I tend to dislike livestreams that allow instant audience feedback/input where everyone feels important and wants a shot at having their comments addressed. I don't envy anyone in the position of having their livelihood depend on public discourse. There are so many mentally unhealthy and unhappy people among us. Can't wait for ATW to provide a solid Friday show for us who pay to support the work you do. Freeloaders be damned! 🤘🏻🥃
Wow. True that. I did not know that anyone could comment on the livestream.
Yeesh. That's truly an invitation for abuse as you are absolutely correct; there are a lot putatively unhinged people out there. People who either can't or refuse to engage in civil discourse. Which is of course sad.
Most of the Monday comments come from YT live chat (also on Twatter and Rumble) which doesn't require a Racket subscription. The recorded Friday releases are for paid subscribers only.
The Monday edition is (was) live and there are live chats on YT, Twatter and Rumble where any Joe or Jane can interject their opinions and Matt and Walter can view them and interact if they choose. Livestream chat comments are where troglodytes go to shit on theirs and everyone else's shoes
True about distracting Matt. He shouldn't read them. Scott Adams kicked off those people. But he did love his subscriber comments and asked them occasionally to fact check him or become his "Jamie" (Joe Rogan's engineer).
Yes! Because Scott was building a community. ATW could do the same with paid subs. I’m not talking about an echo chamber - I welcome different opinions, even descent. But I do not want to pay to deal with trolls and dipshits.
They are terribly inarticulate and off base which is expected in 200 characters or less from people who don't typically follow the show or Racket News other than the non-paywalled content.
Yes. At the risk of sounding both racist and sexist, I remain amazed at how white women seem to have been so nearly completely "captured". People I know and who I would think would be at least a little more open to considering alternatives seem to be completely reflexive and inflexible in their view. It's actually disconcerting!
Minnesota would be a good candidate for "ground zero" of this phenomenon but Chicago has plenty of it too.
That the antics of the agitators interfering with ICE immigration enforcement are seen as completely anodyne -- "It's just protest, their First Amendment right!" -- which is absurd.
Because it's not. Peacefully protesting in an orderly way, trying to get laws changed that you don't agree with, that's the First Amendment. But that takes time, requires patience, and doesn't provide opportunity for hamming it up in front of the camera. Real change requires -- shudder -- real work!
Following and harassing law enforcement while simultaneously trying to alert the people who are putatively breaking the law is not covered by the First Amendment. So why do people think that it is?
The Renee Good story is tragic. I think she was just sucked into the protest culture up in Minnesota. Really, really sad, even if she was engaged in aggressive, stupid behavior. Pretti seems to be another story. There just seems to be much more "latent intent" in that case (e.g., laying hands on law enforcement while carrying extra clips, a sight, etc.). But it's all sad and it's all clearly being ginned up.
1st amendment. "right of the people to peacefully assemble, and petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Doesn't say anything about loud protests with whistles and drums to disrupt law enforcement. Protests are not covered in the constitution. Protest at your own risk.
This country is like an increasingly unhappy marriage between an emotional wife who hysterically nags and catastrophizes against a husband who allows it because he loves her. And she knows she is safe, and can do all kinds of crazy things and still come home and find everything the same as before. But as her emphatic accusations escalate, he finally sees her differently and begins to react, and eventually her hysterics and his reactions create the insane world that she initially pretended to believe in/or imagined.
For me, the center of the Renee Good tragedy was in her clear knowing that she was safe. She knew she could obstruct law enforcement without serious consequence, and she knew she was "harmless." And she was right! --until suddenly one action caused another human in the equation to see her differently, and he reacted.
Where is our country right now, in this balance? The noise of the hysteria ratchets up by the week. Will a moment arise when the play-actors who know they are safe finally create the hell they've been pretending to believe in?
I know that I'm merely restating what you've already said, in your final paragraph. . . . Call it, "racket therapy."
RFK, Jr touched on this briefly, I think, but A Midwestern Doctor has in depth research on SSRIs, which are overprescribed, particularly to women, both pregnant and menopausal.
"This article will review some of the more common side effects of SSRIs (and SNRIs), such as losing the ability to have sex, becoming numb to life, becoming severely agitated or imbalanced (sometimes to the point one becomes violently psychotic or commits suicide), losing your mind, and the development of birth defects."
It always shocks me how any half-way intelligent woman would take any drug whatsoever while pregnant. Unless it is a matter of life or death. Too many risks!
I suggest the excellent book "The Strange Case of Thomas Quick" by Dan Josefsson. Translated form the Swedish original.
About an odd situation in late 1980s/90s Sweden where a "therapist" who was fixer and subsequent blackmailer to the Stockholm elite (a Scandi Jeffrey Epstein) was working to destabilize the legal and medical systems through implanted false memories....and nearly did.
Dan Josefsson was ahead of his time in recognizing what was going on.
Rachel Sayre and Dr. Maria Stephan are names to keep in mind. Both trained in the Lord Palmerston mob tactics often seen in "color revolutions". Mentioned by various reputable sites.
This is what I call "performative protesting". Everyone is hamming it up for the ever-present cameras these days, from various celebrities and sports figures to leftwing "activists" (are there credentials one must earn in order to be called an activist, or is it simply a self-declaration?).
I agree with you there, although I think it goes beyond the two major American parties.
You might say it involves the Alexander Hamilton system versus the Imperial British system. Trump vs. the City of London and Chatham House. Not the British people or nation-state per se, but a system within the British host.
Ah-h-h, but what/who is the oligarchy? There are obvious figures such as the modern billionaire techno-whizzes, but it goes far past that.
I recommend the Promethean Action website and videos for a quick encapsulation of this phenomenon. If you like to read at length, there are the books by Harvard-trained historian Carroll Quigley which set out this structure back in 1949-1966.
Sad too as I scheduled around the live chat and Friday prerecorded chat. Liked having two times a week to talk to the very intelligent and fun people here minus a couple of the trolls who I never responded to. I liked that the discussion went on for a couple days and I got valuable information from the gang here. Victor Davis Hanson is back from his surgery and podcasted last week for commentary on current events. He won't be up to speed for a couple more months, but good to see him again. I am enjoying the humorous Tony Kinnett Cast for daily news. Good chats on The Gutter. But the best "chats" are still here. So once a week probably will make me get back to some things I've been putting off like my "Don't Take My Advice" column. See you all at 2PM.
Going Live isn’t for the faint at heart, like a trapeze artist performing without a net. It can be scary and exciting at the same time. Pre-recorded is more polished and you stay on topic. Honestly, I learn more from the Live show for that very reason. The spontaneous shift off topic leads to interesting conversations that wouldn’t be had any other way.
It so perfectly captures my own experience with Minnesota "protest culture": a lot of self-congratulatory virtue-signaling, the anxious "street journalist" [sic] idiots hurriedly capturing events on film/video (which no-one will ever watch), and the flat-out sheer idiocy of plump Minnesotans rolling around on the ground as law enforcement strive in a kid-gloves fashion to corral the clowns and get them out of the street.
Fellas, I ditched YouTube for a variety of reasons. If Substack goes kaput from time to time, would you consider posting to other apps? I really enjoy the content.
I tend to dislike livestreams that allow instant audience feedback/input where everyone feels important and wants a shot at having their comments addressed. I don't envy anyone in the position of having their livelihood depend on public discourse. There are so many mentally unhealthy and unhappy people among us. Can't wait for ATW to provide a solid Friday show for us who pay to support the work you do. Freeloaders be damned! 🤘🏻🥃
Wow. True that. I did not know that anyone could comment on the livestream.
Yeesh. That's truly an invitation for abuse as you are absolutely correct; there are a lot putatively unhinged people out there. People who either can't or refuse to engage in civil discourse. Which is of course sad.
Most of the Monday comments come from YT live chat (also on Twatter and Rumble) which doesn't require a Racket subscription. The recorded Friday releases are for paid subscribers only.
Ick!
Okay, I buy that . Didn't know about non subscribers. Concentrate on what they do best which is smart comedy once a week.
The Monday edition is (was) live and there are live chats on YT, Twatter and Rumble where any Joe or Jane can interject their opinions and Matt and Walter can view them and interact if they choose. Livestream chat comments are where troglodytes go to shit on theirs and everyone else's shoes
And the live show comments usually are “meh” or stupid. Most important, they distract Matt (which is easy to do) - frustrates me as a paid member.
True about distracting Matt. He shouldn't read them. Scott Adams kicked off those people. But he did love his subscriber comments and asked them occasionally to fact check him or become his "Jamie" (Joe Rogan's engineer).
Yes! Because Scott was building a community. ATW could do the same with paid subs. I’m not talking about an echo chamber - I welcome different opinions, even descent. But I do not want to pay to deal with trolls and dipshits.
They are terribly inarticulate and off base which is expected in 200 characters or less from people who don't typically follow the show or Racket News other than the non-paywalled content.
I will miss the Monday Live segments more than you can imagine. I am truly bereft.
But I get it. Too many trolls can make a body depressed.
I’m so sad about only seeing you guys once a week!
Good move.
I hope you will get to the heart of who is driving various media narratives, and why.
Yes. At the risk of sounding both racist and sexist, I remain amazed at how white women seem to have been so nearly completely "captured". People I know and who I would think would be at least a little more open to considering alternatives seem to be completely reflexive and inflexible in their view. It's actually disconcerting!
Minnesota would be a good candidate for "ground zero" of this phenomenon but Chicago has plenty of it too.
That the antics of the agitators interfering with ICE immigration enforcement are seen as completely anodyne -- "It's just protest, their First Amendment right!" -- which is absurd.
Because it's not. Peacefully protesting in an orderly way, trying to get laws changed that you don't agree with, that's the First Amendment. But that takes time, requires patience, and doesn't provide opportunity for hamming it up in front of the camera. Real change requires -- shudder -- real work!
Following and harassing law enforcement while simultaneously trying to alert the people who are putatively breaking the law is not covered by the First Amendment. So why do people think that it is?
The Renee Good story is tragic. I think she was just sucked into the protest culture up in Minnesota. Really, really sad, even if she was engaged in aggressive, stupid behavior. Pretti seems to be another story. There just seems to be much more "latent intent" in that case (e.g., laying hands on law enforcement while carrying extra clips, a sight, etc.). But it's all sad and it's all clearly being ginned up.
1st amendment. "right of the people to peacefully assemble, and petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Doesn't say anything about loud protests with whistles and drums to disrupt law enforcement. Protests are not covered in the constitution. Protest at your own risk.
This country is like an increasingly unhappy marriage between an emotional wife who hysterically nags and catastrophizes against a husband who allows it because he loves her. And she knows she is safe, and can do all kinds of crazy things and still come home and find everything the same as before. But as her emphatic accusations escalate, he finally sees her differently and begins to react, and eventually her hysterics and his reactions create the insane world that she initially pretended to believe in/or imagined.
For me, the center of the Renee Good tragedy was in her clear knowing that she was safe. She knew she could obstruct law enforcement without serious consequence, and she knew she was "harmless." And she was right! --until suddenly one action caused another human in the equation to see her differently, and he reacted.
Where is our country right now, in this balance? The noise of the hysteria ratchets up by the week. Will a moment arise when the play-actors who know they are safe finally create the hell they've been pretending to believe in?
I know that I'm merely restating what you've already said, in your final paragraph. . . . Call it, "racket therapy."
RFK, Jr touched on this briefly, I think, but A Midwestern Doctor has in depth research on SSRIs, which are overprescribed, particularly to women, both pregnant and menopausal.
"This article will review some of the more common side effects of SSRIs (and SNRIs), such as losing the ability to have sex, becoming numb to life, becoming severely agitated or imbalanced (sometimes to the point one becomes violently psychotic or commits suicide), losing your mind, and the development of birth defects."
https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/p/the-truth-about-ssri-antidepressants
It always shocks me how any half-way intelligent woman would take any drug whatsoever while pregnant. Unless it is a matter of life or death. Too many risks!
Wow -- excellent point. I did not think about the pharmaceutical angle -- I just figured it was cultural and/or media.
Yeesh. Yet another entirely plausible and seriously noxious possibility. As if we didn't have enough reason to dislike that industry. Sad. Horrible.
There are a TON of inorganic stories we've seen pushed on us over the past decade (or more, really)....
UFO's in New Jersey (started the day after the election in '24)
J6 - Medium sized story...blown MASSIVELY out of proportion.
Israel - Tiny country, little strategic importance, massively blown up in the media
etc....
Also the stories that DIDN't get covered, like Nordstream...
I suggest the excellent book "The Strange Case of Thomas Quick" by Dan Josefsson. Translated form the Swedish original.
About an odd situation in late 1980s/90s Sweden where a "therapist" who was fixer and subsequent blackmailer to the Stockholm elite (a Scandi Jeffrey Epstein) was working to destabilize the legal and medical systems through implanted false memories....and nearly did.
Dan Josefsson was ahead of his time in recognizing what was going on.
My hat is off to him.
Oh no kidding! I had never heard of that story. Will check it out.
Everything is a psyop anymore...lol...
Rachel Sayre and Dr. Maria Stephan are names to keep in mind. Both trained in the Lord Palmerston mob tactics often seen in "color revolutions". Mentioned by various reputable sites.
This is what I call "performative protesting". Everyone is hamming it up for the ever-present cameras these days, from various celebrities and sports figures to leftwing "activists" (are there credentials one must earn in order to be called an activist, or is it simply a self-declaration?).
The head scratcher with that is that immigration is a proven, LOSING issue for the Democrats...yet they continue to lead with it.
That, in itself, shows that something is deeply wrong with the 2 parties and the politics they are forcing down our throat.
I agree with you there, although I think it goes beyond the two major American parties.
You might say it involves the Alexander Hamilton system versus the Imperial British system. Trump vs. the City of London and Chatham House. Not the British people or nation-state per se, but a system within the British host.
I'm not a fan of a strong federal government, so you lost me on the Federalist stuff there.
I see it as pure Oligarchy. They wealthy have captured both parties. And they own the media.
But tomatoes, tomoto...
Ah-h-h, but what/who is the oligarchy? There are obvious figures such as the modern billionaire techno-whizzes, but it goes far past that.
I recommend the Promethean Action website and videos for a quick encapsulation of this phenomenon. If you like to read at length, there are the books by Harvard-trained historian Carroll Quigley which set out this structure back in 1949-1966.
Actually, I think this goes very deep. As in Deep State. That is where Matt and Walter fear to tread. Or simply do not know enough about it.
They have a whole lot of reading to do....
Sad too as I scheduled around the live chat and Friday prerecorded chat. Liked having two times a week to talk to the very intelligent and fun people here minus a couple of the trolls who I never responded to. I liked that the discussion went on for a couple days and I got valuable information from the gang here. Victor Davis Hanson is back from his surgery and podcasted last week for commentary on current events. He won't be up to speed for a couple more months, but good to see him again. I am enjoying the humorous Tony Kinnett Cast for daily news. Good chats on The Gutter. But the best "chats" are still here. So once a week probably will make me get back to some things I've been putting off like my "Don't Take My Advice" column. See you all at 2PM.
Going Live isn’t for the faint at heart, like a trapeze artist performing without a net. It can be scary and exciting at the same time. Pre-recorded is more polished and you stay on topic. Honestly, I learn more from the Live show for that very reason. The spontaneous shift off topic leads to interesting conversations that wouldn’t be had any other way.
There's nothing like a live show. I will miss ATW every Monday!
The once a week format is sensible. More time to polish and prep.
As part of your review, at least as regards what's going on in Minnesota, I'd love to get your take on the protest shenanigans caught on video:
https://www.foxnews.com/us/anti-ice-agitators-arrested-federal-building-minneapolis-after-lewd-objects-hurled-law-enforcement
It so perfectly captures my own experience with Minnesota "protest culture": a lot of self-congratulatory virtue-signaling, the anxious "street journalist" [sic] idiots hurriedly capturing events on film/video (which no-one will ever watch), and the flat-out sheer idiocy of plump Minnesotans rolling around on the ground as law enforcement strive in a kid-gloves fashion to corral the clowns and get them out of the street.
Reality is overrated. I'm planning on doing the same thing Trekkies do, i.e. lose myself in my favorite fictional universe.
Which one do you think I should go with? Star Wars? Star Trek? Marvel? Tolkien's Middle Earth? I'll let you decide.
My thoughts exactly!
Where the F are you folks???
Fellas, I ditched YouTube for a variety of reasons. If Substack goes kaput from time to time, would you consider posting to other apps? I really enjoy the content.
The strength of the enterprise is Walter and Matt. But Emily being onboard is an excellent move to give the site some journalistic integrity.
Sounds like fun.
Ok, love you Matt, don't get rid of Walter though, ok?
I'd be interested to hear you guys comment on the recent downsizing of the Washington Post and the changes to news media in general.