Ditto! We could use a "Glossary of Fabulists" to quick reference articles like this when uninformed dodos retweet things like the supposed Hasan "take-down" of Taibbi/Twitter files.
This is a seriously brilliant idea - someone should absolutely do this, as long as it also contained a section on the reformed - usually the ones who "see the light" after the machine they supported and defended runs them over without remorse.
Going out on a limb here — even created this account, and paid for a sub just so I could leave this comment — but funny story I actually created a thing with a similar function using Obsidian and would love to keep it going given additional help time resources.
Obsidian has this beautiful interactive graph function and publishing option (i.e. a public database of elite deplorables making them quickly searchable names and links to all political, corporate, and military/intelligence ties (articles, docs, etc)).
Haven't touched it in a while. It's a genuine work of love but I have no time to keep going at the moment. If anyone wants to join me, we could set up a joint obsidian account and start some kind of working group in the near future?
Should I mention I cold emailed Max B. at Grayzone about the idea and he's interested. Getting feet on this could potentially mean this glossary ending up as a public utility on their website. Just a thought.
In shot 2, it becomes so obvious why this tool is valuable. Seeing the links between US military contractors Blackwater, and one of its execs Erik Prince, and all of the other shell companies they're connected with becomes a physical experience. Each node is a button that opens the associated text.
I looked at your screenshots and WOW! My challenge today is to be productive and not fall down the Obsidian rabbit hole. Tell me what help I can provide now, and then what help once I spend some time getting to understand Obsidian. I'd definitely be interested in participating in a working group. I look forward to moving ahead.
The next step, I imagine, is opening up a shared account and moving the existing data there. The two obvious points for help are continuing to add more info and later, when things are more robust, sorting out how to keep it public/alive i.e. funded.
I'm glad you're interested, also in over my head because this has been dormant a while so resurrecting it is unexpected! and with the potential to make it grow! Email me and we can begin fleshing out the working group logistics.
You just made my day. I knew Hasan’s background and penchant for ad hominem. But the plagiarism was new info. My only criticism of Taibbi was showing up to a machine gun fight with a pocket knife. You brought a bazooka and an Apache gunship.
Don’t sleep, unless you can research and write while dozing.
This article is so thoughtfully put together. I saw Hason as an arrogant narcissist that prides himself at winning an argument at all cost (loathsome qualities) I saw Matt as someone who naively thought his discoveries and research were going to be explored. It was a set up by someone that doesn’t deserve to be in the same room as Matt.
I think Matt's mistake was coming in expecting an honest discussion. How he could expect that when Mehdi Hasan was in the room is a hard lesson learned.
Brutal. Not gonna lie though, when I read the title I thought this had something to do with BDSM. Now I have "Mehdi Hasan" and "pro-spanking" forever associated in the worst way.
A bit relieved that the actual work he ripped was a disciplinary argument for hitting your kids, especially after reading his appalling "conservative" cover letter. Yeesh.
Fantastic writing, as usual, and a perfect header image for the article. "Win Every Argument" is a title that lets you know exactly what's going on here. It's not about truth, or justice and it's certainly not about what's best for humanity. It's about dominating your opponent. It's the kind of title that will appeal to narcissists and appall people who still dare to believe in the cooperative spirit of democracy.
I'm happy to see you publishing the truth and I'm so happy to see the community here. Thanks for being a light in this darkness Lee!
Wow, devastating, you really got his number. A true hypocrite, a loyalist to liberal elites, with shoddy, dishonest work. After all his preening about integrity and accountability, always smearing those with whom he disagrees, it’s good to see you respond substantively to his ludicrous attack on you. And of course, he still refuses to address the evidence of the govt/ngo/social media cooperation to censor and shape information that he seems so keen to deny or obfuscate. But as you point out, these sorts of positions are required for a liberal pundit. Look forward to more reporting from you. Are there more twitter files stories in the oven? Has Musk really shut down the access, as his comments last week suggested?
Pure gold. I'm running out of time in the day to read all the Substackers to which I now subscribe but this article made your writing a must! Thanks for being a real journalist.
I wasn’t planning on subscribing but after I read this, I just couldn’t help it.
Well done Mr Fang.
Mehdi is so fake and empty. I remember his debate with Richard Dawkins. When Dawkins asked him if Islam punishes apostasy with Death. Mehdi had to lie to save face. And this is how he “Allegedly” wins arguments.
He has a duplicity life where he is a conservative devoted Muslim Condemning homosexuality and abortion to his fellow Muslims and then when the camera switch is turned on at MSNBC he becomes a progressive liberal LGBTQ advocate.
It is despicable how he uses his identity to falsely attack and label people who disagree with him. He made his religion into just a tool. No, criticism of Qatar and of Mehdi isn’t islamophopia. Mehdi should be ashamed of himself.
Damn. Do not get on the wrong side of Lee Fang. Great work.
Ever think about making a wiki of people like this? "Legion Of Hypocrites"?
It would be nice to have an easy resource to quickly prove to others when a pundit or politician is full of shit.
I daresay, this article is a right spanking.
"Legion Of Hypocrites"? Perfect
Ditto! We could use a "Glossary of Fabulists" to quick reference articles like this when uninformed dodos retweet things like the supposed Hasan "take-down" of Taibbi/Twitter files.
This is a seriously brilliant idea - someone should absolutely do this, as long as it also contained a section on the reformed - usually the ones who "see the light" after the machine they supported and defended runs them over without remorse.
Going out on a limb here — even created this account, and paid for a sub just so I could leave this comment — but funny story I actually created a thing with a similar function using Obsidian and would love to keep it going given additional help time resources.
Obsidian has this beautiful interactive graph function and publishing option (i.e. a public database of elite deplorables making them quickly searchable names and links to all political, corporate, and military/intelligence ties (articles, docs, etc)).
Haven't touched it in a while. It's a genuine work of love but I have no time to keep going at the moment. If anyone wants to join me, we could set up a joint obsidian account and start some kind of working group in the near future?
Should I mention I cold emailed Max B. at Grayzone about the idea and he's interested. Getting feet on this could potentially mean this glossary ending up as a public utility on their website. Just a thought.
Here are some screenshots of the project so far:
https://drive.proton.me/urls/9VQF6QM8VG#DX70KmFfvzBv
In shot 2, it becomes so obvious why this tool is valuable. Seeing the links between US military contractors Blackwater, and one of its execs Erik Prince, and all of the other shell companies they're connected with becomes a physical experience. Each node is a button that opens the associated text.
Shot 3 is an example of the notes. Just try the live demo of Obisidian Publish if you want the full effect: https://help.obsidian.md/Obsidian/Index
As it grows we would, of course, add characters like Mehdi Hasan.
So there you have it!
I looked at your screenshots and WOW! My challenge today is to be productive and not fall down the Obsidian rabbit hole. Tell me what help I can provide now, and then what help once I spend some time getting to understand Obsidian. I'd definitely be interested in participating in a working group. I look forward to moving ahead.
The next step, I imagine, is opening up a shared account and moving the existing data there. The two obvious points for help are continuing to add more info and later, when things are more robust, sorting out how to keep it public/alive i.e. funded.
I'm glad you're interested, also in over my head because this has been dormant a while so resurrecting it is unexpected! and with the potential to make it grow! Email me and we can begin fleshing out the working group logistics.
mail@bilhan.website
Wasn't sure how to respond to the thread here (Substack noob). See my response to Lori. Get in touch if you're interested in joining forces.
I like how you fight back! This guy needs to be called out, and you are doing just that.
I really like that he takes up for Matt. Says a lot about Lee's character :)
You just made my day. I knew Hasan’s background and penchant for ad hominem. But the plagiarism was new info. My only criticism of Taibbi was showing up to a machine gun fight with a pocket knife. You brought a bazooka and an Apache gunship.
Don’t sleep, unless you can research and write while dozing.
There are no grades of vanity, there are only grades of ability in concealing it.
Mark Twain
Pitch perfect
at least he gave credit.. LOL
Great job!
I converted from free to paid subscriber after reading this one!
Keep up the heat on those condescending, intolerant, morally bankrupt media jackals.
Thank you, Kurt
Thank you, Lee!
They deserve to be nailed for their many ethical failings and spineless smears.
Hell, If you just wrote about the lies on MSNBC alone you could write a piece on every show that airs every day!
Dang. This article got my money too!! I must be a mean person. because I just LOVED seeing him torch the blowhard, Hasan. So worth the subscription.
Lee is in our side and knows how to fight back against the corrupt, progressive media.
These comments have exploded like a volcano. Lee, keep feeding the volcano. Please!
So did I.
Taibbi: The hilarity of this coming from MSNBC which did nothing but vomit up fake Russia-gate stories that came straight from the FBI.
Hasan: I wasn't here during that period so I have nothing to apologize for.
Wish more pundits would point out that Hasan didn't bother to deny Matt's claims against MSNBC......
This article is so thoughtfully put together. I saw Hason as an arrogant narcissist that prides himself at winning an argument at all cost (loathsome qualities) I saw Matt as someone who naively thought his discoveries and research were going to be explored. It was a set up by someone that doesn’t deserve to be in the same room as Matt.
I think Matt's mistake was coming in expecting an honest discussion. How he could expect that when Mehdi Hasan was in the room is a hard lesson learned.
I totally agree.
Oh great, another facts-first substack I have to subscribe to. This site is killing me
I feel your pain and more - I’m paying in Canadian dollars!
Brutal. Not gonna lie though, when I read the title I thought this had something to do with BDSM. Now I have "Mehdi Hasan" and "pro-spanking" forever associated in the worst way.
A bit relieved that the actual work he ripped was a disciplinary argument for hitting your kids, especially after reading his appalling "conservative" cover letter. Yeesh.
Fantastic writing, as usual, and a perfect header image for the article. "Win Every Argument" is a title that lets you know exactly what's going on here. It's not about truth, or justice and it's certainly not about what's best for humanity. It's about dominating your opponent. It's the kind of title that will appeal to narcissists and appall people who still dare to believe in the cooperative spirit of democracy.
I'm happy to see you publishing the truth and I'm so happy to see the community here. Thanks for being a light in this darkness Lee!
You got a subscribe from me. Awesome substack writers going to make me broke.
I appreciate it, much more reporting to come to hopefully make the sub worth it
Wow, devastating, you really got his number. A true hypocrite, a loyalist to liberal elites, with shoddy, dishonest work. After all his preening about integrity and accountability, always smearing those with whom he disagrees, it’s good to see you respond substantively to his ludicrous attack on you. And of course, he still refuses to address the evidence of the govt/ngo/social media cooperation to censor and shape information that he seems so keen to deny or obfuscate. But as you point out, these sorts of positions are required for a liberal pundit. Look forward to more reporting from you. Are there more twitter files stories in the oven? Has Musk really shut down the access, as his comments last week suggested?
Forensic dissection. If it were anyone but Mehdi, I'd be feeling sorry for him right now.
I just signed up. Looking forward to reading more of your work.
Just having someone confirm my impression of Hason is worth the $$. He is such an obnoxious BULLY.
Same!
Pure gold. I'm running out of time in the day to read all the Substackers to which I now subscribe but this article made your writing a must! Thanks for being a real journalist.
Thank you, I will be publishing more reporting soon, hope to make your sub worthwhile
You already have;)
I wasn’t planning on subscribing but after I read this, I just couldn’t help it.
Well done Mr Fang.
Mehdi is so fake and empty. I remember his debate with Richard Dawkins. When Dawkins asked him if Islam punishes apostasy with Death. Mehdi had to lie to save face. And this is how he “Allegedly” wins arguments.
He has a duplicity life where he is a conservative devoted Muslim Condemning homosexuality and abortion to his fellow Muslims and then when the camera switch is turned on at MSNBC he becomes a progressive liberal LGBTQ advocate.
It is despicable how he uses his identity to falsely attack and label people who disagree with him. He made his religion into just a tool. No, criticism of Qatar and of Mehdi isn’t islamophopia. Mehdi should be ashamed of himself.