Ross Perot tried to warn us, and Joe Rogan thinks we should have listened. On a recent episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience" with comedian Ron White, Rogan revisited the 1992 presidential campaign and Perot's prescient warnings about what free trade deals would do to American manufacturing.
Perot, the billionaire businessman who ran as an independent candidate in 1992 and 1996, saw it coming from miles away. And according to Rogan, he was absolutely right.
The Giant Sucking Sound That Came True
"American manufacturing collapsed," Rogan said flatly. "And they did it all for money. And they did it all because they were greedy. They were already rich."
Rogan highlighted Perot's now-legendary "giant sucking sound" comment from the 1992 presidential debates. Perot was talking about jobs heading south to Mexico, where the economic incentives made offshoring irresistible for corporations looking to slash costs.
"You can move your factory south of the border," Perot warned back then. "Pay $1 an hour for labor. Have no health care, no environmental controls, no pollution controls, and no retirement. And you don't care about anything but making money. There will be a giant sucking sound going off."
Perot also mentioned that top trade advisers had told him the U.S. would face 12 to 15 years of economic disruption. By the time Mexican and American wages eventually met somewhere around $6 an hour, he said, the damage would already be irreversible.
After watching the clip, White was impressed. "Jesus Christ, what a f***ing smart man. He would have been a great president," he said.
How Perot Changed Presidential Debates Forever
Rogan believes Perot's strong debate performance forced the system to adapt. "They changed the whole way debates work after this... because Ross Perot tanked it," he explained. "They thought H.W. was going to go for a second term... and Ross Perot f***ed it up."
Perot's third-party run disrupted President George H.W. Bush's 1992 reelection campaign by drawing a significant share of votes. Bill Clinton ended up winning the presidency.
From there, the conversation shifted to how confusing today's economy has become. Rogan and White joked about the stock market's complexity and questioned whether anyone really understands the rationale behind international economic decisions anymore.
Comparing U.S. and Canadian Economics
The discussion took a turn toward Canada. White joked, "Have you ever met a Canadian that had $35 in his pocket? No. They're all broke. They have $22."
Rogan pointed out that while Canada has socialized medicine, it's still fundamentally a capitalist society. They looked up federal tax rates on the spot and were surprised to discover that the U.S. top income tax rate sits at 37%, just slightly above Canada's 33%. Rogan noted, however, that provincial taxes can push Canadian rates higher overall.
Still, Rogan's real complaint wasn't about tax rates themselves but about how the government uses the money. "You're being strong-armed into giving money to people that do a really shitty job of protecting your money and investing it in the country," he said.
Doubting There's Any Master Plan
The episode wrapped up with some skepticism about current economic leadership. Rogan joked about President Donald Trump: "Trump's playing golf, and in between swings, he's on the phone with presidents of countries. 'We're going to need more money!'"
White jumped in: "Is he playing checkers? Is he playing chess? He's playing golf!" Rogan agreed, mocking the notion that there's some sophisticated long-term strategy guiding today's economic policies. Both expressed serious doubt that current decisions are being driven by any coherent plan at all.
It's the kind of conversation that captures a broader frustration: decades after Perot's warnings, American manufacturing has indeed declined, jobs have moved overseas, and it's hard to shake the feeling that nobody in charge is thinking more than a few moves ahead.