Joe Rogan WRECKS Starmer — UK a ‘SOVIET DICTATORSHIP’? | UK News

LONDON – A political firestorm is raging across the Atlantic after podcast megastar Joe Rogan unleashed a blistering critique of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, comparing the United Kingdom to “Soviet Russia” and accusing the government of running a “thought police” state. The comments, delivered to Rogan’s estimated 11 million daily listeners, have sent shockwaves through social media and political circles, intensifying an already heated debate about free speech, government power, and Britain’s place in the Western world .

The controversy erupted during a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” when the UFC commentator turned his trademark bluntness toward British policing and the Online Safety Act. Citing figures from The Times, Rogan claimed that more than 12,000 people have been arrested in the UK over the past year for social media posts—an average of 33 arrests per day under Section 127 of the Communications Act and the Malicious Communications Act .

“More than 12,000 people have been arrested in the UK in the past year for social media posts,” Rogan told his audience, visibly disgusted. “And if you read some of those social media posts, they’re not even remotely terrifying” .

But it was his comparison to Soviet-era repression that truly ignited the controversy. “People talk about Soviet Russia, about how bad Russia is in terms of cracking down on thought police and cracking down on bad tweets,” Rogan said. “There’s something like 4,000 people in England have been arrested for thought crimes where they’ve said things online that people find to be a hateful thing or a problematic thing” .

“The fact that they are comfortable with finding people who’ve said something that they disagree with and putting them in a f—-ing cage in England in 2024 is really wild,” Rogan added, his voice dripping with incredulity .

The Musk Factor

The attack did not stop with Rogan. Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X (formerly Twitter) and a close ally of President Donald Trump, amplified Rogan’s comments to his more than 150 million followers, reposting the clip with the “100” emoji—a signal of full agreement . Musk has been locked in a bitter war of words with Starmer for months, recently branding the UK a “fascist” state and accusing the government of “arresting thousands of people for social media posts” .

The X owner’s grievances are deeply personal. Starmer’s government has threatened to ban X in the UK over concerns about the platform’s AI tool, Grok, which users allegedly deployed to create sexualized deepfake images . Ofcom, the British broadcasting regulator, has opened an investigation into X, and Starmer has warned: “If X cannot control Grok, we will” .

Musk’s response was characteristically incendiary. “Censorship is the hallmark of an actually fascist state,” he posted. “Real fascism is arresting thousands of people for social media posts. Why is the UK government so fascist?” .

Supporters Cheer, Critics Fume

Supporters of Rogan and Musk argue they are exposing uncomfortable truths about the direction of Starmer’s Britain. English comedian Andrew Doyle, who appeared on Rogan’s podcast to discuss the issue, explained that the crackdown on speech has been escalating for years. He pointed to the case of Darren Brady, a 51-year-old Army veteran arrested by Hampshire Police for sharing an image of four Pride flags arranged into a swastika—a post that police claimed was “causing anxiety” .

In a viral video of the arrest, Brady could be heard asking officers: “Why am I in cuffs?” One officer replied: “Someone has caused anxiety based on your social media post.” Brady was later released with no further action taken .

Doyle also highlighted Scotland’s Hate Crime and Public Order Act of 2024, which allows people to be prosecuted for what they say in their own homes. “I think it’s worse than just the arrest,” Doyle told Rogan. “I think it’s a rotten system that is being trained by activists in the college of policing that no government will deal with” .

Rogan’s response was succinct: “That’s the problem. You could find anything offensive. You could find anything grossly offensive if you’re extremely sensitive” .

The Political Fallout

Critics, however, warn that Rogan’s rhetoric is dangerously misleading and could inflame tensions further. Labour MP Dawn Butler condemned the podcaster’s comments as “blatant misinformation,” pointing out that the 4,000 arrests figure Rogan cited was based on debunked statistics . The claim originally surfaced from a viral tweet that conflated UK arrest data from 2017 with Russian data from the same year, failing to account for the vastly different legal contexts .

“This blatant misinformation is worrying, it’s incredibly irresponsible for individuals with such large followings to share false and ridiculous claims about our country,” Butler told The Independent. “It shows the danger of how easily fake news spreads across social media and I fear it will only embolden the far right, resulting in more hatred and abuse” .

Butler emphasized the distinction between free speech and hate speech. “We all value and want to protect free speech, but there is a clear difference between that and hate speech. Hate speech, including online, must always be taken seriously and prosecuted fully, as we cannot allow people to be targeted because of their race, religion or identity” .

The Transatlantic Dimension

The Rogan-Musk offensive has added a dangerous new dimension to UK-US relations. With Donald Trump back in the White House and Musk firmly ensconced in his inner circle, Starmer’s government now faces a hostile American administration emboldened to challenge British domestic policy .

Sarah B Rogers, the US Under-Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and a Trump ally, has warned that “nothing is off the table” when it comes to defending free speech from British “censorship” . Speaking to GB News, Rogers said the US has a “full range of tools” to counter authoritarian crackdowns, pointing to Starlink’s role in bypassing internet blackouts in Iran as a model for what could be deployed in Britain .

“If the government cared about women’s safety, it would have acted differently on grooming gangs,” Rogers added, highlighting what she called Labour’s hypocrisy in selectively targeting speech .

What Comes Next?

For Starmer, already reeling from devastating poll ratings, open rebellion within his own party, and international embarrassment over the Mandelson-Epstein scandal, the Rogan-Musk assault represents yet another front in a multi-dimensional crisis.

Downing Street has sought to downplay the controversy, with a spokesman insisting: “The PM was very clear in his meeting with the President that the UK has a proud history of freedom of speech and that will endure” .

But the damage may already be done. Rogan’s platform reaches millions of Americans—including voters and policymakers who will shape the future of the UK-US special relationship. His characterization of Britain as a “Soviet-style” dictatorship, amplified by Musk and now echoed by senior Trump administration officials, risks cementing a perception of the UK as a repressive state that could have lasting consequences for trade, security cooperation, and diplomatic relations.

As one commentator noted: “Starmer’s war on speech may win him plaudits from the progressive commentariat, but it’s costing him the one thing a British prime minister cannot afford to lose: American goodwill.”

Supporters claim Rogan is exposing uncomfortable truths about the erosion of liberties in modern Britain. Critics warn his inflammatory rhetoric could inflame tensions and deepen the transatlantic rift. Either way, the battle lines are drawn—and the war over Britain’s soul is only just beginning.