The Neil Young / Joe Rogan Controversy

Yestersday (Jan. 29, 2022) I engaged a Facebook post about the Neil Young / Joe Rogan controversy on Spotify. Neil Young gave Spotify an ultimatum to remove Rogan’s podcast for platforming speakers advocating controversial medical views regarding our pandemic. Spotify didn’t, and Young removed his library in protest. I basically see the controversy as a dialectical dilemma between freedom of speech and responsibility. AND full disclosure, I like both of these guys! I have reposted my comments below.

Niel Young doesn’t own Spotify, but he does have influence. Using his influence to counter what he considers to be bad ideas on the platform is his freedom of choice. Not any different than you or I leaving Facebook in protest. We are free to leave any time we like.

Spotify can choose to keep or remove anyone they like. As owners of the platform, it is they’re right, and theirs alone. We can try to influence them, but what stays or goes is their call in the end. And whether we stay on the platform or go, is our call in the end. Everybody’s freedom is intact. Yours, mine, Joe’s, Neil’s, and Spotify’s.

It’s the same as if the “owner” of this Facebook post decided to remove any comments in the threads for what he deems as bad behavior. It’s his account, his post, and we abide by his rules. Likewise, this is facebook’s platform, and they can toss any of us if they’ve deemed he crossed the lines they set. Here we abide by their rules… regardless of any flaws in the algorithm. And even though we are all subjected to the Facebook algorithm, WE ARE NOT victims of it.

This is not a case of censorship because nobody is really an evil overlord here. Even if we get tossed from Facebook or Spotify, we are still free to go and speak freely elsewhere. As is Rogan, Young, Malone, Clapton, and all the so-called orthodox and heterodox voices.

My guess is that most on this thread probably agree that “cancel culture” is a very problematic shadow in our post-modern culture. But as destructive as that is, it is downstream of the principles first issue, which is the fundamental right to freedom of speech. And emotions confuse that all the time.

However, the fundamental right of a person’s FREEDOM of speech only works… and is completely dependent upon, people being RESPONSIBLE for their speech.

There is no freedom without responsibility.

As long as we live in a representative democracy (last time I checked, we still do), then framing the narrative as a freedom issue is completely worng, and it only serves to emotionally cloud the issue.

How we chose to use our fundamental freedoms IN A PANDEMIC is completely a responsibility issue.

So the issue of “what is the responsible thing to do in a pandemic” is exactly where Young and Rogan fall on different sides of the argument.

Personally, I feel that the responsible thing to do when confronted with what I consider to be bad ideas is to counter them with better ideas.

Neil Young leaving Spotify to protest them platforming medical disinformation in the middle of a pandemic isn’t a case of canceling anyone. Nor, is it the intellectually lazy idea that he canceled himself.

He is freely exercising his responsibility by staking his claim for what he considers to be better ideas. He planted his flag, just like you and I are planting ours in this thread. In this case, I stand with Niel Young.

And, If I can be emotional for just a moment, I say again, Rock ‘n Roll will never die!