the thing that drives me nuts about the "russia interfered in the election" or "Trump has russia ties" or "Trump is in debt to russians" is the conflation of all russian interest
I mean, my image of it is that there's an oligarchy of billionaires who benefited from the post-Soviet kleptocracy in Russia who do hold some political power.
It's completely possible state-sponsored actors interfered in the US election (they were working for someone). It's true that Trump has a lot of loans and investment from Russian banks and billionaires. It's true that his son and advisers met with several Russians who were marketed (by a weird agent for celebs) as having Russian government ties and possible dirt that could be used in the campaign.
But there's no grand unified Russian theory here.
― mh, Friday, 21 July 2017 19:58 (seven years ago) link
nothing to see here, either
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/07/paul-manafort-reportedly-owed-millions-to-russian-oligarch-before-joining-trump-campaign
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 21 July 2017 20:30 (seven years ago) link
that Taibbi Yeltsin bit is some lazy tu quoque shit. yep, pretty much the same thing as happened in the 2016 election.
― by the light of the burning Citroën, Friday, 21 July 2017 20:50 (seven years ago) link
I'm starting to wonder if I should cultivate some russian investor friends to buy some property! Sounds lucrative.
― mh, Friday, 21 July 2017 21:06 (seven years ago) link
TARFU Report is a bit insufferable, although the addition of David Rees (sadly, a guest, not a new host) made it a million times better. That guy is the best.
― DJI, Thursday, 10 August 2017 20:33 (seven years ago) link
more sufferable than mssg boards
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 10 August 2017 20:55 (seven years ago) link
Yeah, as a podcast it's a bit of a tough slough
― President Keyes, Friday, 11 August 2017 13:40 (seven years ago) link
I enjoyed them having David Rees on there
― Bio-Digital Jezza (kingfish), Friday, 11 August 2017 14:20 (seven years ago) link
Yeah Rees was great especially during the Brooks segment.
― The Man Who Saw The Midwife (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Monday, 21 August 2017 10:25 (seven years ago) link
TARFU pod now on WFMU radio. Live beginning in 3 weeks, w/ phone calls.
http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/TV
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 14 September 2017 22:39 (seven years ago) link
a little surprised alex didn't know about GGL eating rat haunches tbqh
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Friday, 15 September 2017 16:14 (seven years ago) link
His latest: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/taibbi-madness-of-donald-trump-removal-25th-amendment-w504149
All of the remove-Trump options seem pretty far-fetched. I guess if Mueller uncovers something truly explosive, maybe impeachment could be possible. 25th amendment stuff seems like a total pipe dream.
― DJI, Wednesday, 20 September 2017 00:42 (seven years ago) link
bad diet could do the trick
then we get Mike & Mother
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 20 September 2017 01:05 (seven years ago) link
who we rootin' for here
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/taibbi-steve-bannon-splits-from-trump-hilarity-ensues-w504732
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 21 September 2017 20:50 (seven years ago) link
coronary heart disease
― -_- (jim in vancouver), Thursday, 21 September 2017 20:52 (seven years ago) link
Does kim jong un have a missile that can reach Alabama?
― A is for (Aimless), Thursday, 21 September 2017 21:01 (seven years ago) link
As delicious as it was to watch the mainstream Republican Party crushed under the weight of its own internal contradictions during the 2016 campaign season, a new horror show could be even better
http://i64.tinypic.com/nl4kyr.jpg
― sleepingbag, Thursday, 21 September 2017 21:01 (seven years ago) link
there it is
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Thursday, 21 September 2017 22:35 (seven years ago) link
oh fuck that a thousand times to hell and back
― flappy bird, Friday, 22 September 2017 04:35 (seven years ago) link
what a GOTCHA
god knows the politILXors get no schadenfreude/entertainment from GOP vaudeville
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Friday, 22 September 2017 10:53 (seven years ago) link
you didn't finish, sleepingbag
Of course, the price of this chaotic spectacle is high. Roy Moore is an awful human being, and it will be a bummer to see him decorating a Senate office with a stone relief of the Ten Commandments. Moreover, the likely endgame here is Trump running back into Bannon's arms behind the scenes, resulting in even worse White House behavior.
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Friday, 22 September 2017 11:02 (seven years ago) link
Tarfu Report this week had the ideal setup: David Rees in studio, Taibbi phoning in (which makes his tendency to vocal-frying "ahhhhh"s less irritating).
― The Fortnightly Intruder (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Sunday, 24 September 2017 01:01 (seven years ago) link
I'm wondering if they record this in Sam Seder's studio. At one point in the last episode the Majority Report producer Matt Leck starts talking out of nowhere.
― President Keyes, Monday, 25 September 2017 13:20 (seven years ago) link
also David Brooks use of "moral joy"
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Monday, 25 September 2017 14:48 (seven years ago) link
the Hitler/Tony Robbins quote game last week was incredible
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 3 October 2017 00:47 (seven years ago) link
Yeah that was amazing and a bit unsettling.
― The Fortnightly Intruder (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Wednesday, 4 October 2017 06:51 (seven years ago) link
OK the Mao poetry segment this week was pretty good too.
― The Fortnightly Intruder (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Monday, 9 October 2017 00:02 (six years ago) link
http://pareene.kinja.com/on-the-tarfu-report-1820029536
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 1 November 2017 15:34 (six years ago) link
Taibbi on FB:
"I have decided to discontinue the TARFU report. I like and respect Alex Pareene too much, and too genuinely wish him every success in life, to ask him to continue answering questions about his association with me. This I do despite my continued insistence that I have never made advances or sexually suggestive comments to any employee in any office, here or in Russia, nor have I ever been accused of anything remotely like that, anywhere, by anyone. I apologize sincerely to listeners of the show and to its behind-the-scenes contributors."
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 1 November 2017 15:35 (six years ago) link
$1 a month richer now. phew
― reggie (qualmsley), Wednesday, 1 November 2017 15:46 (six years ago) link
let me just thank the "evidence? who needs it" folx for making my life a little less entertaining
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 1 November 2017 15:56 (six years ago) link
you need a DNA test or something
― flappy bird, Wednesday, 1 November 2017 16:15 (six years ago) link
who could have foreseen that writing an allegedly nonfiction account of disgusting savagery would come back to bite you years later
― proton, neutron, electron and crouton (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 1 November 2017 16:38 (six years ago) link
yeah, it didn't used to when ppl had less time on their hands
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 1 November 2017 16:39 (six years ago) link
tell it to the marquis de sade
― proton, neutron, electron and crouton (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 1 November 2017 16:41 (six years ago) link
He's posted a long piece on Facebook that's worth a read.
― grawlix (unperson), Wednesday, 1 November 2017 21:57 (six years ago) link
the marquis de sade’s on facebook?
― proton, neutron, electron and crouton (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 1 November 2017 21:59 (six years ago) link
over/under on whether RS cans him by the end of business on friday?
― flappy bird, Wednesday, 1 November 2017 22:04 (six years ago) link
I don't think so
― Simon H., Wednesday, 1 November 2017 22:09 (six years ago) link
actually I shouldn't say that, aren't they changing ownership soon or something? you never know how such things will shake out
― Simon H., Wednesday, 1 November 2017 22:10 (six years ago) link
they joked on the podcast about the new owners casting him off
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 1 November 2017 22:13 (six years ago) link
That facebook essay is good, and rings accurate to my experience of Taibbi as an occasional reader.
― shackling the masses with plastic-wrapped snack picks (sic), Wednesday, 1 November 2017 22:20 (six years ago) link
yep, pretty sure he's grown up in the way he's conveyed there.
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 1 November 2017 22:22 (six years ago) link
I have always believed that living forever with the dumb and failed things that you publish is how a writer apologizes. Ongoing embarrassment and loss of audience is the price of offensive work. You get readers back by growing and being better, not by apologizing. This merciless meritocratic system is a major incentive for literary restraint in most cases, especially in the Internet age.So now, for instance, if people go back and look at the offensive things that I wrote 18 or 20 years ago, and decide never to read my columns in Rolling Stone or buy I Can’t Breathe, that is completely just. It’s how this business works.
Seven years ago he threw a coffee mug at a writer for criticizing eXile...
― Frederik B, Wednesday, 1 November 2017 22:37 (six years ago) link
― proton, neutron, electron and crouton (bizarro gazzara)
120 Clicks of Sodom
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 1 November 2017 22:38 (six years ago) link
Frederik what's it like to be you? Hurt much?
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 2 November 2017 01:59 (six years ago) link
So what? Do you live in some kind of bubble where people never get angry?
It must be dizzying being that sanctimonious.
― lion in winter, Thursday, 2 November 2017 02:29 (six years ago) link
jfc don't throw mugs dipshits
― qualx, Thursday, 2 November 2017 02:33 (six years ago) link
Do you live in some kind of bubble where people never get angry?
It’s called Denmark.
*Rimshot* *canned laughter* *applause*
― Treeship, Thursday, 2 November 2017 02:34 (six years ago) link
please don't make me be on fred's side by acting like throwing mugs at people is healthy behavior jfc
― qualx, Thursday, 2 November 2017 02:34 (six years ago) link