Consider the following social experiment
There is a hall with 100 people seated within, among them,
only 5 individuals are given megaphones.
Next, you seat an audience at a distance such that the only sound audible from the hall are those emanating from the megaphones.
The group then engages in a discussion about Citizen X whose recent
utterances have caused him to be embroiled in a controversy.
The 5 individuals in the hall with megaphones want X banned from
public life forever.
The remaining 95 in the hall have varied opinions. Some want X
to apologize and continue, some want him to continue without apologizing, some
think X should refrain from ‘controversial topics’, and some haven't heard of X.
The people with the megaphone interrupt and heckle anybody who
supports X.
After the discussion is finished, you poll the audience about
their conclusions from the discussion. A vast majority will tell you that
everyone in the hall wants X canceled.
This is an allegory for the recent attacks on Joe Rogan.
The detractors are a minority whose voices are amplified by
the media and various vested interests.
Rogan has been a target for quite some time for deviating from groupthink.
Back in 2019, Rogan had caused controversy by stating the
obvious about Biden’s rapidly
declining cognitive abilities. Last October, Rogan has exposed CNN for misrepresenting
alternative COVID treatment.
Rogan is a liberal, who supports Bernie Sanders and Michelle
Obama.
But the micro-mob wants total surrender.
They think the recent controversies will enable them to force Rogan
out forever labeling him a racist and anti-vaxxer whacko and damaging him to an
extent that no other platform will accept him.
The goal is also to make an example
out of Rogan and to deter other aspiring rebels.
How did Rogan and Spotify react?
Rogan has apologized twice. Spotify removed 113 previous podcasts featuring Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes,
Michael Malice, Alex Jones, Milo Yiannopoulos, etc.
But apologies and capitulation only embolden the mob.
In the coming days expect the mob to find misogynic, homophobic,
xenophobic, transphobic content. Rogan has done
1,770 podcasts, most of which are 2-3 hours it isn't too difficult to extract clips and create montages that strip all context.
The micro-mob will compel a mass exodus of artists from
Spotify and Spotify will be left with no choice but to sack Rogan
The lesson for all here is simple.
You cannot appease an unruly irrational mob by groveling before.
The merciless micro-mob will not relent until they destroy their target, they can never be won over by kindness or begging for mercy.
The only way to prevail is to take them on frontally, ridicule them and
continue to do exactly what you want.
The question remains, what is the future for contrarian voices
such as Rogan?
They probably have to function independently and operate
primarily on money coming from subscriptions. They will need an IT infrastructure
not tied to big tech.
If the micro-mob comes knocking they cannot apply their usual tactics of targeting sponsors and compelling big tech to force them off their servers?
If there are many such voices, they can form a consortium that will guarantee free speech.
Beyond Rogan, this should hopefully convince the small section
in the GOP who are skeptical about President Trump getting the nomination in
2024 owing to his ‘tone’ and ‘temperament’. They wonder if a better-behaved nominee would be
less prone to attacks from the mob.
Rogan controversy proves that this isn’t about tone or
delivery, the micro-mob just wants to silence any differing perspective.
When establishment darlings such as John McCain or Mitt Romney
ran for President, they were called racists and bigots too. The difference is
they swallowed all the insults with an awkward smile.
Trump is a rarity in the GOP because he never allows the mob
to get away with anything. He almost relished confronting his opponents and
relentlessly mocking them. It helps that he does it will great humor. It is this rare fighting spirit he brings to the GOP
that makes him so popular.
A ‘mild-mannered’ candidate will probably grovel like Rogan
and even surrender his agenda.
Back to Rogan, can he redeem himself?
Firstly, he needs to stop apologizing.
Secondly, he needs to compel Spotify to bring back the deleted episodes or quit.
Thirdly he returns to the air with Alex Jones, has a myriad contrarian figure in between, and ends the week with President Trump.
Also appears on American Thinker and Real Clear Politics
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