Joe Rogan said nothing drives him more crazy than people who are calling for censorship on social media, arguing that when people insist on removing thoughts they disagreed with that’s “not discourse, that’s propaganda.”
During “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast Tuesday, the host spoke with playwright and filmmaker David Mamet, and the two talked about what can be done to stop censorship on sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The two also discussed how people calling for censoring of things they disagree with are pushing toward an “authoritarian dictatorship.” It starts at the 44:24 minute mark of the show here.
The host and Mamet talked about how people celebrated “certain people” getting removed from Twitter — like Alex Jones and Milo Yiannopoulos. Rogan said that even back then he had warned people where this kind of thing would lead.
“Do you understand that once they start censoring for what they believe is something that’s objectionable … it’s going to keep going further and further,” Rogan shared. “And they are going to keep moving the goal post.”
“Then eventually it’s going to come to you,” he added. “And you’re not going to be Left enough. And you might be a really left-wing Democrat like Bill Maher. Like they’re coming for Bill Maher all the time now.”
Mamet added or like Sarah Silverman who thought “wait, wait, wait it’s my own party.”
“It doesn’t matter, you are on the censorship train,” the host shared. “And there’s only so many stops before it gets to your f***ing house.”
“But as soon as you start saying ‘I want to only hear thoughts that I agree with,'” he added. “Well, that’s not discourse, that’s propaganda. You want only your side to be represented, which is crazy, and that’s what’s happening on social media.”
Later in the show, the podcast host and his guest came back around to the conversation about how some want to rework “the First Amendment” and Rogan warned “the goal posts keep moving until you’re living in an authoritarian dictatorship.” That comment comes at the 1:29:14 minute mark.
“Where anything that you say if it doesn’t go with the party line you have grave consequences,” Rogan added.
Mamet and Rogan continued talking about censorship, and the host asked what could be done to stop censorship on social media sites — other than someone like Elon Musk becoming Twitter’s largest shareholder. That comes at the 1:43:09 minute mark.
“The worst thing we can do is just start deciding what can and can’t be discussed when people disagree about that,” Rogan said. “If you say ‘nope I’m in control. This is my private company and I’m not going to allow you to discuss certain political ideologies or social ideas. You can’t f***ing do that.”
Mamet followed that by saying that if the people didn’t have free speech, they didn’t “have anything in this country.”