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Just from listening to him over the years. I put him in the Noam Chomsky category of leftists who hate the Democratic Party even more than they hate conservatives, because we Democrats won’t agree to a revolution. Seymour Hersh is another:
I've gone through multiple cycles with Taibbi. I think I first started noticing him during the 2008 election, when I found his cynicism off-putting. I remember reading a piece he wrote after Palin was tapped as McCain's running mate that assumed as a matter of course that obviously those red-neck, red-state yokels were going to be taken in by her ridiculous schtick. I thought at the time that I thought he was misreading the moment (although in retrospect maybe he was just eight years ahead of his time?)
There are no debates about whether to teach students the quadratic equation, how to balance a chemical equation, or how to write a five-paragraph essay, for precisely the reason that you identify. These are relatively technical issues that kids need to learn about, and that's it.
I don't have as much experience with Taibbi as you do, but I share your opinion. He's always worth a read even when he's wrong, which is about the highest praise I can give a writer.
I’d say it’s far from clear that kids “need to learn about” these things. In some sense all educational decisions are somewhat political. People of different beliefs don’t all even agree on the purpose of education in the first place.
He’s not a radical leftist. He’s always identified himself and an “ACLU Liberal”. The corporate left attacks him because of the way he equates the right and left wing media (Hate Inc.). He has called Fox News the propaganda arm of the Republican Party.
Okay, cool. Let's start with bringing prayer back into the school and mixing in Christian religious instruction alongside math and chemistry and composition. Then we'll have a debate over whether to incorporate other ideologies into the classroom.fatguyinalittlecoat said:
Nobody plays the "even math is political so politics is unavoidable in education" card when the topic is religious indoctrination in schools. We all get that teaching kids to simplify fractions is qualitatively different from teaching kids to profess that Jesus Christ is their personal savior.
I don’t. As I wrote earlier, I think he’s probably correct about the article. There was an earlier discussion of Taibbi’s politics and I think it’s fair to label him as I did.
I’m completely fine with schools teaching about the history of racism in this country and how it continues to have spillover effects today.
Sure, I agree there’s a spectrum. But you seem to be envisioning the ordinary social studies curriculum as neutral, when those choices also represent a particular ideology.
I keep asking this question. The only answer I get is “the part where they teach kids to hate all white people!” or something to that effect.
He wrote a book on Trump (it was actually a compilation of articles from Rolling Stone) which gave me that distinct impression. Also a series of interviews on Bill Maher and elsewhere.
Yes, that's exactly how I would like to see US history taught. Slavery and it's legacy should be one of the ~3 most central topics.
Not a weird sidebar at all. I think Taibbi’s motivations are worth noting. But I wouldn’t have continued with it if I hadn’t been asked.
I don't think actual graduate-school CRT is a religion. It's fine -- I agree with parts of it and disagree with other parts.
That’s fair.
Agreed. I like Taibbi and it never occurred to me to consider him radical left. Thought of him the way you mention here.
You know Tim you are absolutely right about that. History was my favorite subject in school. I worked in retail my entire life so I worked with a lot of teenagers. One day when I was in the break room it was full of Leesburg High students. I asked if any of them knew what the War of 1812 was about and who won. Not a one of them knew really amazed me.
I’m not sure what all of his political leanings are but as far as I can tell the only thing radical about him is that he doesn’t toe the party line.
I'm actually currently reading Hate Inc. Fantastic book so far that reveals the dirty underbelly of corporate news.
Well for one thing he’s a fan of Bernie Sanders. Bernie is pretty leftist and pretty radical.Thanks.
What makes someone a "radical leftist" to you?
It isn’t. He’s simply wrong. The “corporate left” (whatever that term means, it’s an absurd contradiction anyhow) doesn’t hate Taibbi; corporations don’t hate anyone for that matter. He in turn seems to hate the corporate media but at least part of that may be resentment that he’s not invited enough. @Philo Beddoe is correct that Taibbi equates the mainstream media with Fox News, which is more evidence of his radicalism.
Are tech and media companies not corporations? Are they not part of the left? Did 100 Fortune 500 CEOs not join a call to boycott the Georgia voting laws? Does that make them Conservatives? All led by BlackRock, Vanguard, Goldman Sachs, T Rowe Price, Bain, AIG & Cambridge Associates. 40+ Trillion in assets. They control everything.
Actual CRT has no real business in our elementary/middle schools and an argument can be made for high schools. Problem is, most of what we see today that is being "banned" isn't CRT. I have yet to run across a state law that isn't purposefully vague and poorly worded. There's a reason for that. There's also a reason why we are seeing story after story pop up from kids around the country who don't understand what the "problem" is as what is being made illegal isn't being taught in the first place. Of course several of us predicted exactly this when the GOP created the boogeyman many months ago and it's no real surprise.
This is an odd comment to me. I don't think most liberals have ever thought of Maher as a liberal. It's generally conservatives that think of him as a liberal.
Maher is definitely left of center, and he's definitely a liberal. He just isn't into identity politics (which makes sense, given that identity politics clash with traditional liberalism) and he's not tribal.
I’m old enough to remember when Maher was viewed as a centrist to slightly right leaning libertarian. Then the Republican Party went nuts and he became left leaning.
