Someone needs to start this petition, so I guess it's gonna be me. The recent barrage of attacks on Joe Rogan are a flagrant attack on freedom of speech and freedom of expansive thought. Idealistic artists pretending to be scientists and corporate-funded media are trying to convince Spotify that it will be too expensive to honor Joe Rogan's contract. The rational center (where an audience for Joe's show is most likely found) needs to speak up and tell Spotify that it will be far more expensive to censor him or anyone else for that matter. 

This petition isn't about vaccines, mandates, martial arts, hunting, or psychodelics or any of the other topics explored on the JRE. It's about censorship. Unfortunately, this brand of censorship on a thoughtful, open-minded, and extremely polite podcast host is perfectly legal to carry out because it is taking place in the arena of the free-market economy, and not by the government's hand. Basically, corporate media, heavily funded by corporate America, including the pharmaceutical industry, have conspired to distort and dilute the image of Mr. Rogan to resemble that of a cartoon super-villain by showing extremely short clips without context, cut from unedited, hours-long conversations where he and his guests explore a variety of subjects including some fringe, and even dangerous ideas. Trust me, exploring dangerous ideas is how humanity moves forward, and is absolutely essential to progress and the pursuit of truth.

Furthermore, the condescension of assuming that listeners to his show will automatically believe anything that is said without performing their own research or critical thought on the matter is maternalistically insulting. Conversely, taking away the access to new ideas and perspectives that we will never get from the corporate-funded media is detrimental to everybody. And for everybody calling for this suppression of free speech, think of what will happen when the controversial ideas and ideals that you hold dear are the ones in the crosshairs of the angry mob. Societal and political trends are fickle, so this will flip eventually; you can count on it. We need not set this precedent of shutting down speech that we disagree with. It is patently unamerican. 

Spotify's stock has gone down 30% in the last month because only one side is speaking up. Money talks. Let's show their advertisers and investors the true size of the quiet, thoughtful center. Sign this petition to encourage them to stand by Joe Rogan and all other podcasters who are in the business of free and polite discussion of ideas. Hang in there Spotify and Joe, and keep doing what you're doing. Your country needs it, and your country is behind you!