Matt Taibbi on the Twitter Files
An interview with Matt Taibbi on how Democratic operatives and US intelligence officials pressured Twitter to validate Russiagate and censor dissenting voices.
Matt Taibbi joins The Grayzone’s Max Blumenthal and Aaron Maté to discuss his reporting on internal Twitter files exposing US government pressure on the social media giant to validate Russiagate propaganda — and censor dissenting voices.
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I just wanted to say I'm a "left leftist" or whatever that term was and I think what you're doing with the Twitter files is incredibly important. It baffles me so much that people don't understand that a) Elon Musk is the theoretically richest person in the world because of these same media forces who have far more power than he does and b) This has nothing to do with Elon Musk when it comes down to it. Absolutely nothing to do with him. He didn't work there at the time. The confirmation of the censorship and lies that anyone who was paying attention could see being is extremely helpful. For many of us the past 6+ years have been like a nationwide exercise in gaslighting. I totally agree that it started to make us all feel crazy even if we didn't ever get sucked into it. I completely agree about the need for a truth and reconciliation process. There are some people who really need to lose their jobs or do some serious mea culpas so this can end.
The bigger part of this discussion that hasn't really been had yet is the impact of Russiagate on support for the Ukraine proxy war and how deeply problematic it is that people have become so Russophobic and brain poisoned by all of these stories that were not true. When you pair that with war coverage that is absolutely fantasy - erasing history and context and lying through their teeth about what is actually happening- It paints a really dystopian portrait of our future if this doesn't happen.
I don't understand where people are picking up some of their attitudes towards these stories, but it is concerning. And I still have friends who are leftists who get what's going on and follow these stories, although it's less than I would like to see. I've been trying to identify who the key people there are listening to to form these opinions are but I haven't been able to figure it out yet.
Either way, keep up the good work, along with Aaron and Max. It's definitely needed. I've followed your work for the better part of 15 years... Certainly not going anywhere. And as this type of work loops in closer with the anti-imperialist and intelligence critical crowd, I'm actually finding more overlap with other journalists who I've listened to for years. Maybe it's just the beginning of something new - It's good to see a lot of journalists who were willing to stand up to disinformation and misinformation on different fronts - be it war or financial or partisan -coming together to talk about these subjects.
Well done! Arguably the most informative discussion about the Twitter Files, Russiagate, and intelligence agency shaping of what Americans see and hear.
Don't miss the conversation among Matt Taibbi, Max Blumenthal, and Aaron Mate'.