‘Weak’: Peter Dutton’s surprise Joe Rogan moment

In a campaign-style speech, the opposition leader echoed comments made by US podcast Joe Rogan which you can buy as a poster online.

Peter Dutton’s call to arms that “weak leaders create hard times” appears to have been inspired by US broadcaster Joe Rogan’s famous podcast that says “soft men create hard times”.

The Liberal leader’s fresh vision for a change of government was rolled out in a major speech in Melbourne today designed to target Anthony Albanese as a weak leader.

But one of the killer lines in the speech appears to have been inspired by Rogan and a US author and the word-for-word quote even appears on Amazon as a poster you can buy online.

The Opposition Leader called the upcoming election “a sliding doors moment for our nation”, urging voters not to miss the opportunity to boot Labor from office.

“Weak leaders create hard times, but strong leaders create better times,” Mr Dutton said on Sunday.

It’s line echoed by Rogan, an American podcaster, UFC commentator, comedian, actor, and former television host.

Peter Dutton is making his pitch to voters. Picture: NewsWire / Valeriu Campan

The Joe Rogan experience

Mr Dutton does not attribute the famous quote anywhere in his speech to the podcaster or the author G Michael Hopf who wrote it first in his post-apocalyptic novel Those Who Remain. Some have suggested the original genesis could go back as far to the Greek historian Herodotus who wrote “in soft regions are born soft men,” around 400 years before the birth of Christ.

The Joe Rogan Experience is one of the most influential and popular podcasts in the world in which he discusses current events, comedy, politics, aliens and religion with celebrity guests.

“There’s an expression I’ve said on this podcast many times … hard times create hard men. Hard men create soft times,’’ Rogan said in a podcast listened to by millions.

“Soft times create soft men. Soft men create hard times.

“We are now around soft men in hard times.”

Joe Rogan has made similar comments before. Picture: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Rogan goes on to argue that masculinity has been demonised in modern Western countries.

“We’re in the time of toxic masculinity, right, where you could be toxically male. Then if you’re, if you’re suppressing masculinity, you’re, you’re going to bring on hard times.

“Masculinity doesn’t mean you’re mean it doesn’t mean you’re angry, it means strength. It means discipline.

Joe Rogan also posted about "soft men make hard times" with this meme back in September 2023.

“You need a military. And if you don’t think you mean you need a military, you need to go and pay attention to the rest of the world, because there’s militaries all over the world that are doing horrific things.

“But Jordan Peterson has a really interesting way of looking at this, and he said it to me once, and it made a lot of sense. He said, ‘People think that you should be weak and you should be docile and then you should be a pacifist. He goes, ‘No, you should be a monster.’

“He said, ‘You should be a monster. You should be ruthlessly ambitious and then learn how to control it.’

Jordan Peterson. Picture: James Whatling / Parsons Media

US entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is also a fan of the phrase. Picture: Jim Watson/AFP

“And it’s that old expression, it’s better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.

“If you’re weak, you’re f**ked.

Bestselling US author G. Michael Hopf also uses the line in one of his books. “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times,’’ he writes.

As recently as October, 2024, US politician Vivek Ramaswamy also deployed the line stating, “Hard times create strong men.”

Australians ‘last chance’

Warning the election could be the “last chance” to reverse the economic and social decline of Australia, Mr Dutton said in the speech that the nation may never recover if Anthony Albanese is re-elected.

“They’ve suffered under one of our country’s weakest ever prime ministers,’’ he said.

Peter Dutton accuses Labor of opening immigration floodgates

Mr Dutton said that rebalancing Australia’s migration program and fixing the housing crisis are also priorities for a Dutton Coalition Government.

“Labor has opened the migration floodgates,’’ he said.

“A record one million migrants have arrived in Labor’s first two years.

Peter Dutton held a campaign-style rally in the Labor-held seat of Chisholm. Picture: NewsWire / Valeriu Campan

“That’s 70 per cent more than in any previous two-year period.

“It’s put pressure on housing, infrastructure and services.

“With only 350,000 homes built over the same period, demand has far outstripped supply.

“We will impose a two-year ban on foreign investors and temporary residents purchasing existing Australian homes.

Mr Dutton said he would also work with major metropolitan universities to set stricter caps on foreign students to relieve stress on city rental markets. Super for houses

Super for houses

In the speech, Mr Dutton pledged a Liberal government could help create 500,000 homes.

“Entering the property market shouldn’t be limited to those who can rely on the bank of mum and dad,’’ he said.

“That’s why a Coalition government will allow Australians to access up to $50,000 of their super to buy their first home.

“And we will extend that policy to assist separated women.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is yet to call the election. Picture: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images

Originally published as ‘Weak’: Peter Dutton’s surprise Joe Rogan moment