Unf*cking The Republic

Hustle Culture relies on the toxic myth of rugged individualism. Four out of every ten Americans rely on “side-hustles” in the gig economy to make ends meet. For many these side hustles are the only source of income. For decades our political leaders have sold the myth of self-reliance rather than bolstering worker protections. The result is a population that lives in economic precarity and without the benefits and peace of mind associated with steady labor guarantees. There’s nothing inherently wrong with entrepreneurism but our political economy takes advantage of this mindset to strip away safety nets and blame those who cannot fend for themselves. Chapters Intro: 00:00:39 Chapter One: The Bipartisan Consensus on Self-Reliance. 00:04:01 Chapter Two: The Psychology of Rugged Individualism. 00:10:27 Chapter Three: The AI Acceleration: Nothing New Here. 00:16:52 Chapter Four: Reimagining Work. 00:24:37 Resources Economic Policy Institute: National survey of gig workers paints a picture of poor working conditions, low pay Upwork: Freelance Forward 2023 MBO Partners: Authentic and Intentional: State of Independence in America 2024 ADP Research: Illuminating the Shadow Workforce: Insights into the Gig Workforce in Businesses Bureau of Labor Statistics: Union Membership (Annual) News Release Bureau of Labor Statistics: Union Members Summary Bureau of Labor Statistics: Civilian labor force participation rate Axios: Behind the Curtain: A white-collar bloodbath St. Louis Federal Reserve (FRED): Labor Force Participation Rate Economic Policy Institute: 16 million workers were unionized in 2024 Book Love Giovanni Arrighi: The Long Twentieth Century: Money, Power and the Origins of Our Times UNFTR Resources Un-Cooperative: Why Worker Co-Ops Don’t Work in America. Strike! Reality checking the labor movement. Understanding Socialism: A History of Socialist Thought from Beccaria to Trotsky. Video: What They Don’t Tell You About Hustle Culture -- 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Max and 99 are back at it for another edition of Show Notes! They cover a few trending headlines plus Trump Stablecoin ep. feedback, and have an unnecessarily long conversation about soap. Enjoy! Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Headlines: 00:12:14 Episode Feedback: 00:51:32 Memberships: 01:25:42 Outro: 01:30:12 Headlines New York Times: Cracker Barrel’s New Modern Logo and Aesthetic Become a Political Rorschach Test The Guardian: Target CEO steps down as company faces weak sales and customer boycott CNBC: Former Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon questions stock drop: ‘It was about as good of a quarter as any retailer could have in any environment’ The Guardian: CEO-to-worker pay gap surges to 632 to 1 at US’s lowest-paying large firms, study shows USA Today: Eric Adams adviser accused of bribery after giving reporter cash inside potato chip bag New York Times: Goodbye, $165,000 Tech Jobs. Student Coders Seek Work at Chipotle Resources UNFTR Resources Environment The Bulwark: Is Tim Miller closer to endorsing Zohran Mamdani than Hakeem Jeffries is? Petition: Stop Trump's USD1 Stablecoin Video, Max for MTN: Trump’s SHADOW CRYPTO Network is WORSE Than You Think Video: Trump's Crypto Scheme MUST Be Stopped Episode: Trump is Looting the Treasury. Congress: S.394 - GENIUS Act of 2025 Congress: H.R.3633 - Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 Congress: H.R.1919 - Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act Molly White Citation Needed Molly White on Bluesky -- 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump has laid the groundwork to become one of the wealthiest people on the planet by personally making money from every dollar printed in the United States. And the worse the economy gets, the more money he stands to make. The House has already passed three crypto bills that would make this potential a reality by allowing the Trump family to control the global stablecoin market. Now it’s up to the Senate. It’s a wild story that the media won’t report on because they don’t get it. But some very powerful people have figured it out and now the race is on to stop Trump from becoming the shadow central banker to the world. Chapters Intro: 00:00:35 Chapter One: Bitcoin and Burgers. 00:01:17 Chapter Two: The Stablecoin Genius. 00:07:15 Chapter Three: FIAT. 00:12:40 Chapter Four: Crypto Fasist. 00:17:34 Chapter Five: Looting the Treasury. 00:28:53 Chapter Six: 00:38:59 Resources Sign the Petition To Stop the Senate From Passing These Bills Stablecoin Resources The Coin Republic: Tether Leads Crypto Revenue Chart With $87M Weekly Fees Corporate Finance Institute: Tether Cointelegraph: Tether made $5.2B in 2024: Here’s how stablecoins make money Onchain: How Businesses Generate Revenue With Stablecoins Webisoft: How Do Stablecoins Make Money? [The Crypto Finance] Binance: How Do Stable Coin Issuers Make Money? Gemini: What Is USDC? How Does It Work? White Paper: SoK: Stablecoin Designs, Risks, and the Stablecoin LEGO White Paper: Stablecoins: Fundamentals, Emerging Issues, and Open Challenges White Paper: Hybrid Monetary Ecosystems: Integrating Stablecoins and Fiat in the Future of Currency Systems Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City: Stablecoins Could Increase Treasury Demand, but Only by Reducing Demand for Other Assets Bitbo: Stablecoin Issuers Now Hold $182B in US Treasuries Bitstamp: What is Circle? Regulation and Legislation Resources Federal Reserve: Federal Reserve Board announces the withdrawal of guidance for banks related to their crypto-asset and dollar token activities and related changes to its expectations for these activities  Yahoo Finance: Trump signs stablecoin bill into law, capping string of ‘Crypto Week’ victories Associated Press: Senate passes crypto regulations, sends to House without addressing Trump’s investments Congress: S.394 - GENIUS Act of 2025 Congress: H.R.3633 - Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 Congress: H.R.1919 - Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act Politico: Crypto industry amasses colossal war chest for elections Public Citizen: Big Crypto, Big Spending: Crypto Corporations Spend an Unprecedented $119 Million Influencing Elections AInvest:  Senator Gillibrand’s $217,000 Crypto Donations Fuel GENIUS Act Debate ETF Trends: Corporate Crypto Adoption Trends Remain Encouraging Trump & Crypto Resources Bloomberg: Binance Aided Trump Crypto Firm Before Founder CZ Sought Pardon Binance Academy: What Is World Liberty Financial USD (USD1)? American Bazaar: World Liberty Financial, tied to Trump, grows ETH holdings to $275 million BingX: What Is USD1 Stablecoin Launched by the World Liberty Financial (WLFI)? MEXC: What is USD1? Complete Guide to World Liberty Financial’s Revolutionary Stablecoin Common Dreams: How GOP’s Crypto Bills Would Benefit Trump and His Family New York Times: What to Know About the Three Crypto Regulation Bills in Congress NPR: A ‘Crypto Week’ win: Congress passes 1st major crypto legislation in the U.S. TOKEN2049: A Fireside Chat with Eric Trump and World Liberty Financial Wall Street Journal: The Recipe Behind the Trump Family’s Crypto Riches: PancakeSwap BusinessWire: ALT5 Sigma Corporation Announces $1.5 Billion Registered Direct Offering and Concurrent Private Placement to Initiate World Liberty Financial $WLFI Treasury Strategy Reuters: Trump's stablecoin chosen for $2 billion Abu Dhabi investment in Binance, co-founder says Definitional Resources Brookings: What are stablecoins, and how are they regulated? The Block: What are the advantages and disadvantages of stablecoins? Binance: Stablecoins vs. Fiat Money: Why are they a good option? Polkadot: CBDCs vs. Stablecoin: Competing visions for digital currency Fireblocks: State of Stablecoins 2025 International Resources Atlantic Council: Central bank digital currencies versus stablecoins: Divergent EU and US perspectives Reuters: Crypto firm Tether and its founders finalizing move to El Salvador BIS: The next-generation monetary and financial system UNFTR Resources The Global Order of Money. Video: Trump's Crypto Scheme MUST Be Stopped -- 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently took himself out of the running to take over as Chair of the Federal Reserve at the end of Jerome Powell’s term. (Or when Trump fires him illegally.) Perhaps it has something to do with his serious flub recently when he said the quiet part out loud about privatizing Social Security. Either way, Trump is on a mission to cut the Federal Funds rate to as low as one percent. In today’s episode, we game it out to explain what would happen if rates suddenly dropped so low in this economic environment. (Spoiler: It would be catastrophic for the average American.) Then we reveal what Trump’s actual motives might be for doing so.  Chapters Intro: 00:00:40 Post Show Musings: 00:14:59 Resources The New York Times: Trump says Treasury’s Bessent rules out replacing Powell as the Fed chair. MSNBC: Bessent walks back suggestion that Trump accounts are 'backdoor' to privatize Social Security UNFTR Resources Trump Accounts. Stablecoin and the Stable Genius: Donald Trump’s Plan to be the Central Banker to the World Video: Trump’s SHADOW CRYPTO Network is WORSE Than You Think Project 2025. -- 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump recently announced a new round of tariffs including outrageous ones on Brazil that bring the effective tariff rate to 50%. Forget that we have a surplus with Brazil or that they’re one of the biggest economies in Latin America, one of our closest allies historically and the biggest democracy in South America. Trump’s upset that the Lula administration is targeting his friend Jair Bolsonaro, dubbed the “Trump of the Tropics.” Or so he claims. There’s a lot more to this ridiculous and misguided trade war than hurt feelings and bad economics. It’s about Brazil’s leadership of the BRICS+ alliance that threatens to undermine Trump’s plan to personally become the central banker to the world. Resources Jeffrey Group: Brasil June 6th, 2025 IMF: IMF Staff Completes 2025 Article IV Visit to Brazil OECD: OECD Economic Outlook, Volume 2025 Issue 1 Deloitte: Brazil economic outlook, March 2025 Al Jazeera: Trump’s hefty tariff on Brazil expected to push the country towards China The Guardian - President Lula hits back as Trump tariffs threaten US-Brazil trade showdown VoxDev: Understanding Brazil’s falling income inequality PBS: Argentina secures IMF loan and ends most capital controls in key milestones for President Milei MeidasTouch: Trump’s PANICKED MOVE delivers DEATHBLOW Atlantic Council: The stablecoin race -- 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Income inequality in the U.S. is deeply misunderstood, with many struggling while the wealthiest thrive. The podcast discusses troubling signs of a recession, warning of a disconnect between stock market performance and the struggles of everyday workers. Real wage stagnation and rising unemployment claims reveal that economic recovery is uneven. Listeners learn about the flawed wealth distribution and monetary policies that favor the elite, raising concerns about a looming crisis for the average citizen.

Max and 99 are back together to cover emails, comments and headlines! Tune in and enjoy. Chapters Intro: 00:00:19 Headlines: 00:23:46 Emails: 1:07:20 Memberships: 1:34:20 Reviews: 1:34:55 Outro: 1:35:07 Headlines CNN: Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans advance nomination of former Trump lawyer Emil Bove as Democrats walk out The Hill: Favorable views of Democratic Party lowest in decades: Polling CBS News: 20 states sue DHS, FEMA for cuts to disaster mitigation program Resources Max’s Meidas Touch Contributor Playlist Steven Semler: Polygraph UNFTR Resources Progressive Spotlights We Watched Tucker So You Don’t Have To. Is It Time To Worry? -- 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump is implementing the Project 2025 playbook faster than anyone anticipated, and old guard Democrats have no idea how to combat him. But there’s another endgame coming into focus that will shock even astute political observers. This “Max Unfiltered” episode plants the seeds for upcoming episodes that examine how Trump and his allies are planning to loot the Treasury and control the world’s money supply. It turns out they aren’t just intent on destroying the system to remain in power—they’re setting themselves up to BE the power. Full disclosure: it’s a bit of a rant, but it’s the foundation for more to come. Resources Civiqs: Donald Trump: Job Approval, Second Term The Untouchables: The Chicago Way UNFTR Resources Mamdani’s Mayoral Bid Exposes the Real Threat to NYC Video: The Case AGAINST Buttigieg in 2028 The Prosperity Doctrine. F*ck Milton Friedman. Libertarians Are Exhausting: But They Might Be On To Something(s). Manufacturing Dissent. “Project 2025.” Video: Yanis Varoufakis on Technofeudalism and the End of Capitalism 5 Non-Negotiables Video: Old Democrats Must Go or Trump NEVER Will -- 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump administration has declared war on immigrants and poor people and is using immigration as a smokescreen to cover for Medicaid cuts in the so-called Big Beautiful Bill. Henchmen like Stephen Miller and Scott Bessent are promoting the false narrative that “illegal” immigrants are receiving Medicaid coverage and responsible for much of the fraud and abuse in the system. It’s a specious argument to distract from the fact that they’re cutting healthcare for millions of vulnerable Americans. Access the episode resources. Chapters Intro: 00:00:36 Chapter One: Cruelty. 00:01:55 Chapter Two: Smokescreen. 00:05:29 Chapter Three: Emergency. 00:10:35 Chapter Four: Theft. 00:14:47 Post Show Musings: 00:16:48 Outro: 00:20:21 Resources New York Times: A List of Nearly Everything in the G.O.P. Bill, and How Much It Would Cost or Save Rising: Stephen Miller “Torches ICE”  New York Times: The Senate Wants Billions More in Medicaid Cuts, Pinching States and Infuriating Hospitals KFF: 5 Key Facts About Immigrants and Medicaid FactCheck.org: A False Claim About Illegal Immigration and Medicaid - FactCheck.org Healthinsurance.org: Can undocumented immigrants get Medicaid? KFF: Potential Impacts of 2025 Budget Reconciliation on Health Coverage Video: Trump's WAR on Immigrants and Poor People -- 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re diving into one of the most contentious tax battles happening in Washington right now—the State and Local Tax deduction (SALT). Now, if you’ve been hearing politicians talk about “tax relief for hard-working homeowners” or “supporting middle-class families,” you might think this sounds pretty good, right? But here’s the thing— like so many tax policies that sound great on the surface, the SALT deduction is actually one of the most regressive tax breaks in our entire system. We’re talking about a policy that overwhelmingly benefits wealthy households while doing absolutely nothing for the majority of Americans. And right now, Congress is debating whether to make this tax break even more generous. Resources Brookings: The SALT tax deduction is a handout to the rich. It should be eliminated not expanded CNBC: Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ passes SALT deduction limit of $40,000. Here’s who benefits Forvis Mazars: Be Wary of Pre-Emptive Tax Planning on Itemized Deductions & SALT TIME: A Wonky Tax Break for the Well-Off Is a Bigger Problem for Democrats Than You'd Think Gottheimer: RELEASE: SALT Caucus Co-Chairs, Members Meet & Discuss Fight to Restore State and Local Tax Deduction Tax Foundation: A More Generous SALT Deduction Cap in the Big, Beautiful Bill Would Cost Revenue and Primarily Benefit High Earners RSM US: Bill limits SALT deductions for some financial and professional services firms -- 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.