. And it's kind of convincing at the beginning of the story, isn't it?

[Walter Kern]

Well, you see, we're looking at it now with knowledge of what it's about and, you know, adult educations and so on. But as a kid, when I read it and not knowing what was coming, I remember thinking, this is going to be a book about success. It didn't seem like a doomed experiment. You know, even now it's hard to get in the mindset of the excited animals when you know how Animal Farm really ends or what it really connotes and what it means. And this time, reading it with that sort of retrospective wisdom or knowledge at least, I feared for the animals almost instantly because I know what a crushing job Orwell's going to do of dashing their hopes and exposing them. And I almost didn't want to see the whip come down. You know what I mean? I almost. I almost wish the book was longer and dwelt longer in the idyllic early part.

[Matt Taibbi]

Yeah, no, there. Unfortunately, there's no respite in this book. It's. Yeah, it starts off in conflict, misery, and it's only going to get worse.

[Sacha Stone]

I start with the books because that is really what made America this week something unique and valuable. Not just to people like me who found it so pleasurable just to listen to them talk about books, but to the broader culture, so in need of not just education, but enlightenment. Two great writers, two great readers, two great thinkers. How did we ever have it so good? Both Walter and Matt had already been canceled by lesser beings who had no idea what kind of genius they'd given up. Or maybe they did know. Maybe they burned with jealousy that these two hadn't sold themselves out for conformity or acceptance. Maybe they burned with jealousy because they were now trapped and silenced. Or maybe they just envied their talent. Either way, their loss was our gain. We outsiders who helped build a little gulag on the other side of Eden. To quote Milan Kundera in the Book of Laughter and Forgetting, totalitarianism is not only hell, but all the dream of paradise. The age old dream of a world where everybody would live in harmony, united by a single common will and faith, without secrets from one another. Andre Breton too, dreamed of this paradise when he talked about the glass house in which he longed to live. If totalitarianism did not exploit these archetypes which are deep inside us all and rooted deep in all religions, it could never attract so many people, especially during the early phases of its existence. Once the dream of paradise starts to turn into reality, however, here and there, people begin to crop up who stand in its way. So the rulers of paradise must build a little gulag on the side of Eden. In the course of time, this gulag grows ever bigger and more perfect, while the adjoining paradise gets even smaller and poorer. End quote. Our little gulag was disrupted on Monday when Matt Taibbi appeared alone. And it must be said, in the spirit of truth, a little shaken.

[Matt Taibbi]

Welcome to America this week. I'm Matt Taibbi, and apparently this is the last episode of this show, as I've just discovered, because my longtime partner does not want to take part in the new iteration of the site.

[Walter Kern]

So.

[Matt Taibbi]

I'm gonna have to write an explanation. Not so much about the back and forth, but just to clarify the. The coming schedule. There's not. We were going to have no more live broadcast on Monday and just have a taped show that would come out on Friday, but that is not going to. To take place anymore. You know, this. This isn't the kind of thing where I'm stepping away to take more time off. I just think that this is a better way to. To structure things. And it. It's a re. It's a response to what I think has been a long developing negative phenomenon in media, which is this transformation of. Or the reduction of journalism from a. The process of telling stories that are all individual and have their own character, each one has its own character, to a constantly evolving take on things. I am done with takes. As I put it in the piece today, I hate takes so much. I'm willing to spend a million dollars never to give one again. So this is the end of takes. We'll find something to. To, I guess, recreate some kind of visual presence on the site. I'm sorry to that Walter feels the way he does. He's a great friend of mine. I've really enjoyed talking to him. I've really enjoyed talking to him with all of you. But, you know, people feel how they feel, and that's not something that has to be respected. But anyway, as sound of this, as this is on a personal level, I think this is a good day for the site. It's a good day for racket. And, you know, all I can say is keep checking in here. We'll. We'll find something to. To recreate and reconnect with audiences in the way that America this week did it's, it's sad in the sense that I think we all had a lot of fun here. Walter is a, was a unique partner for podcasting and as a co host because he and I had the same sense of humor. We like, enjoyed the same things, we liked the same books for the most part. And all that's going to be said to to not do anymore, but life goes on and this is the beginning of something, not the end of something.

[Unknown / Narrator or Music]

And.

[Matt Taibbi]

You know, we're one thing ends, there's opportunity for more. So sorry folks about the show today, but we'll hope hopefully we'll be able to announce something in the near future that can take the show's place. And farewell Walter and hasta la vista. Sorry to feel the way you do. Thanks everybody for hanging out and you know, stay tuned to Racket and watch for announcements both from me and from the our new editor in chief and I'll talk to you soon. All right, thanks everybody. Take care.

[Sacha Stone]

He made his way through the video to explain why Racket was now changing and why Walter suddenly vanished. If there is one thing I know about Walter and Matt, despite their own protestations to the contrary, they are gentlemen. Neither would ever throw the other under the bus. Here is how Walter explained it on X. I didn't intend to end America this week. Suffice it to say I'm sorry if that is the impression left by a confusing situation. I've had the time of my life doing the show and hold my friend Matt Taibbi in the highest esteem as one of the greatest journalists of our era. Truth. End quote. And of course, fans of the show were heartbroken. A tweet from Rich Stanbaugh. I know what this means. I know that America this week isn't interesting without you, Walter. Matt's the news guy. You're the why guy. News is free on the Internet. ATW is worth paying for because of the unique formula of U2 and angry from Rhonda Rhodes. Matt, I just don't want to subscribe anymore without ATW or Walter. It's the high point of my week. I think you saw what Barry Weiss did and you want that. I get it. You're fixing something that wasn't broken. And Matt responds, I love how everyone sees me spending a ton of money and somehow turns that into greed on my part. I'm not trying to imitate the free press and ending America this week was not my choice. Apart from that high marks still here we are bereft in the middle of brave new world. I waited before writing anything. I thought maybe this would fix itself. The Beatles will get back together, or the parents who were headed for divorce will reconcile. I thought maybe it's like that scene in Spinal Tap after the dramatic breakup with Nigel Tufnell, where they perform their freeform jazz exploration. We hope you like our new direction, but that Nigel would be back before the movie was over. I'll tell you what we're gonna have to do.

[Walter Kern]

Well, Jazz Odyssey, we're not about to.

[Sacha Stone]

Do a freeform jazz exploration front of a festival crowd. You are witnesses at the new birth of Spinal Tap. Mark2 Hope you enjoy our new direction, But I was also no, it's not easy being cast as a leader of a large audience that starts to feel like a movement. Maybe Matt felt confined or frustrated and he stuck it out longer than he wanted to for his readers sake, until he finally had to do what he thought was right. Become a news site again. They call it audience capture. And in a way, that's right. Candace Owens is probably one of the best examples of how not being honest with your readers can take you down a dark road. And if you want to keep the clicks and views coming, you must give your audience what they want. If you decide you can't anymore, you risk what I did losing everything. If I suddenly decided that I love the Democrats again and I hated Trump and maga, that would mean breaking an agreement with many of my readers and subscribers here, and that's especially tricky if they're paying subscribers. But if I felt that way, I would still take the leap and jump rather than lie to them. Some of us just can't do the other thing, and I suspect both Walter and Matt are like that too. But I also know life is change. People change. We evolve. I could feel Matt's growing pains for a while now, because his audience was built not just on his own reputation, but on ours. The abandoned outsiders, many of them maga, looking for deeper understanding or validation from the unrelenting bias to legacy media. No, we're not crazy. Because look, Matt Taibbi is writing something that makes it make sense and suddenly we can feel our feet on the ground. I felt so validated when Matt took up my story and wrote about how Hollywood discarded me for a joke on X and then decided I should be kicked out of Utopia. It mattered that it was Matt Taibbi. They couldn't ignore it because even though they'd canceled him in a way they'd still pay attention to what he wrote. And for whatever reason, it made a huge difference for me, they never leave him alone. In fact, they all feel so personally betrayed by him, he routinely beats back critics and trolls on the left and right on X, feeling betrayed for one reason or another, trying to make him take a definitive side. Some in the comments of his last video for America this Week said they were glad he was back and things were getting weird with Walter. Those people make me sick. No offense, but you have to be dumb as a rock not to get the greatness of Walter Kern. That alone explains why our culture collapsed. Too many stupid people are writing books and making movies. America this week was the cure. It was reality. It was original thought. Walter has a deep empathy for the forgotten men and women in this country whom the establishment discarded and then demonized. Not just on America this Week, but throughout all of his work, he sees humanity in the macro view. He also isn't afraid to wonder, ask questions, and let his mind take him where it wants to go. I can't imagine choosing to do without that. And for what? Ms. Now the New Yorker. No, thanks. Without America this week, our world just got a little smaller and a little darker. I used to say to myself, just hold on a little longer. It's almost Thursday, and that's when they record their podcast, and it drops on Friday and then it's only the weekend and they're back on Monday. They weren't the only great podcast out there. There are plenty of others. What made theirs different is that they're novelists. They're absurdist thinkers who see the times we're living through as material, and thus they're always just outside of it, not getting emotionally invested in any of it, but trying to see how everything fits together and what it means. This is what we don't get anywhere else. We also don't get acceptance from the podcasts that call themselves heterodox, but to test people who voted for Trump and thus keep themselves within arm's reach of paradise. I will continue to follow Matt and Walter wherever they land. Matt will still be writing at Racket, and he says he'll be doing even more of it. Walter will be on X and on his own substack, and he is writing books and screenplays. I'm sure both will be doing interviews and, who knows, maybe podcasts. But America this week, at least as of right now, is done. I will miss them. I hate saying goodbye. We all have things we hold on to, our touchstones, and America this week was mine. All I can say to both of them is a line they will know so long and thanks for all the fish. You can find their wonderful podcasts over at Racket and the Archive, but also on YouTube. Their live shows are on the Live tab. Thank you for listening to my podcast, sashastone.com. and if you like my work, you can always become a paid subscriber or leave a tip on the Tip jar, which is on the main page. Or you can always write a review. That always helps. And remember to thine own self be true.

[Unknown / Narrator or Music]

Didn't know what time it was the lights were low oh oh I leaned back on my radio oh oh Some cat was laying down some rock and roll let us only say.

[Sacha Stone]

Then the.

[Unknown / Narrator or Music]

Loud sound that seemed to f came back like a slow voice on a wave of F F that were no dj that was hazy cosmic time. Here's a star man waiting in the sky he'd like to come and play meets us but he thinks he'd blow our minds There's a star man waiting in the sky he tells us not to blow it Cuz he knows it's all worth while he's home it let the children lose it Let the children use it Let all the children do get. I had to phone someone so I picked on you oh oh hey, that's far out. So you heard him too Switch on the TV we may pick him up on channel two look out your window I can see his light if we can sparkle he may land tonight I I don't tell your papa or he'll get us locked up and tight. There's a st man waiting in the sky he'd like to come and meet us but he thinks he blow our minds There's a star man waiting in the sk he's told us not to blow it Cause he knows it's not worth what he told it Let the children move dead Let the children use it Let all the children booger Some man waiting in the sky he'd like to come and meet us but he thinks he'd blow our minds There's a man waiting in the sky his toes is not to blow it Cause he knows it's all worthwhile he told me Let the children lose it Let the children use it Let all the children look it's Ram. La.