The Joe Rogan Experience #2370 – Dave Smith (August 26, 2025)

Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, comedian and political commentator Dave Smith returns to The Joe Rogan Experience for a wide-ranging discussion focused on the erosion of trust in mainstream institutions, US foreign and domestic policy, the concept of expertise in media, the state of global conflicts (Ukraine, Israel/Gaza, Iran), the generational shift in news consumption, and the future of America’s political and economic systems. The conversation is candid, sometimes irreverent, sharply critical of “the establishment,” and filled with both dark humor and passionate calls for optimism.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Expert Dilemma: Who Gets to Speak Out?

• [00:12–07:18]
  • Dave and Joe reflect on being criticized for discussing weighty topics without credentials as “experts,” especially on foreign policy and war. Dave points out the hypocrisy—many self-proclaimed experts are outside their depth too.
  • Quote [01:08] – Dave Smith:
    "Yes, I'm just a comedian. I'm not an expert. And still being not an expert, hand me your favorite war hawk and I will tear them to shreds. Cuz it's actually not that hard."
  • Joe highlights that everyone—even within their expertise—calls on others for specialized knowledge.
    • Quote [05:56] – Joe Rogan:
      "...there's areas of expertise, even in areas that I'm an expert in, that I have to call on other people. Like, this is a stupid argument. Like, what are the facts? Does that submission work? Is that genocide?"

2. Fear, Narrative, and Power

• [07:18–19:13]
  • Joe and Dave examine how public fear is used to manipulate and justify sweeping policy—be it the Iraq War or COVID-19.
  • Quote [11:05] – Dave Smith:
    "If you want to implement like a tyrannical policy, you almost always have to scare people. I mean that's the only way."
  • Personal stories: Dave’s experience in New York on 9/11; Joe's early skepticism and the post-9/11 atmosphere.

3. Deep State, Intelligence Agencies, and Hidden Influence

• [19:13–39:45]
  • Discussion traces the influence of neoconservatism in US foreign policy, and the seamless transitions of deep state actors through administrations.
  • Joe voices suspicions about intelligence agency involvement in popular culture and criminality (e.g., the crack epidemic, music, Watergate).
  • Quote [32:11] – Joe Rogan:
    "The whole thing was set up by the government. That's what's really crazy is intelligence agencies set up Watergate. They operated it."
  • Dave rails against the enduring power of intelligence agencies and the limits they place even on presidents.

4. Economic Policy & The Cost of Empire

• [41:21–53:09]
  • Dave gives a detailed walk-through of the consequences of taking the US off the gold standard, ballooning spending, and how monetary manipulation ties into endless war.
  • Quote [48:34] – Dave Smith:
    "This is the actual cost of the thing. And I feel like it's almost nobody outside of like the Ron Paul libertarians, the Austrian economics guys, almost nobody else ever makes this connection that it's like this is the deal. You can't be a world empire without having a central bank that can print money for you..."

5. America’s Perpetual Wars & Escaping Their Logic

• [53:09–67:53]
  • Revisiting the early Ukraine-Russia peace proposal, and the West’s sabotage thereof, Dave argues the continuing carnage could have been avoided.
  • Explains NATO’s Article 5 and the true blockers of peace.
  • Critiques the simplistic good guy/bad guy framing:
    Quote [60:32] – Joe Rogan:
    "People always want to pretend that there's one side that's good and one side that's bad... But there's so many factors..."

6. The CIA & U.S. “Democracy”

• [67:53–79:55]
  • Heated talk about the CIA: should it exist at all? Dave clarifies its transition from intelligence gathering to a “paramilitary organization that starts wars and overthrows democratically elected governments.”
  • Famous “seven ways till Sunday” Chuck Schumer quote, the real levers of power, and Rachel Maddow’s passivity when confronted with these uncomfortable truths.

7. Russiagate, Media, and The ‘Deep State’

• [79:55–88:58]
  • New revelations from Tulsi Gabbard about the Obama administration’s role in originating the “Russia interfered” intelligence consensus post-2016 election.
  • Discussion of the attempted removal of Trump (25th Amendment maneuver, Mueller probe).
  • Media critique:
    Quote [85:13] – Joe Rogan:
    "Matt Taibbi wrote a great book, Hate Inc. And he basically said, Rachel Maddow is The Left's Bill O'Reilly."
  • Dave defends the right of outsiders (“just a comedian”) to challenge failed establishment narratives.

8. Systemic Corruption & Concentrated Power

• [92:37–96:15]
  • Debate on "taking money out of politics" vs. "taking politics out of money"; massive government centralization makes corruption inevitable.

9. Generational Change & Media Consumption

• [107:41–112:42]
  • Younger Americans are abandoning traditional news sources in droves for podcasts, YouTube, social, fundamentally altering the “information control” landscape.
  • Quote [109:09] – Dave Smith:
    "And then go and See. Cause I have looked at polling data on this, where you go look at who's supporting Israel. It's those cable news watchers. Yeah, it's the 70 and over crowd is who they still got."

10. Israel/Palestine – The Unraveling of Support

• [112:42–135:22]
  • Israel/Gaza war: Dave sees an irreparable split between the US political establishment (pro-Israel) and the American populace, especially youth (anti-war, anti-genocide).
  • High-profile coverage of Israeli officials evading US justice, inability of pro-Israel narratives to shroud unfiltered video evidence from Gaza, and the old “anti-Semitism” charge losing bludgeoning power.
  • The “debate” about whether what’s happening in Gaza qualifies as genocide.

11. How Does This End?

• [135:22–146:43]
  • Joe: “How does this end?” Dave: Probably with Israeli annexation and forced displacement, and not with justice for Gazans.
  • Noted the vast physical destruction in Gaza and lack of a credible off-ramp.

12. US Foreign Policy – Change or Entrenchment?

• [146:43–174:21]
  • Trump’s inclination for de-escalation, his attempts (and barriers) to peace talks both before and during his presidency, and the challenges of actually ending the “military-industrial complex’s” incentives for intervention.
  • Joe lists Trump’s diplomatic efforts (e.g., India-Pakistan, Armenia-Azerbaijan) but notes several were incomplete.

13. The Long View: Optimism, Technology, & The Power of Comedy

• [174:21–end]
  • Dave, referencing Ron Paul, insists optimism is mandatory (“I am...optimistic ‘cause I know that’s the correct [answer]”) and that the collapse of propaganda monopoly is a pivotal opportunity.
  • Joe reflects on human flourishing: despite everything, this is, materially and technologically, the best time to be alive.
  • The episode closes with a reminder that making the problems visible to more people is the first step to solving them.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On intellectual honesty & humility:
  "As a comedian, you're just a comedian...yes, I'm just a comedian. I'm not an expert. And still being not an expert, hand me your favorite war hawk and I will tear them to shreds." – Dave Smith [01:08]

• On Presidential power and the intelligence community:
  "Chuck Schumer goes...they have seven ways till Sunday to get back at you." – Dave Smith [68:33]

• On the Iraq/Ukraine war connection:
  "You can't be a world empire without having a central bank that can print money for you because otherwise it just doesn't work." – Dave Smith [48:34]

• On generational shifts:
  "Now the young people are totally outside of that ecosystem and they're just hearing from different people and they're like, no, I'm not buying it." – Dave Smith [111:38]

• On the definition and debate over genocide:
  "There's no good definition for genocide...but the thing is that whether you consider what Israel's doing a genocide or you just take the moderate position of former Israeli prime ministers who say it's war crimes, I think the bigger point is just, like, it is so horrifically evil and no one should support this." – Dave Smith [131:18]

• On optimism vs. pessimism:
  "Ron Paul asks me, 'So Dave, are you more optimistic or pessimistic?' I always say optimistic...and I am, I am." – Dave Smith [156:55]

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |---|---| | 00:12 – 07:18 | “Who gets to talk? – The comedian as commentator” | | 07:18 – 19:13 | Fear as a tool: From 9/11 to COVID | | 19:13 – 39:45 | Deep State & Intelligence Agency reach | | 41:21 – 53:09 | Economics of Empire: Off the gold standard, wars, and inflation | | 53:09 – 67:53 | Ukraine War – missed opportunities and media narratives | | 67:53 – 79:55 | The CIA, democracy, and real power | | 79:55 – 88:58 | Russiagate, the media, and deep state machinations | | 92:37 – 96:15 | Systemic corruption: Power and money | | 107:41 – 112:42 | Media landscape by generation | | 112:42 – 135:22 | Israel/Palestine & the future of US support | | 135:22 – 146:43 | How could Gaza/Israel possibly end? | | 146:43 – 174:21 | Trump, realpolitik, and the (im)possibility of peace | | 174:21 – End | Why Dave Smith chooses optimism |

Episode Character & Tone

The conversation is free-flowing, firm in its skepticism, and often darkly humorous. Both Joe and Dave use personal anecdotes and off-kilter analogies to illustrate major issues, never shying away from controversy while arguing for the importance of decentralized knowledge and civic engagement.

Closing

For listeners—especially younger audiences—the episode serves both as a primer and a rallying cry to question dominant narratives, remain skeptical of centralized power, and stay optimistic about the ability for change amid eras of turmoil.

Dave Smith’s Podcasts:

• [Part of the Problem (politics)]
• [Legion of Skanks (comedy)]

Show Note:
All Mothership (stand-up) shows sold out; catch Dave next year.