The Interesting Case of Matt Taibbi
...Journalistic PTSD?
Max Blumenthal on Matt Taibbi and Irrelevance
10/8/25 on Briahna Joy Gray’s “Bad Faith” Youtube channel, she and Max Blumenthal talked about Matt Taibbi’s reluctance to discuss Gaza or Zionism. The link above is just a few minutes of that conversation and Max points out that the reason Matt gets asked about this is because he is respected. That these aren’t “gotcha” questions — that an unwillingness to engage is going to lead to irrelevance, a disengagement by those that do care about what Matt thinks, that what his opinion is on the subject as an excellent journalist is important. Matt Taibbi earned that respect for at least 17 years of work from the 2008 financial crash onward, if not actually back to his Rolling Stone days. Consistently and persistently, he spoke a very direct, nonpartisan, truth to power.
I have that respect for him but the last few months of his posts in particular are difficult to reconcile with the guy that wrote Insane Clown President with its very prescient take on the decline of our democracy on both sides. I remember, during Occupy Wallstreet, wondering WTF that was all about. I lived in Jersey (exit 9), none of my friends, liberal or otherwise, had any interest in it. It was Matt that pointed out, and I am just vaguely paraphrasing, that it was pretty much trust fund kids being pissed they weren’t getting a bigger piece of the pie and when they yelled “Jump” it was at their bosses. :-)
Now we get a post on Bari Weiss (9/5/25) that posits that everyone upset about her taking over CBS is envious over a big payday. It is a serious extended diatribe against journalism, and journalists, it feels like quite the personal grudge match: “What a bunch of jealous, worthless losers.” Really if we have to allow Bari Weiss to be who she is and opine as she does, why slam everyone else for doing the same. Where’s the engagement with the very serious issue of Larry Ellison and money continuing to corrupt media, and in particular how Ms. Weiss is now the voice of Hasbara v2? Matt isn’t wrong about all the problems he cites but it isn’t an easy read for sure. It isn’t a relevant read either.
Then there’s the 10/8/25 post on James Comey. It is a very truthful, well documented, indictment of the man, the machine and the corruption of democracy he represents. Again, though—relevant? Well, Matt ends with “Characters like Comey can’t just ride off into sunsets of inflated book deals and teaching gigs anymore. They can’t all get away with it, can they?” Yes Matt they can, they all can. You were the one who equated Russia, Russia, Russia with WMD. Ummm how many of the Bush, Jr central cabal were brought to justice? You told us about how many of these assholes just keep showing up, administration after administration. So YES, they will all get away with it. Not really relevant, sadly.
10/27/25’s “The Great Leftist Ignorance Scam”. Oh my god. The entirety of the Left knows that some kid who was stupid enough to get a Nazi tat (no one is ever that baked) is probably still stupid. Let’s review. DNC has 25% approval, FLUFFING FINALLY, everyone but boomer Dems know it is a rigged game and we cannot do this anymore. The Left has to do what republicans did when they first chose Trump — in order to completely convey to their party that party choices suck, they went for the outsider. Dems have to do that now and Platner and Mamdani, these are the first shots across the bow that says FU to Chuckie Schumer and the morally bankrupt Party. Mamdani isn’t any worse than Cuomo and Platner, well if Mainers choose him he isn’t worse than Susan Collins. You wanted change, this is where it starts by not going with the DNC choice. Nor will the discontented Left go Right. Not just irrelevant as a post, atrociously missing the point. [Just as an aside, the age 30 and unders, they reject electoral politics altogether and are fine with Socialism.]
Maybe I’ve moved some other direction but it doesn’t feel that way. It feels way more like vendetta journalism. Maybe after 20 years of screaming as loud as he could, “the end is nigh” and it seemed to have made very little difference, Matt’s just tired. Maybe having the Dem establishment send the IRS to your house as an intimidation tactic, and being smeared by the left, despair sets in and I can see a case made for journalistic PTSD. Although honestly, yer not doing it right if someone doesn’t like you and you really know you’ve made it when everyone hates you. It seems like it’s not fun for him anymore and no we don’t want him to be a dancing monkey. Maybe you hit 55 and you just miss enjoying your work; I know I got there. Matt still is telling the truth and he still is on the right side of history. Maybe the answer to what is relevant while Rome burns is “fuck all”. On the other hand, maybe a month off and some self-medication would help? A hug and a thank you?
Kath