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I realize the MSM lies. I just also realize that “alternative” media lies as well, especially when it’s full of hyper-partisan or ideologue hacks. Taibbi is cl

• kcplate 3y ago
  > Taibbi is clearly a partisan hack that only attacks one side, ever. You should probably expand your reading to his articles in Rolling Stone, particularly those from 4-5 years ago. You would not say “ever” if you did that. But…for a writer that admittedly leans left in his politics, he is willing to call out that side when a story leads there. He is much like Glenn Greenwald in that respect. Both he and Glenn get a lot of hate from folks on the left for daring to stray from the left messaging orthodoxy.
  • iudqnolq 3y ago
    He falls into the class of writers who claims to lean left but in the past years has actually been a pretty obvious supporter of the right. This is a transparent yet effective schtick - for some reason people never question the framing of "even so-and-so is willing to call out their own side".
    • dent9876543 3y ago
      Since COVID, I find the who left and right thing hugely confusing. I used to identify as left, and would still do that, except that what passed for left-leaning news during COVID became nothing more than propaganda, and left-leaning journalist put their investigative and sceptical credentials to one side. During COVID, and still perhaps even now, it turns out you can become a member of the far right, just by staying politically still.
      • kcplate 3y ago
        > Since COVID, I find the who left and right thing hugely confusing. There really seem to be some strange shifts recently in the US where the democrats have become quite a bit more hawkish and intolerant of alternative opinions than I have ever seen before in my lifetime.
        • c-hendricks 3y ago
          Couldn't have anything to do with the lack of action against constant mass shootings, police brutality, regressions in law's around women's bodies, the attacks on LGBTQ rights, no couldn't be. Honestly, fuck outta here with "alternative opinions" noise.
          • dent9876543 3y ago
            So, a sort of non-specific lashing out in frustration at not getting their own way? Could be that. Well demonstrated!
    • kcplate 3y ago
      I think you might be over generalizing “the right”. He certainly aligns on specific things with the right, but not everything—only where there is common overlap to his personal politics. Same as on the left… It’s ok to be on a “side” and still be critical of that side. No one would rightly accuse Bill Maher or Jimmy Dore of being conservatives, but they are damn sure critical of certain perspectives as of late of the American left.
      • iudqnolq 3y ago
        It's fascinating to see what different bubbles we live in. I and most everyone I respect and run into the opinions of would consider Maher and Dore small-c conservatives.
        • kcplate 3y ago
          Bizarre. Both were very vocal supporters of Bernie Sanders in 2016/2020 DNC primaries and have multiple occasions pushed democratic socialism as their ideal political paths for America, but because they are also occasionally critical of leftist authoritarianism tactics or ineptitude of democratic politicians they get lumped to be conservative? I guess if your bubble is pulling it’s identity from the leftist dogma du jour anyone who departs from that orthodoxy would be dismissed as conservative.
          • iudqnolq 3y ago
            It's quite well known that many prominent Bernie supporters turned into right wing or right wing adjacent.
            • kcplate 3y ago
              Did they shift their opinions…or did the left simply shift leftward so that democratic socialism proponents now seem conservative? I’d argue that most probably did not shift their politics and opinion, but the definition of who is left and who is right changed—at least from the “orthodox” left’s perspective. Amazing that in 2023, Bernie Sanders and his supporters are now considered conservative.
  • api 3y ago
    [flagged]
    • NoGravitas 3y ago
      I think Greenwald started his rightward journey with "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", or at least, an acceptance of the fact that right-wing media were the only people willing to platform him criticizing the centrist consensus, even when he was still criticizing it from the left. But over time he's been so love-bombed by right-wing media that he's actually switched sides. I disagree about a lot of the rest of what you say, but I think you're on point with regard to Taibbi and Greenwald.
    • 2devnull 3y ago
      Lol. Yes and Noam Chomsky too. All fascists. /s
      • api 3y ago
        Chomsky isn't a fascist. He's just stuck in the mid-late 20th century anti-Vietnam-era paradigm and thinks everything that happens in the world is always America's fault. He hasn't updated his view of the world since the 1980s at best.
    • Slava_Propanei 3y ago
      [dead]
    • kcplate 3y ago
      I get the feeling they are just disappointed in where liberalism has shifted and their recent work is calling out that discomfort. My reading of both is quite honestly the exact opposite of what you describe, they tend to call out the authoritarianism they see no matter the side. Frankly even Taibbi’s recent foray into Government and Twitter is more an indictment of a government’s overreach into controlling speech which is very authoritarian in action. That series spoke about both Trump and Biden’s administrations attempting to control public discourse. It certainly feels like it was more critical to the Biden admin, and that might help the GOP…but that might be because there was a lot more evidence of it provided to him.
• verisimilidude 3y ago
  He published a book called “Insane Clown President” just a few years ago. It seems you don’t understand the first thing about Taibbi or his work.