Necessary Rant on the Attack on Taibbi/ Shellenberger by US Government.

This committee was not interested in the "Twitter Files" content; they were only concerned about smearing these two well-known and accomplished journalists.

On March 9. 2023, The Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government  held a hearing concerning“The Twitter Files." Matt Taibbi and Michael Shellenberger was not an investigation of the contents of the files but a blatant character assassination of the journalists: a scenario of 'kill the messenger.'

Everyone has experienced seeing or hearing something that remains in their mind. My habit is to use compartmentalization and move on. The week has progressed, and re-watching certain aspects of the hearing has raised my blood pressure to dangerous levels. Writing a small rant about it might stop my temples from pulsating. 

Those on the committee did not ask one question about the contents of the files. In Taibbi's and Shellenberger's opening statements, both were 'chilled' and horrified by what they had discovered. And that was a direct collaboration between government agencies and government officials ordering/requesting Twitter executives to remove certain accounts and opinions that disagreed with their agendas. Taibbi clarified that many 'right wing' accounts were targeted; however, many left-wing " outlets were also targeted. Particularly Consortium News and Truth Dig. This also includes many anti-establishment accounts and critics of the government, both democrat and republican.

This committee was not interested in the "Twitter Files" content; they were only concerned about smearing these two well-known and accomplished journalists. 

Considering many factors, I'll not name any names of those congresspeople who came off as ignorant, aggressive, and in some cases, just plain ridiculous. 

One congressperson (who can't even vote) called Taibbi and Shellenberger "so-called" journalists. In Matt's well-mannered fashion, he retorted he had won numerous awards, worked for Rolling Stone, and had published 11 books, 4 of which hit the NYT Best Seller List. This woman also called both journalists a "threat" to one's they oppose. When Taibbi attempted to reply to these accusations, she ignored him.

This is McCarthyism in full view in 2023.  

Another congressperson called their journalism "unethical."  This goes beyond ironic because this particular politician is infamous for her extensive corruption in the DNC.    

Lastly, another congressperson didn't know what substack.com was; and continually asked Taibbi for his sources. When she asks who Bari Weiss is, both witnesses replied, a journalist.  She then asked, "Is this some sort of threesome?"  The entire chamber smiled and giggled under their breaths. After this fax pau, she continued to ask for Taibbi's sources, as if she was unaware of the US Constitution.  

In this congressional hearing, many of these members revealed themselves as not people interested in the truth but hiding it - and the easy way to do that is to kill the messengers.   

(Julian Assange in solitary confinement is a perfect example) 

This hearing was a clown show, revealing a government attempting to cover its tracks of perpetual corruption.  

As a person who lived in the States for 30 years and now watching this shit show from overseas, it was an embarrassing and annoying experience.