Matt Taibbi

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the best gold, really tremendous

Οὖτις, Tuesday, 9 May 2017 23:20 (seven years ago) link

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/taibbi-the-democrats-need-a-new-message-w484569

Setting aside the amazing dishonesty on display throughout - not mentioning early voting in Montana that lessened the impact of Gianforte's assault; claiming the Dems have 'lost ground' since elections, when in fact they've done remarkably well in every special election everywhere - what kind of politics are the Taibbi's of the world even promoting? Surely it's not class based, since no class based politics thinks you should go through convincing opposing classes. So it's not socialism. But it's surely not centrism either...

It's 99 percentism gone mental, isn't it? People buying their own hype and actually thinking a buzzword would be a working basis for political coalitioning. Worthless.

Frederik B, Monday, 29 May 2017 12:15 (seven years ago) link

Surely it's not class based, since no class based politics thinks you should go through convincing opposing classes.

Lol what?!

Don't know the exact circumstances of Montana but the general thrust of the piece is to have a programme and give people something to vote and not just say "don't vote for the bad guy".

Its not socialism, or centrism. Its called politics.

xyzzzz__, Monday, 29 May 2017 13:16 (seven years ago) link

But the piece calls for 'better messaging', not any program at all.

Frederik B, Monday, 29 May 2017 13:31 (seven years ago) link

And there are different types of 'politics', just calling for 'politics' is so weird.

Frederik B, Monday, 29 May 2017 13:31 (seven years ago) link

Irs asking the Democrats to do something like actually convince people to vote for you, i.e. politics. That would imply a program.

xyzzzz__, Monday, 29 May 2017 13:36 (seven years ago) link

Again, 'convince people to vote for you', completely substanceless statement.

Frederik B, Monday, 29 May 2017 13:46 (seven years ago) link

It's like the Jacobin article 'Politicking Without Politics', where they shout out 'liberal elites' for being stupid assholes without politics, and then when they have to give an example of what politics actually is, it's holding up a sign saying 'Refugees Welcome Here'.

No, really, take a look: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2017/03/trump-pelosi-clinton-resistance-movement-russia-maddow/

Frederik B, Monday, 29 May 2017 13:48 (seven years ago) link

God, just someone, sometimes, call for an armed revolution... Anything other than this vapid, performative, pointless, posturing.

I mean, compare it to BLM and Campaign Zero, combining street activism with a well thought out program of suggested policies, calling for something that should be a no brainer, but the application of which would still have an extraordinary effect in so many places. Compared to that, Taibbi-leftism is a fraud.

Frederik B, Monday, 29 May 2017 13:51 (seven years ago) link

Again, 'convince people to vote for you', completely substanceless statement.

― Frederik B, Monday, 29 May 2017 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Its called democracy, look it up sometime! xxp

xyzzzz__, Monday, 29 May 2017 13:55 (seven years ago) link

Dude...

Frederik B, Monday, 29 May 2017 13:57 (seven years ago) link

If your argument is that your opponents don't understand democracy, then perhaps you don't really have anything to offer?

Frederik B, Monday, 29 May 2017 13:58 (seven years ago) link

Do you?

xyzzzz__, Monday, 29 May 2017 14:02 (seven years ago) link

Does your mom?

Frederik B, Monday, 29 May 2017 14:04 (seven years ago) link

No seriously, on some level we agree, xyzzz, we've both seen the great result that came with Labour putting out a good manifesto and the Tories putting out an awful one. Yeah, a good, robust Dem party manifesto that everyone believed in would do wonders. So why can Taibbi only 'imply' that? And why doesn't he suggest the policies that should be in there?

Frederik B, Monday, 29 May 2017 14:05 (seven years ago) link

I'd wager it's because they don't really exist in the US... And the reason for that is not something the Taibbi's want to discuss.

Frederik B, Monday, 29 May 2017 14:07 (seven years ago) link

So why can Taibbi only 'imply' that? And why doesn't he suggest the policies that should be in there?

Bcz that's another piece.

xyzzzz__, Monday, 29 May 2017 14:11 (seven years ago) link

The party has a platform but since "everyone knows" they only really mean 25% of the stuff in it and it was just cobbled together by DNC sellouts as a sop to Bernie supporters, or something, it's worthless to appropriately savvy cynics like Taibbi.

El Tomboto, Monday, 29 May 2017 14:15 (seven years ago) link

So a platform isn't the answer?

Frederik B, Monday, 29 May 2017 14:20 (seven years ago) link

There are no answers for the left in America. How many times does Morbius have to explain it to you

El Tomboto, Monday, 29 May 2017 14:21 (seven years ago) link

fascinating discussion!

k3vin k., Monday, 29 May 2017 14:42 (seven years ago) link

but what Taibbi think of Lil Yachty

the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 29 May 2017 14:48 (seven years ago) link

Never mind Lemieux's rant, scroll down in the comments a bit and somebody starts comparing Taibbi to Canibus

http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2017/05/trump-woman-serious-email-server-problem-dems-still-couldnt-beat

El Tomboto, Monday, 29 May 2017 14:57 (seven years ago) link

appropriately savvy cynics

we have no facts and we're voting no (Hunt3r), Monday, 29 May 2017 15:11 (seven years ago) link

"everyone knows" they only really mean 25% of the stuff in it

bcz everybody knew what their **** of a candidate was all about

plz do not feed the Establishment fanboys

Supercreditor (Dr Morbius), Monday, 29 May 2017 16:16 (seven years ago) link

"everybody" in this case being either a) 63 million voters or b) Morbz and the mouse in his pocket

Old Lynch's Sex Paragraph (Phil D.), Monday, 29 May 2017 16:51 (seven years ago) link

what pct of those 63m do you think were 'nose holders'

fergit it

Supercreditor (Dr Morbius), Monday, 29 May 2017 16:54 (seven years ago) link

Guys, don't feed the mouse.

Frederik B, Monday, 29 May 2017 17:17 (seven years ago) link

k3vin k. otm

El Tomboto, Monday, 29 May 2017 18:38 (seven years ago) link

don't forget, the journalists are cynics, not the pathologically lying careerist pols

Supercreditor (Dr Morbius), Monday, 29 May 2017 19:05 (seven years ago) link

Won't somebody criticize these politicians? If only anyone was around to speak up about the damn politicians

El Tomboto, Monday, 29 May 2017 19:44 (seven years ago) link

two weeks pass...

The status quo line on Corbyn followed a path identical to the propaganda here at home about liberal politics. Whenever Washington pundits in either party talk about the progressive "base," you can count on two themes appearing in the coverage.

One is that "progressive" voters make decisions based upon their hearts and not their heads, with passions rather than intellect. The second is that such voters consistently choose incorrectly when forced to choose between ideals and winning.

The New York Times perfectly summed up this take a few days after the Corbyn result, describing the reaction of the American left: "Democrats in Split-Screen. The Base Wants it All, The Party Wants to Win."

This has long been the establishment line both here and in Britain....

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/taibbi-goodbye-and-good-riddance-to-centrism-w487628

Supercreditor (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 13 June 2017 17:47 (seven years ago) link

Macron is appraently building a centrist paradise in France so not yet.

xyzzzz__, Tuesday, 13 June 2017 17:50 (seven years ago) link

three weeks pass...

I brought this up a few years ago on here and was shouted down.

Treeship, Thursday, 6 July 2017 17:51 (six years ago) link

reddit seems to think that Taibbi is a "left journo". it's much easier to figure out what he's against than what he's for, but he seems ideologically closer to the libertarians to me.

A is for (Aimless), Thursday, 6 July 2017 17:57 (six years ago) link

seems kinda like donnie two-scoops, taking over the family business

reggie (qualmsley), Thursday, 6 July 2017 17:59 (six years ago) link

I brought this up a few years ago on here and was shouted down.

― Treeship, Thursday, July 6, 2017 1:51 PM (sixteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Seems like cases like this (allegations where something happened years ago) need a catalyst to take off and become too big to ignore (i.e. Hannibal & Cosby). Otherwise it's too convenient to brush off. Taibbi is one of Rolling Stone's only marquee writers.

flappy bird, Thursday, 6 July 2017 18:13 (six years ago) link

Taibbi seems to be a terrible person. he probably shouldn't have a career, which I feel weird saying since I have enjoyed many of his columns

a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Thursday, 6 July 2017 18:14 (six years ago) link

bill murray is overdue for a public callout

global tetrahedron, Thursday, 6 July 2017 18:18 (six years ago) link

I guess it's not that weird, I just wish the most prominent lefty journalist in America weren't at best a creep

a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Thursday, 6 July 2017 18:19 (six years ago) link

i think it's safe to declare that since Greenwald is in Brazil

a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Thursday, 6 July 2017 18:21 (six years ago) link

It is weird. Those "anecdotes" are beyond horrifying.

Treeship, Thursday, 6 July 2017 18:25 (six years ago) link

wtf

i knew he was a complete asshole but i didn't know THAT. has taibbi (or ames for that matter) ever offered any sort of explanation/defense for any of that?

Karl Malone, Thursday, 6 July 2017 18:37 (six years ago) link

Nope. Taibbi once threw some coffee at a Vanity Fair reporter when it looked like he might have been about to broach these questions.

Treeship, Thursday, 6 July 2017 18:44 (six years ago) link

He threw the coffee when the reporter said the book wasn't very good.

President Keyes, Thursday, 6 July 2017 18:48 (six years ago) link

has taibbi (or ames for that matter) ever offered any sort of explanation/defense for any of that?

― Karl Malone, Thursday, July 6, 2017 6:37 PM (twelve minutes ago)

ames claimed that it was "satire" iirc

(The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Thursday, 6 July 2017 18:54 (six years ago) link

Always liked his writing but he's a major asshole, I know how badly he treated people he worked with at certain places.

flappy bird, Thursday, 6 July 2017 18:56 (six years ago) link


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