We are living through an era of accelerating contradiction—where power is both centralized and fractured, where AI promises both liberation and control, and where the very concept of America’s future is up for debate. Conversations like the one between Marc Andreessen and Lex Fridman are not just intellectual exercises; they are artifacts of an emerging landscape where every assumption about governance, technology, and meaning is being tested. To engage with these conversations, we must develop the ability to zoom out—to go meta—and see the patterns shaping our world. But just as importantly, we must stay grounded, resisting the pull of abstraction that leaves us detached from lived reality. How do we do both? By cultivating a practice of orientation: recognizing where we stand, what forces are at play, and how our choices—both individual and collective—contribute to the futures unfolding before us. This pilot event is an opportunity to practice this skill together.

Power, AI, & The Future of America

To kick things off with the Originals community, our pilot Watch Party differs from our future episodes of original content. Instead of interviews where Bonnitta surfaces insights from guests, we will pull selected clips from Lex Fridman's recent podcast interview with Marc Andreessen: Trump, Power, Tech, AI, Immigration & Future of America. We'll examine key moments from the video podcast to explore several themes: Marc's perspective on elites and their societal responsibilities, his notably authentic demeanor in this interview compared to previous ones, his personal evolution from mathematics enthusiast to well-rounded thinker, his recent turn toward religious inquiry, and how to go meta and stay grounded on intense conversations like this one and many others that are in the zeitgeist.

Antonio Gramsci, the Italian Marxist philosopher, linguist, and political prisoner, wrote in the early 20th century:

He observed that in moments of deep transition—when the structures of the old world are no longer viable, but the new has yet to take form—what emerges in the gap is often incoherent, unstable, and dangerous. In this in-between space, monsters appear—not just in the form of individuals or regimes, but as crises, ideologies, and forces that distort, disrupt, and resist transformation. It is a time when old powers tighten their grip, new possibilities struggle to be born, and the very fabric of meaning seems up for grabs.

These moments have always called forth leaders, those willing to navigate ambiguity and shape what comes next. What feels different today is not the experience of collapse itself but the sheer number of people now conscious of it—aware that the world is shifting beneath our feet and aware that they, too, hold responsibility in guiding what emerges.

Unlike past generations, where leadership was often centralized in elites or institutions, today's transformation is distributed. More people are stepping into roles of influence, whether through technology, community organizing, or intellectual discourse. More people are interested in the responsibility of rebirth. The question is not whether a new world is coming—it is—but who will have the clarity, wisdom, and skill to shape it?

That is why Originals exists: to bring together those who are willing to stand at the edge of the unknown, to articulate not just critiques but pathways forward, and to develop the capacities to lead amidst uncertainty. This Watch Party is just the beginning of that practice—a space where we gather not just to react to the chaos, but to study its patterns, learn from each other, and prepare for what comes next.

~ Corey Cleland