Taibbi's Goldman Sachs Rolling Stone Piece: Writer Strikes Back

True/Slant:

After my Rolling Stone piece about Goldman, Sachs hit the newsstands last week (unfortunately the piece is not yet up on the magazine's web site, so I can't link to it yet -- but it is out in print), I started to get a lot of mail. Most of it was thoughtful and respectful criticism, although there was an amusingly large number of people writing in impassioned defense of their right, under our American system, to be ripped off by large impersonal financial companies.

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Comments

[Westof405]

It's easy to criticize Taibbi's article based on the style alone, but if you look beyond that, you can see how companies like Goldman manipulate our economy for their own self interest, which is what capitalism is all about.

If you read any of David Cay Johnston's books, Free Lunch or Perfectly Legal or Naomi Klein's book, Shock Doctrine, you will get an even bigger picture about how corporate greed corrupts our political system here at home and abroad and robs us of billions of dollars every year.

Well done Matt, keep up the good work.

[psch]

Naomi's book was an interesting read. Will check out the others suggested by "Westof405".

I'm sure someone's already said something along these lines, but let me say it again. In my opinion Matt's article highlights our own weakness as a society. We were all too willing to jump into the pot of water, in the hopes of getting a chunk of the action. Instead the financial industry turned up the heat on us (removed regulations) and we let them. Instead of jumping out when we should have we got slowly boiled to the point where can't get out and now just cry foul.

If we don't put our collective voice out there and make sure they are heard, then let's also stop whinning.

The question we each need to answer for ourselves is; do we want to have unlimited ups and downs or do we want ups and downs within certain protective boundaries?

[tuberider]

As the tuberider, I must correct you. The word is "dude" not dood. Watch out Goldman. We got our eyes peeled.

[tuberider]

"It's difficult to get a man to understand something whose salary depends on him not understanding it." Matt Taibbi's piece was outstanding. Do NOT be intimidated. Do NOT be bamboozled. We will NOT allow power reign over horse sense. If I promise not to call certain attractive, well dressed, powerful people "schmucks", will you please print this? I just wanted to say thanks to Mr. Taibbi before even that is no longer allowed. THANK YOU!

[jsgaetano]

Goldman Sachs and their far right astroturfers must be out in full force now.

[GroundhogBoy]

Having read Taibbi's book, the Great Derangement, it's kind of sad to watch him do the same thing with the Goldman article that the 9/11 conspirators do with unsupported fact. At least in that book, he embedded himself amongst evangelicals and took "truther's" head-on. He actually got the views of the other people first-hand.

[PS9]

A little Goldman envy?

[msjimmied]

If it was not for Matt Taibbi and Tyler Durden, Goldman and the rest of the miscreants would not stop. Taibbi has written so many articles other than on financials that have been brilliant, and Tyler's non stop revelations on zerohedge is amazing. Thank you guys, from the bottom of my heart.

[Carolab]

Don't forget Michael Hudson, Ellen Brown and Michel Chossodovsky!

[Carolab]

And, Matt, are you aware that the head of the Bank for International Settlements new Financial Stability Board is a former Goldman Sachs man, too?

[VS007]

Thank you Mr Taibbi.

Nothing good has come out of Goldman Sachs, and this gambling company plays a huge gamble on American economy.

[plebeianswillrevolt]

Love it... Pee Wee Harmans's rich and thieving uncle.

[themodernleader]

Where the "free press" is owned and controlled by unwonted wealth, the ordinary citizen is at their mercy. It is impossible to assess, judge and vote rationally with poisonous knowledge dominating the national agenda.
Taibbi is attempting to bring some balance in reporting reality-based knowledge. And the arrogant thieves of Goldman Sachs brush him off like a horse brushes off a horsefly. I would do the same knowing that the President's treasury and men are under my control.
When a country permits the financial interests to dominate the economic and political interests, that country is like the goat being crushed and swallowed by the Anaconda. There is no escape from its appetite of greed, selfishness and corruption.

[alabaman]

There are some libertarian economists who really do believe the free market should be a Wild West, and whoever is left standing up after the plundering is over is the winner.

[JackRusselTerrier]

Great piece Matt.
It's nice to see a reporter who can sift through the BS. There is already too much propaganda. What the world needs is the blunt truth.

A good friend doesn't tell you what you want to hear. A good friend tells what you need to hear.

[NYCPub]

Someone get this dood an honorable law degree and we can make him Attorney General post-haste!

[cavegal]

Matt you are definitely the best contributing editor any magazine could have, Rolling Stone is damn lucky. Great job calling out the new "Carbon Casino"! :) Looks like Goldman Sachs will literally be policing themselves on that disaster in waiting. Your original bubble piece prompted several of us to start poring over the actual bill and look at the CBO's budget analysis. What a mess but we're sure you already knew that! You and Dennis Kucinich get the brass cajones award for being REAL MEN!!

[Telemachus]

"[T]here was an amusingly large number of people writing in impassioned defense of their right, under our American system, to be ripped off by large impersonal financial companies.­"

Yes, this is odd, isn't it? And usually these are the same people who turn out in droves to defeat a 1/10 of a percent increase in property taxes to pay for a school or library -- all the while railing against "big government".

[apoyo]

They are the same people who consistently vote against their own self interest.

They are deluded in thinking that trickle down economics will one day make them just as rich.
They think they are players when in fact they are just dumb stooges.

[anti-fascist]

Bravo -Well said

But apologies to Moe Larry and Curly

AF

[sloreader]

Their behavior would be hilarious if it was on the margins of our collective existence but we are talking about remarkably large numbers of people who believe helping corporations is the way to help themselves, regardless of circumstances.

[raker]

Loved Taibbi's article, but not your crack about property tax increases. My town seeks an increase above the state-mandated maximum every year on our already eye-popping taxes, and by some odd coincidence it's always needed for teachers or police or the library or motherhood or apple pie. It's never for the absurd Celebratio­n-Florida-­ish street lights they put in for no good reason in our teeny-tiny one-horse town, or the extravagantly expensive clock in the town center of our tucked-away little village, or the grand but sparsely attended new senior center in our pissant little burg, or the blizzard of street signs that went up recently, or the umpteenth athletic field they built, or the fortunes they piss away for "studies" to find where else they can piss away more money. The people who say they love the library so they vote to increase taxes with no questions asked are lazy, uninformed, and guilty of shabby citizenship, despite their smug self-satisfaction, just like the twits who think it's patriotic to let themselves get screwed by the financial industry.