Joe Rogan is certainly a different character from Mike Rowe.
But they have an audience because they both have some common sense and a way of expressing themselves that cuts through a lot of the bull that a lot of others tend to spin. They’re saying what they honestly believe, and their audiences can tell that.
Mike Rowe lit up the internet with a great post on Facebook about why he wasn’t going to be encouraging Americans to get vaccinated, despite believing in the worth of vaccines and getting vaccinated himself. He pointed out that people had legitimate concerns about the government’s shifting positions on the virus, and that if they really wanted to convince people, they shouldn’t be demonizing the unvaccinated.
“They’re always certain, usually wrong, incapable of shame, and utterly void of humility. Is it any wonder millions find them unpersuasive?”
That earned him a lot of ire from some on the left and the folks over at the Bulwark — who wouldn’t know common sense if it came up and smacked them in the head.
Now, Joe Rogan is taking on vaccine passports as a threat to freedom.
Warning for graphic language.
During an episode of his podcast, Rogan spoke about how they are trying to make people do what they want — effectively forcing people to get the vaccine to participate in society.
“Don Lemon was talking about that openly on CNN. Don’t have a vaccine? Can’t go the supermarket. Don’t have a vaccine? Can’t go to work.”
Rogan explained how unique the American experiment was, how up until 1776, many countries were run by dictators.
“This was the first experiment in self-government that actually worked and it created the greatest superpower the world has ever known, the greatest cultural machine, the greatest machine of art, creativity and innovation, right f–king here. And how did it do that? It did it through freedom. Because when you give people freedom, let people do whatever the f–k they want to do. They actually find ways to succeed and grow and thrive.”
He continued:
“But as soon as you put the boots to them, as soon as you tell them, ‘You have to do this, or you can’t do that. You have to listen to me,’ now you have a mini dictator. You have one step away from a king. One step closer. You’re moving one step closer to dictatorship.”
“That’s what the f— is happening,” Rogan declared. “That’s what’s gonna happen with a vaccine passport. That’s what gonna happen if they close borders. You can’t enter NYC unless you have your papers. You can’t go to here, unless you have that. You can’t get on a plane unless you do what I say. And people say it’s all about protecting people…no, it’s not.”
Rogan said the problem with applauding vaccine passports is that it gives politicians power that they will not give up.
“As soon as you give politicians power, any kind of power that didn’t exist previously, historically, they don’t relinquish that power. They find new ways to do it,” he said.
New York City has already announced that they will be requiring proof of vaccination to be able to enter public indoor businesses like restaurants, gyms, and theaters, starting August 16. So, we’re on that march in a variety of different, Democratic-controlled areas — unless we call it out.
