If you follow politics at all, you've probably run across this viral exchange. It's all over Twitter today, and as usual, both sides are claiming victory. I don’t have a dog in the fight, per se, but it seems to me that Douglas acted like a buffoon—a cocky one at that.
I should confess, I’ve only watched the viral clips from this JRE episode. I’ve mostly tuned out Rogan’s output lately. The way he cozies up to power feels a little too simpy for my taste, but that’s another discussion for another day.
That said, it’s obvious Douglas went in with an agenda. I’m sure he’s noticed that Rogan has been hosting a lot of people who question the mainstream narrative—especially those who are critical of Israel. Say what you will about someone who dislikes a sovereign nation, but the American Constitution protects their right to speak their mind and question Israel’s actions.
For years now, comedian Dave Smith has been doing just that: questioning Bibi’s administration and its role in the Middle East. He’s never gone as far as to side with Hamas, of course, but he has been vocal about the pain and suffering of innocent Palestinians. Hardly a controversial stance in my opinion, but alas, here we are.
Douglas, however, seems to have a huge problem with this—particularly with Dave. Why would a non-expert even have an opinion? Why would a comedian, of all people, have anything to say about it? He pressed on with his attack and then acted shocked when he found out Dave had never traveled to the region.
"What??? You’ve never been?" Douglas exclaimed, his face twisting in shock—like a kid with a sweet tooth realizing the cake is gone.
Dave was quick to shut it down, pointing out that not having been to Nazi Germany doesn’t disqualify someone from discussing World War II. You’d think that would make Douglas back off, but he just doubled down.
It’s fine to have high standards for yourself as a journalist. I’d even applaud Murray’s rule: “I don’t write about places I’ve never visited.” But Dave isn’t a journalist, and more importantly, he’s not Douglas. Imposing your own standards on others as if they’re some universal gold standard is odd to me. But alas, here we are.
To me, this latest political wrestling match just reminds us of something we already know: Everyone has a narrative to push, and when it comes down to pushing hard, money talks the loudest.
MenO