Why are there so many posting endless criticism? Matt can not and should not cover everything, especially some random person’s personal passion. I am sure they are welcome to go to any other Substack, YouTube channel or news site and get the coverage they are looking for and if not, start your own dang Substack or news site or YouTube channel. I look at different organizations for different coverage. That’s our media environment. If you don’t like it make your own!
This has been a recurring issue this last year or so. Those of us who have been here from the beginning remember when it wasn’t happening. It reeks of paid activism…
Most enjoyable ATW in ages, it seems. Walter's clearly on the mend. I was surprised but in the end heartened by his late to table self-discovery that only those choosing to bang violence porn 24/7 lament shooting up baking soda facts instead of the "real."
Completely disagree with Matt and Walter about our descent into hell. We've never been as good, or bad as we like to imagine.
I read the news constantly - at the moment contemporary French newspapers from the fall of 1799 through 1801. 4 pages, usually, with lots of news reports from papers of other nations excerpted with quotes, parliamentary records, etc.
So much of value to discover and savor whether we're talking about revues of paintings looted from other nations - what the foundation of an actual military dictatorship looks like - and reports from the new world.
We choose what we put between our ears.
For current events, I'm not remotely interested in murder-porn who dunnits, or the treatment of civil servants unable to be other than plain human. Did watch all the weekend NFL highlights. Will attend a classical concert tonight with the wife. Did enjoy Walter and Matt's return to earth. Will take lots more walks to enjoy the winter stars and the early morning light on the leaves.
Re: paid activism. Yes, you're right about the reek, but don't mis-underestimate the appeal of just winding people up.
Classical music is the best of western civilization. Yes, time in nature… seeing a clear and dark sky full of stars helps remind us that we are insignificant.
Mind you, I defend Matt’s right to write (or not write) about whatever tickles his fancy (or doesn’t). By the same token I firmly defend readers rights to respond. I wouldn’t waste my time with him weren’t it for the fact
1) He himself is a scathing and holier-than-thou critic of others wielding a poison pen against publications and colleagues, often for catty reasons, but his reporting often falls far short of standards he purports to uphold.
2) he holds the Substack-bloviator model as the future of journalism (I enjoy Substack as much as the next bloke, but let’s not fool ourselves that people pulling things out of their derrières without the benefit of editors, will somehow be an improvement).
3) he, along with Joe Rogan (who I’m even more critical of) have been instrumental in normalizing Trump and our current sorry state of affairs.
‘Enough of excuses, dismissals, whataboutisms and avoidance. He disgraces us all. All the time. The damage he is doing to the civic and moral core of this country is profound and irrevocable.’
When it comes to the Rob Reiner and wife murder, color me disinterested. It pains me that, simply because he was a celebrity, their death becomes viewed as some sort of cultural touchpoint. Without any proven facts at this point, many jump at the chance to project and elevate their own personal beliefs and dogma. Non celebrities are murdered everyday, around the world. It is somewhat sad that, just because of celebrity, so many people are acting as his life is more worthy of comment. Obsession with celebrity, regardless of the reasons, is given creditability and, in IMO, that doesn't accomplish anything resembling a good direction.
I'm generally in full agreement. That said, many in the recovery community point to the fact that addiction is in many ways a family disease. Family members of addicts face challenges that only those in similar situations truly understand. Hopefully, those with addiction in their families reach out to https://al-anon.org/al-anon-meetings/find-an-al-anon-meeting/ or some similar support group.
Be clear. That doesn't mean the addict is going to get clean, but building a healthier spiritual foundation significantly reduces the chances family members are going to find themselves shouting at the addict in front of others.
Ignoring the real challenges living with addiction brings is too often fatal, and always damaging not just to the addict but all those involved.
Matt Taibbi fancies himself a free speech warrior, but he goes radio silent with respect to blatant abuses at home, and instead pivots to perceived abuses in Europe.
This week we were confronted with this headline: 'Tourists from 42 countries will have to submit 5 years of social media history to enter U.S. under Trump plan.' In addition to the history individuals need to submit phone numbers and email addresses over the prior five years, plus close family members’ names and birth dates, along with their birthplaces, residences and phone numbers over the prior five years.
Red lights should be flashing right now for anyone who supposedly cares about free speech. And if someone thinks this doesn't concern them because it's merely foreigners, think again, this administration has shown themselves ready to scour the social media postings of every American, as evidenced by the censorship campaign cheered on by Trump and the GOP to fire anyone not sufficiently deferential to Charlie Kirk after his death. Not to mention, the free for all when the billionaires behind DOGE who have glaring conflicts of interest, hoovered all of our personal data without explanation.
But you wouldn't know any of this were happening in America by reading Matt Taibbi.
Howdy. Do you know Matt Taibbi? I only ask because your animosity seems constant and personal. This is his substack so of course he's going to write about whatever he wants. You can vote with your wallet.
I used to subscribe to The Dispatch. A reader, in comments, was throwing all kinds of shade (I think that's the expression) on one of their writers - turned out there was history. So, anyway, I'm just curious.
Hiya, no I’ve never met the man. I’m scratching my head as to what is personal in my attack. And there is also constant adulation on these pages, does that provoke a questioning of motives? I do see Taibbi as a raging hypocrite, emblematic of a failure of this ‘new journalism’ he extols as the future. I do find it amusing how dissent is so poorly accepted on a page devoted to free speech. But readers in this echo chamber will be happy to know my subscription is expiring next week (I tried to cancel earlier but was told I couldn’t).
The problem with this new journalism is that it.s mostly long form opinion pieces and they get repetitive after a while. The individual substacks can be quite interesting, and they are often stylish and funny, but they are certainly no substitute for old-fashioned hard core news. I don't know where to go for that anymore.
Well, I'll miss you. I agree that mixed points of view make for a much livelier discussion.
I merely suggested you ignore Racket. I wondered about your motives for not ignoring , rather than your professions of expressing dissent. Have a Good Life after 12/31/25. It appears you (your dissent)won't be missed. Godspeed!
I think Matt sometimes tries to go there but then Walter quickly intervenes with "the mess-up du jour" being some kind of Trump playing 4D chess nonsense, and Matt meekly retreats.
Walter does narrative commentary which lives and breathes digression. That kind of mind works like a spider's web. I happen to really like that genre but I can see how it could drive a meat and potatoes reader nuts.
That works when they're discussing great literature, which is deliberately laced with ironic moments, vague outcomes, and subtle clues for readers to uncover, interpret, and reinterpret for their own amusement or edification. But the discussion of real-world events such as wars, genocides, and censorship policies demands a more precise "meat and potatoes" effort because their consequences are more intense, affect real people, and don't end when the last word on the last page is read.
Don't get me wrong, I love listening to Walter draw parallels between current events, great works of fiction, and his interesting life that began in middle class Minnesota. But sometimes he come off like one of those shallow news anchors who make awkwardly inappropriate comments seconds after reporting on an airliner crash or 4-alarm fire.
I don't know if he's shallow so won't weigh in on that, but I bet he's fun at a dinner party.
The thing is, they rarely talk about those things. Their subject is basically free speech/censorship and culture gone wrong. They talk more about politicians than policies. Why go to a restaurant when you don’t like what's on the menu?
I'm not at all convinced that substack is the best source for meat and potatoes. It's better for the gravy, tho good gravy is not an easy thing to make, almost a lost art.
The books seem more real to me than reality, which is far away and shrouded in fog. I'm old and pretty much staring down the dark hole.
Thanks for your good comment. I wish more readers would thoughtfully disagree.
This is a program they are trying to resurrect in Australia by way of meeting with current UK government officials and those who run the existing UK D-Notice program. It is a program by which ex and current military, intelligence, and other government officials pre-screen stories submitted to them by journalists and news outlets in order to help them censor any information that might be damaging to the state. This includes crimes committed by the state, failures by the state, and other embarrassments.
Despite this reporting being out for weeks now, these two have shown zero interest in the topic nor have they supported The Grayzone or the authors of the piece in spreading the info.
I can only assume this is because Walter and Matt think that The Grayzone and all of their employees are self-loathing Jewish anti-semites. That, or that they now support this kind of program because Trump is in office and he isn't as dangerous in the view of Racket News because he, in their mind, has less institutional backing and infrastructure surrounding censorship.
My host? Huh? I’m a paid subscriber. I don’t owe ‘my host’ anything. Americans are very squeamish which is why our press is so lame. Mind you, the Brits have no such qualms and neither does Taibbi, he is vicious in his attacks. You of course welcome to rebut instead of browbeating others about decorum, but I understand that might be hard.
Very measured show today. Matt and Walter serve as some of my world sense makers which is why I’m glad they are rethinking some baselines. Make America boring again!!
Just remember whenever you see curious comments that Matt and Walter have entered into the Information operations battlefield, so don’t be surprised when you see psyops shenanigans cropping up around here.
I am lost and giving up on Racket news. I am sorry but there is not enough written content and way too much podcast content. Five hours a week of Walter and Matt does not work for me. Especially when you are not posting transcripts for those that do not have the time or interest to listen for 5 hours. I am an early subscriber who loved Matt's writing. Disappointed now.
It would be one thing if the podcast content were valuable and interesting but it's boneheaded uninformed ranting mixed with useless reaction takes to MSM garbage. OMG the TV news said something untrue and hypocritical! Wow amazing, amazing stuff, mind blowing and worth hearing about. Eventually I got to where I would skip past every part where Walter was talking but now that's 98% of the episode and whenever Matt does talk it's to agree, cue a video clip for Walter to yell at, or at most repeat for the billionth time that some random TV talking head is now saying X while just a week ago they were saying Y. Yes, that's what they do, that's why we came here, you can stop dwellling on it and get on with the reporting. Very little substance for a whole lot of waffling and flailing, and when they do touch on anything like the Gaza genocide or the US government murdering civilians we have Walter there to say it's great and Matt to nod along with it.
Well said. They are becoming like 2 geezers yelling at the TV. Walter is always reminiscing about when he was young, people he knew and knows, inside information, schools he went to and don't forget good old Pops. No guests, no real time preparing.
“The Committee to Investigate Russia is a nonprofit, non-partisan resource provided to help Americans recognize and understand the gravity of Russia’s continuing attacks on our democracy.”
Re Trump's comment concerning the death of Rob Reiner: He said good things but he also said what was bad about Rob. I could not care less about what Trump said. I would prefer that to "never speak ill of the dead". I always wondered why. Will they return to haunt you? Why? Trump stated the obvious...Rob Reiner was a talented producer but he had serious mental problems regarding Trump. Rob would have been better served fixing his own disturbed family.
“Never speak ill of the dead,” is a saying that goes back into Ancient Roman times. These sayings, these rules of politeness are part of a deep foundation of western civilized mores and behavior. You guys seem to want to wipe your ass with em. Sometimes I think you people were born in a barn and raised by heathens. Did you never get scolded for having bad manners by grandma? It really shows. You see it in every walk of life. People cutting in line. At the 6th graders Christmas concert, people coming in late and banging around while our precious sweet children are singing! FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, YOU FILTHY ANIMALS!
I know you’d like to rationalize the disgusting statements of your dear leader yesterday but this shit has gone way too far for way too long.
That said, I hope you have a Merry Christmas and give a thought to what that spirit brings with it.
I prefer being polite to the living and don't worry about what is said about the dead unless it is to someone I know who knew them....that also falls under being polite.
Speaking of being impolite, your comment fits the bill nicely. "You people raised in a barn"...apparently you are no exception.
That's the whole thing with MAGAs. It's always "your preference." "It's my preference..." That's the whole point. There used to be something called "good manners." It wasn't about personal preference of action. And here's the thing, when we lose the social constraint on poor behaviors, that's when governments gain power and legitimacy to constrain. Healthy societies police themselves. Walter alluded to this during the Friday TRAIN DREAMS discussion.
It seems to me apprehending suspect (s) is the only thing that is mission critical. Attendant to that is accountability. If someone was asleep on the front end that let the suspect escape they too should suffer significant consequences!
Wrong end of the stick, Walter, regarding school shootings. It’s not the ssri meds. (If anything, they make you less angry, calmer.) The shootings coincide with the rise of the internet and the fame/infamy that come along with doing these shootings. The shooters are narcissistic psychopaths. If they have nothing going for them and are bullied they opt to go out in a blaze of glory taking others they perceive as slighting them with them.
Rob Reiner was a loudmouth assahola who had only one mission, kept up verbal abuse non-stop for decades publicly, and people, in one particular person, Rob’s son, had had enough and blew his stack. It happens that Rob was wrong all along: he gave no respect to anyone who opposed him.
Elderly people like Rob do not understand that this is not their world anymore. They are going to be dead soon enough, and younguns (young ones) will carry on. It is younguns’ world. Elderly people need to shut the hell up, slither noiselessly into the background, and let younguns come to the fore.
Why are there so many posting endless criticism? Matt can not and should not cover everything, especially some random person’s personal passion. I am sure they are welcome to go to any other Substack, YouTube channel or news site and get the coverage they are looking for and if not, start your own dang Substack or news site or YouTube channel. I look at different organizations for different coverage. That’s our media environment. If you don’t like it make your own!
Douchebags would rather bug Matt and Walter over not covering exactly what they want them to cover instead of making their own show.
Substack is a magnet for holier-than-thou fart huffers. Always troll them.
This has been a recurring issue this last year or so. Those of us who have been here from the beginning remember when it wasn’t happening. It reeks of paid activism…
Most enjoyable ATW in ages, it seems. Walter's clearly on the mend. I was surprised but in the end heartened by his late to table self-discovery that only those choosing to bang violence porn 24/7 lament shooting up baking soda facts instead of the "real."
Completely disagree with Matt and Walter about our descent into hell. We've never been as good, or bad as we like to imagine.
I read the news constantly - at the moment contemporary French newspapers from the fall of 1799 through 1801. 4 pages, usually, with lots of news reports from papers of other nations excerpted with quotes, parliamentary records, etc.
So much of value to discover and savor whether we're talking about revues of paintings looted from other nations - what the foundation of an actual military dictatorship looks like - and reports from the new world.
We choose what we put between our ears.
For current events, I'm not remotely interested in murder-porn who dunnits, or the treatment of civil servants unable to be other than plain human. Did watch all the weekend NFL highlights. Will attend a classical concert tonight with the wife. Did enjoy Walter and Matt's return to earth. Will take lots more walks to enjoy the winter stars and the early morning light on the leaves.
Re: paid activism. Yes, you're right about the reek, but don't mis-underestimate the appeal of just winding people up.
Classical music is the best of western civilization. Yes, time in nature… seeing a clear and dark sky full of stars helps remind us that we are insignificant.
Mind you, I defend Matt’s right to write (or not write) about whatever tickles his fancy (or doesn’t). By the same token I firmly defend readers rights to respond. I wouldn’t waste my time with him weren’t it for the fact
1) He himself is a scathing and holier-than-thou critic of others wielding a poison pen against publications and colleagues, often for catty reasons, but his reporting often falls far short of standards he purports to uphold.
2) he holds the Substack-bloviator model as the future of journalism (I enjoy Substack as much as the next bloke, but let’s not fool ourselves that people pulling things out of their derrières without the benefit of editors, will somehow be an improvement).
3) he, along with Joe Rogan (who I’m even more critical of) have been instrumental in normalizing Trump and our current sorry state of affairs.
I confess to finding Trump, awful as he is, a big beautiful relief after Biden/Harris. God works in mysterious ways.
Ignore that guy. He appears in Taibbi comments and is an idiot. A troll who offers nothing. Best to ignore. He is an attention whore so ignore.
Ah, ain’t it grand when the trains run on time, Ann!
Nothing else over there runs on time - except lunch.
Interesting comparison, though Trump seems closer to Berlusconi.
As a one wiser than me said recently:
‘Enough of excuses, dismissals, whataboutisms and avoidance. He disgraces us all. All the time. The damage he is doing to the civic and moral core of this country is profound and irrevocable.’
The damage far preceded Trump. I,d argue that Trump is the result rather than the cause.
It isn’t as if he were a tame lion 🦁
What random personal passion are you talking about specifically?
When it comes to the Rob Reiner and wife murder, color me disinterested. It pains me that, simply because he was a celebrity, their death becomes viewed as some sort of cultural touchpoint. Without any proven facts at this point, many jump at the chance to project and elevate their own personal beliefs and dogma. Non celebrities are murdered everyday, around the world. It is somewhat sad that, just because of celebrity, so many people are acting as his life is more worthy of comment. Obsession with celebrity, regardless of the reasons, is given creditability and, in IMO, that doesn't accomplish anything resembling a good direction.
Pretty weird take. Disinterested. Trump lite. 👎
I'm generally in full agreement. That said, many in the recovery community point to the fact that addiction is in many ways a family disease. Family members of addicts face challenges that only those in similar situations truly understand. Hopefully, those with addiction in their families reach out to https://al-anon.org/al-anon-meetings/find-an-al-anon-meeting/ or some similar support group.
Be clear. That doesn't mean the addict is going to get clean, but building a healthier spiritual foundation significantly reduces the chances family members are going to find themselves shouting at the addict in front of others.
Ignoring the real challenges living with addiction brings is too often fatal, and always damaging not just to the addict but all those involved.
Matt Taibbi fancies himself a free speech warrior, but he goes radio silent with respect to blatant abuses at home, and instead pivots to perceived abuses in Europe.
This week we were confronted with this headline: 'Tourists from 42 countries will have to submit 5 years of social media history to enter U.S. under Trump plan.' In addition to the history individuals need to submit phone numbers and email addresses over the prior five years, plus close family members’ names and birth dates, along with their birthplaces, residences and phone numbers over the prior five years.
Red lights should be flashing right now for anyone who supposedly cares about free speech. And if someone thinks this doesn't concern them because it's merely foreigners, think again, this administration has shown themselves ready to scour the social media postings of every American, as evidenced by the censorship campaign cheered on by Trump and the GOP to fire anyone not sufficiently deferential to Charlie Kirk after his death. Not to mention, the free for all when the billionaires behind DOGE who have glaring conflicts of interest, hoovered all of our personal data without explanation.
But you wouldn't know any of this were happening in America by reading Matt Taibbi.
https://www.reuters.com/investigations/charlie-kirk-purge-how-600-americans-were-punished-pro-trump-crackdown-2025-11-19/
Howdy. Do you know Matt Taibbi? I only ask because your animosity seems constant and personal. This is his substack so of course he's going to write about whatever he wants. You can vote with your wallet.
I used to subscribe to The Dispatch. A reader, in comments, was throwing all kinds of shade (I think that's the expression) on one of their writers - turned out there was history. So, anyway, I'm just curious.
He's going to vote with his wallet. He promised to leave on Dec 31. Happy New Year!
Lol - it's called making every day count!
I always thought he'd be great fun to gossip with over the backyard fence!
Hiya, no I’ve never met the man. I’m scratching my head as to what is personal in my attack. And there is also constant adulation on these pages, does that provoke a questioning of motives? I do see Taibbi as a raging hypocrite, emblematic of a failure of this ‘new journalism’ he extols as the future. I do find it amusing how dissent is so poorly accepted on a page devoted to free speech. But readers in this echo chamber will be happy to know my subscription is expiring next week (I tried to cancel earlier but was told I couldn’t).
The problem with this new journalism is that it.s mostly long form opinion pieces and they get repetitive after a while. The individual substacks can be quite interesting, and they are often stylish and funny, but they are certainly no substitute for old-fashioned hard core news. I don't know where to go for that anymore.
Well, I'll miss you. I agree that mixed points of view make for a much livelier discussion.
Ann
Catherine Herridge is a great source of Investigative News/Journalism. She is on @X
Fox never recovered from her loss. Great reporter imo
Try a suppository Mr/Ms Wrightstuff. You'll feel a lot better.
Your interest in suppositories is duly noted, but is this really the right forum?
Dear Wright Stuff,
You can always ignore "Racket News" while you run out the clock. You can cancel and ignore, not get a refund. Wondering your true motives??
What are your motives, I wonder, for questioning the motives of someone who expresses dissent? Do you doubt the voices of mindless adulation too?
I did no such thing .. but nice try!
I merely suggested you ignore Racket. I wondered about your motives for not ignoring , rather than your professions of expressing dissent. Have a Good Life after 12/31/25. It appears you (your dissent)won't be missed. Godspeed!
I expect he’s pissed because he can’t get a refund so he’s doing his best to make his last days count
Ah, a cocoon of unanimity can be so warm and cozy!
He is a troll. Read his comments. Never shuts up. Seeks engagement and will never stop trolling. Ignore him, please.
I think Matt sometimes tries to go there but then Walter quickly intervenes with "the mess-up du jour" being some kind of Trump playing 4D chess nonsense, and Matt meekly retreats.
Walter does narrative commentary which lives and breathes digression. That kind of mind works like a spider's web. I happen to really like that genre but I can see how it could drive a meat and potatoes reader nuts.
Or, it could be that Walter is on hallucinogens.
He's a spinner of tales. It's fun (if not always coherent).
That works when they're discussing great literature, which is deliberately laced with ironic moments, vague outcomes, and subtle clues for readers to uncover, interpret, and reinterpret for their own amusement or edification. But the discussion of real-world events such as wars, genocides, and censorship policies demands a more precise "meat and potatoes" effort because their consequences are more intense, affect real people, and don't end when the last word on the last page is read.
Don't get me wrong, I love listening to Walter draw parallels between current events, great works of fiction, and his interesting life that began in middle class Minnesota. But sometimes he come off like one of those shallow news anchors who make awkwardly inappropriate comments seconds after reporting on an airliner crash or 4-alarm fire.
I don't know if he's shallow so won't weigh in on that, but I bet he's fun at a dinner party.
The thing is, they rarely talk about those things. Their subject is basically free speech/censorship and culture gone wrong. They talk more about politicians than policies. Why go to a restaurant when you don’t like what's on the menu?
I'm not at all convinced that substack is the best source for meat and potatoes. It's better for the gravy, tho good gravy is not an easy thing to make, almost a lost art.
The books seem more real to me than reality, which is far away and shrouded in fog. I'm old and pretty much staring down the dark hole.
Thanks for your good comment. I wish more readers would thoughtfully disagree.
Even though they pivot to abuses in Europe, they still refuse to cover the D-Notice censorship program that The Grayzone revealed through the reporting of Kit Klarenberg and the Australian researcher and journalist Will Evans. https://thegrayzone.com/2025/11/30/files-expose-britains-secret-d-notice-censorship-regime/
This is a program they are trying to resurrect in Australia by way of meeting with current UK government officials and those who run the existing UK D-Notice program. It is a program by which ex and current military, intelligence, and other government officials pre-screen stories submitted to them by journalists and news outlets in order to help them censor any information that might be damaging to the state. This includes crimes committed by the state, failures by the state, and other embarrassments.
Despite this reporting being out for weeks now, these two have shown zero interest in the topic nor have they supported The Grayzone or the authors of the piece in spreading the info.
I can only assume this is because Walter and Matt think that The Grayzone and all of their employees are self-loathing Jewish anti-semites. That, or that they now support this kind of program because Trump is in office and he isn't as dangerous in the view of Racket News because he, in their mind, has less institutional backing and infrastructure surrounding censorship.
This is concerning. But are you not able to make your point, add your insight, without splashing acid on your host?
My host? Huh? I’m a paid subscriber. I don’t owe ‘my host’ anything. Americans are very squeamish which is why our press is so lame. Mind you, the Brits have no such qualms and neither does Taibbi, he is vicious in his attacks. You of course welcome to rebut instead of browbeating others about decorum, but I understand that might be hard.
If you feel that something isn't getting the coverage you think it deserves, you could write about it yourself, right here on this platform.
Oh, you did? Well, let's take a look at your outp-- oh.
Okay, good luck.
Very measured show today. Matt and Walter serve as some of my world sense makers which is why I’m glad they are rethinking some baselines. Make America boring again!!
Just remember whenever you see curious comments that Matt and Walter have entered into the Information operations battlefield, so don’t be surprised when you see psyops shenanigans cropping up around here.
This is likely an overreaction on my part. Bravo Walter Kirn!!🙏🙏🙏 For your unequivocal (and first) condemnation of a Trump action.
The action in question Trump’s social media post about the death of Rob Reiner and his wife.
Additionally: I watched the mainstream coverage of the Australian massacre and the Reiner murder and got nothing but straight reporting.
I wonder if Kirn and Taibbi have become habitual comments readers. The comments section anywhere is often where the toxins flow.
I am lost and giving up on Racket news. I am sorry but there is not enough written content and way too much podcast content. Five hours a week of Walter and Matt does not work for me. Especially when you are not posting transcripts for those that do not have the time or interest to listen for 5 hours. I am an early subscriber who loved Matt's writing. Disappointed now.
It would be one thing if the podcast content were valuable and interesting but it's boneheaded uninformed ranting mixed with useless reaction takes to MSM garbage. OMG the TV news said something untrue and hypocritical! Wow amazing, amazing stuff, mind blowing and worth hearing about. Eventually I got to where I would skip past every part where Walter was talking but now that's 98% of the episode and whenever Matt does talk it's to agree, cue a video clip for Walter to yell at, or at most repeat for the billionth time that some random TV talking head is now saying X while just a week ago they were saying Y. Yes, that's what they do, that's why we came here, you can stop dwellling on it and get on with the reporting. Very little substance for a whole lot of waffling and flailing, and when they do touch on anything like the Gaza genocide or the US government murdering civilians we have Walter there to say it's great and Matt to nod along with it.
Well said. They are becoming like 2 geezers yelling at the TV. Walter is always reminiscing about when he was young, people he knew and knows, inside information, schools he went to and don't forget good old Pops. No guests, no real time preparing.
That time Rob Reiner partnered with James Clapper, Leon Panetta, Jeh Johnson et al to “Investigate Russia” : https://investigaterussia.org/advisory-board
“The Committee to Investigate Russia is a nonprofit, non-partisan resource provided to help Americans recognize and understand the gravity of Russia’s continuing attacks on our democracy.”
Re Trump's comment concerning the death of Rob Reiner: He said good things but he also said what was bad about Rob. I could not care less about what Trump said. I would prefer that to "never speak ill of the dead". I always wondered why. Will they return to haunt you? Why? Trump stated the obvious...Rob Reiner was a talented producer but he had serious mental problems regarding Trump. Rob would have been better served fixing his own disturbed family.
“Never speak ill of the dead,” is a saying that goes back into Ancient Roman times. These sayings, these rules of politeness are part of a deep foundation of western civilized mores and behavior. You guys seem to want to wipe your ass with em. Sometimes I think you people were born in a barn and raised by heathens. Did you never get scolded for having bad manners by grandma? It really shows. You see it in every walk of life. People cutting in line. At the 6th graders Christmas concert, people coming in late and banging around while our precious sweet children are singing! FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, YOU FILTHY ANIMALS!
I know you’d like to rationalize the disgusting statements of your dear leader yesterday but this shit has gone way too far for way too long.
That said, I hope you have a Merry Christmas and give a thought to what that spirit brings with it.
Yeah, because you brought good tidings of great joy with your comment!
John 8:7
And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."
That is a foundational verse. 100%.
You should send that to your dear leader. I'm sure he's never read it, much less considered it.
My dear leader?? You must have omniscient powers. Wow! FYI- Donald Trump is President of the United States... which means he leads ALL US CITIZENS.
Pray for him if you seek change, we should all come together as Americans!
I prefer being polite to the living and don't worry about what is said about the dead unless it is to someone I know who knew them....that also falls under being polite.
Speaking of being impolite, your comment fits the bill nicely. "You people raised in a barn"...apparently you are no exception.
That's the whole thing with MAGAs. It's always "your preference." "It's my preference..." That's the whole point. There used to be something called "good manners." It wasn't about personal preference of action. And here's the thing, when we lose the social constraint on poor behaviors, that's when governments gain power and legitimacy to constrain. Healthy societies police themselves. Walter alluded to this during the Friday TRAIN DREAMS discussion.
Bwahahaha...seek help.
I like to play a game where I take a shot every time Matt finishes talking before Walter interrupts him. It helps me stay sober.
Jimmy Dore has Kurt Metzger…Mattt has Walter.
Love you both, so grateful to both of you!
It seems to me apprehending suspect (s) is the only thing that is mission critical. Attendant to that is accountability. If someone was asleep on the front end that let the suspect escape they too should suffer significant consequences!
Wrong end of the stick, Walter, regarding school shootings. It’s not the ssri meds. (If anything, they make you less angry, calmer.) The shootings coincide with the rise of the internet and the fame/infamy that come along with doing these shootings. The shooters are narcissistic psychopaths. If they have nothing going for them and are bullied they opt to go out in a blaze of glory taking others they perceive as slighting them with them.
Not so sure...I took Zoloft for less than a week (for insomnia)and it messed with me. Stopped after 5-6 days
Real journalism has been supplanted by a video
I don’t think I imagined this: Walter Kirn was a much better listener today. Or at least quieter. Substantially.
Thanks.
It allows Matt (and us) to hear himself think. The result was a thoughtful show. Less frenetic.
Rob Reiner was a loudmouth assahola who had only one mission, kept up verbal abuse non-stop for decades publicly, and people, in one particular person, Rob’s son, had had enough and blew his stack. It happens that Rob was wrong all along: he gave no respect to anyone who opposed him.
Elderly people like Rob do not understand that this is not their world anymore. They are going to be dead soon enough, and younguns (young ones) will carry on. It is younguns’ world. Elderly people need to shut the hell up, slither noiselessly into the background, and let younguns come to the fore.
You write like a real asshole.