I think part of why this was more an eye-opening experience for Russell than for me.

Well, first of all, he was there, but I kind of predicted as going in.

And part of why I predicted this going in, I'm not trying to pat myself on the back, it's just to make a point.

I actually went through when I was a younger man, like a new atheist phase.

I actually went through a period of my life where I thought Sam Harris was this smart edgy thinker.

And then, you know, COVID comes up.

What if COVID killed children?

I'm like, was especially dangerous for children.

I'm like, all right, well, okay, this guy's just a moron. He's just a fake. And you

give Richard Dawkins, same thing. You see the way they respond after you've sort of

gone through this phase where you're curious about them.

And I'm like, all right, I get this.

And I kind of got that about this group too.

It's very similar.

That's why they had Dawkins there.

Sam Harris would have fit in perfectly there.

They all love Ion Hersiali.

They all worship I on Hersiali.

All the new atheists did.

And so I was kind of aware of this.

And I also don't think they ever had much power they never had that much cloud if they did

Ron de Santos would have won the GOP primary they were never as relevant as their online

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