Unf*cking The Republic

We have a special edition of Show Notes today! In a rare occurrence, Max, Manny and 99 were all in the same place and they took to the mics to mark the occasion. Enjoy! -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, TikTok and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Join our Discord at unftr.com/discord. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility. Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is hosted by Max and distributed by 99.Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are there hidden market patterns that signal massive economic change? A weak dollar and rising yield on the ten year treasuries sent Wall Street into panic mode over fears that Trump was torching the global economy with his tariff wars. Since 1945 the U.S. dollar has been the bedrock of the global economy. Trump’s reckless behavior has allies and enemies alike wondering if this is the end of U.S. hegemony in the world. Last week when the dollar and ten year treasury yield briefly split, the global bond market suddenly came into focus and was on everyone’s radar. This episode boils down the jargon to explain what’s going on and why everyone freaked out. Ultimately, while we may not tear down the global order, there’s no question that we won’t restore faith in the U.S. Dollar and economy until Trump is out of office. Access the episode Show Notes. Resources Compound Real Estate Bonds: Bond Vigilantes: Definition, Role & Impact on Markets EWA: The Relationship Between US Dollar Index and US 10 Year Treasury Bond Investopedia: Bonds: Treasury Yields and Interest Rates CNBC: Investors are growing concerned about a U.S. asset exodus as Treasurys and the dollar decline Privalgo: The relationship between bond yields and currencies ScienceDirect: International capital flows and U.S. interest rates St. Louis Fed: Nominal Broad U.S. Dollar Index (DTWEXBGS) St. Louis Fed: Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity, Quoted on an Investment Basis (DGS10) Darden Report Online: What the Sell-Off in Treasuries Means for Your Mortgage The Washington Post: Fact Check: Has Trump declared bankruptcy four or six times? -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, TikTok and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Join our Discord at unftr.com/discord. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility. Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is hosted by Max and distributed by 99.Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We have a cool one for you today, a conversation with New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Currently, Mamdani is a member of the New York State Assembly. He’s a Democratic Socialist running in the Democratic primary against a pretty busy slate of contenders, and he’s polling second to former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who only recently entered the race. Now Mamdani was the first candidate to hit the fundraising threshold for city matching funds—setting it in record time—and doing it primarily through small dollar donations. His campaign is extremely organized, and it’s galvanized New Yorkers in every borough with a stunning clarity of message. Now, in many ways, to us, at least, Zohran has captured the zeitgeist as it feels like his campaign is a proxy for the discontent felt not just in urban areas, but throughout the country. So it’s our great pleasure to welcome to the show Zohran Mamdani. Resources Zohran for NYC Website Zohran on Facebook Zohran on Instagram Zohran on TikTok Zohran on Bluesky UNFTR Resources Watch the interview on YouTube. Access the transcript. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, TikTok and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Join our Discord at unftr.com/discord. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility. Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is hosted by Max and distributed by 99.Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Probably the scariest, most dreaded term in economics is stagflation. Those who lived through the crisis in the 1970s can attest to this. In short, stagflation is defined as a period of low-to-no economic growth combined with high unemployment and high inflation. It’s a deadly recipe that took extraordinary measures to break the last time we experienced this phenomenon, and the method used back then is still highly contested territory. If you’ve heard the term more often in recent months, it’s because some economists are beginning to fear a resurgence of stagflation due to the policies of the Trump administration. So today we’re doing a very deep dive into the economy to discuss the differences between now and the crisis of the ‘70s and show how Trump might be singlehandedly pushing us into an entirely new and preventable stagflation crisis. Access the Show Notes online. Chapters Intro: 00:01:00 The Phillips Curve: 00:03:34 Unemployment and Labor: 00:17:18 Trump's Conundrum: 00:20:05 Time to Rewind: 00:24:53 Lessons and Insights: 00:30:19 Post Show Musings: 00:42:28 Outro: 00:54:13 Resources Investopedia: What Is Stagflation, What Causes It, and Why Is It Bad?  The New York Times: Strong Dollar vs. Weak Dollar Office of the Historian: Oil Embargo, 1973–1974 Federal Reserve History: The Great Inflation NBER: The Nixon Shock after Forty Years: The Import Surcharge Revisited Douglas A. Irwin Working Paper 17749 FRED: Personal Saving Rate FRED: New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units FRED: Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food in U.S. City Average BIG by Matt Stoller UNFTR Episode Resources Housing First: Non-Negotiable #1. The Energy Independence Myth. Building a Civilian Labor Corps: Bracing for the AI Job Apocalypse. Non-Negotiable #2. The Global Order of Money: How Exactly Does It Make the World Go ’Round? -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, TikTok and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility. Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is hosted by Max and distributed by 99.Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fresh off the heels of our fifth and final Non-Negotiables of the Left series, 99 and I spent some time in the studio reviewing feedback from the UNFTR audience. While I stomped my feet like a toddler, 99 was able to finally get me under control and a productive conversation ensued.  The upshot is that the feedback was fairly muted, with most of you signaling that the Climate Trust is out of step with the other four Non-Negotiables. While I stand by the concept of Social Security for the planet and the funding mechanism behind the idea, I hear you. In the consolidated episode that will serve as the baseline for our curriculum moving forward, I’m making notes and adjustments to improve this perspective.  Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Emails + Comments: 00:16:25 Memberships: 01:23:13 Outro: 01:25:42 Resources Spring Fund, Friend, and Hell Raiser: Become a UNFTR Member or donate today, and subscribe to us on YouTube The Ezra Klein Show: Democrats Need to Face Why Trump Won UNFTR Episode Resources The Climate Trust: Non-Negotiable #5. UNFTR Non-Negotiables. A (Mostly) Vegan World. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, TikTok and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility. Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is hosted by Max and distributed by 99. Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic."Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this final segment of the series, the urgent call to confront climate change takes center stage. The podcast introduces The Climate Trust, aiming to fund climate action through reallocating Social Security taxes from the wealthy. It tackles the complexities of energy production, particularly nuclear energy, and the need for systemic societal transformation. The discussion emphasizes grassroots activism and the balancing act between ambitious climate initiatives and public support while stressing the importance of addressing climate justice for future generations.

This week is an attempt to organize disparate content pieces from the past few weeks. Thoughts on third parties, Trump’s address to the joint session of Congress (which we mistakenly referred to as the State of the Union, oops!), notes on the final non-negotiables and random thoughts Max is working through. We’ve got a mashup of sorts on our hands so prepare for a bit of rambling. Resources UNFTR Non-Negotiables Associated Press: Elissa Slotkin delivers Democratic response to Trump’s speech Britannica: United States presidential election of 1912 Time: How Ross Perot Changed Political Campaigns LWV: The League's History Sponsoring Presidential Debates The Commission on Presidential Debates Tampa Bay Times: Nader, Buchanan kept out of debate -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, TikTok and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility. Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is hosted by Max and distributed by 99. Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic."Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The movement to get money out of politics will take a very long time. I know people don’t want to hear that. My guess is, in the best case scenario, we’re looking at 20 years. Best case. If it makes you feel any better, the movement to get money into politics took 181 years so by that measure, two decades to unravel what took 181 to build isn’t all that bad. Either we’re committed to playing the long game or not. The assholes that got us here were. Chapters Intro: 00:00:33 Chapter One: Non-Negotiable #4. 00:01:11 Chapter Two: The Long and Winding Road to Citizens United. 00:07:05 Chapter Three: Media Complicity. The Revolution Was Already Televised. 00:16:46 Chapter Four: Defying Its Creator. The Tale of Mitch McGolem. 00:20:43 Bring it Home, Max: 00:28:47 Post Show Musings: 00:37:13 Outro: 01:11:09 Resources OpenSecrets: Money-in-Politics Timeline Brennan Center for Justice: Since Citizens United, a Decade of Super PACs Cambridge University: Dark Parties: Unveiling Nonparty Communities in American Political Campaigns De Gruyter: Television Advertising in the 2022 Midterms De Gruyter: Digital Advertising in the 2022 Midterms Bowdoin College: Government Scholar Michael Franz on Impact of Ads during the 2024 Election Cycle Brennan Center for Justice: Life Tenure for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Is a Global Oddity with Clear Costs Ballotpedia News: Looking ahead at 2025 ranked-choice voting legislation Justia: Citizens United v. FEC | 558 U.S. 310 (2010) Senate: Saving American Democracy Amendment  Constitution Center: Interpretation: The Twenty-Seventh Amendment American Promise CampaignFinanceReform.org Book Love Adam Jentleson: Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy Kermit L. Hall: The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States UNFTR Episode Resources Housing First. Building a Civilian Labor Corps: Bracing for the AI Job Apocalypse. Medicare for All. Project 2025. What’s the Deal with Peter Thiel? “Russputin” and the Tsar. Convention of States. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, TikTok and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility. Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is hosted by Max and distributed by 99. Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic."Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Max and 99 are back for Show Notes! They catch up with some movie talk and dive deep into the Non-Negotiables and hives. Enjoy! Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Housekeeping: 00:19:47 Emails: 00:32:20 Memberships: 01:23:32 Outro: 01:24:59 Resources Join us on Bluesky and Discord Ken Lefkowitz: Medicare For All: An Economic Rationale Abdul El-Sayed and Micah Johnson: Medicare For All: A Citizen’s Guide Unf*cker Recommendations Michael Bazzell: Extreme Privacy: What It Takes to Disappear Electronic Frontier Foundation Kevin Mitnick: The Art of Invisibility + The Art of Deception The Guardian: US immigration is gaming Google to create a mirage of mass deportations UNFTR Episode Resources Housing First. A Civilian Labor Corps. Medicare For All. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, TikTok and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility. Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is hosted by Max and distributed by 99. Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic."Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The discussion highlights how Donald Trump represents the culmination of the neoliberal era in the U.S., presenting a critical view of his influence. Elon Musk emerges as a key figure in the new corporate colonialism, embodying the challenges to democracy. The need for grassroots organizing against tech oligarchs is emphasized as a way to protect economic and political stability. Moreover, geopolitical shifts, particularly Indonesia's rise, and their implications for American foreign policy are examined, alongside potential crises echoing historical revolutions.