This week is another extended Show Notes with Max and 99 who plow through listener feedback and talk extensively about repairing the left in the United States and what UNFTR’s role should be going forward. Next week we’ll release our final episode of the year that digs deeper into the fractured alliances on the online left and what it means for the future of the progressive movement. Book Love Charles Wheelan: Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter 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.

Are we heading into a recession? Did we ever really come out of the last one? Do market fundamentals matter anymore? How did Democrats miss so badly on the economy, leading to the re-election of Donald Trump? Is capitalism collapsing? It’s difficult to get a proper read of the U.S. economy. It’s a giant, complex juggernaut that both relies on global markets and holds them all together. There is no unifying economic or political theory to provide clarity as the biggest economy in world history continues to navigate uncharted territory. Let’s talk about it. Chapters Intro: 00:00:34 The Stock Market Is Not the Economy: 00:02:25 The U.S. Economy is the Global Economy: 00:04:24 Market Based Economies are Cyclical: 00:05:25 The Rate of Change in the Labor Market is Faster Today: 00:07:52 Inequality is a Condition of Capitalism: 00:11:26 Sentiment is Just as Powerful as Any Data Point: 00:13:32 The Single Biggest Economic Force is Greed: 00:14:02 Cycle Trends: 00:18:40 Enter Trump: 00:31:54 Post Show Musings: 00:36:47 Outro: 00:42:31 Resources St. Louis Fed: Labor Force Participation Rate St. Louis Fed: Labor Force Participation Rate - 25-54 Yrs. Investopedia: Average Retirement Savings by Age: How Do You Compare? Trading Economics: United States ISM Manufacturing PMI  Federal Reserve Bank Of New York: Household Debt and Credit Report Education Data: Student Loan Debt Statistics [2024]: Average + Total Debt  Guru Focus: S&P 500 PE Ratio Charts, Data  Oil Price: OPEC+ May Be Facing Long-Term Production Cuts  Center for American Progress: Project 2025’s Tax Plan Would Raise Taxes on the Middle Class and Cut Taxes for the Wealthy Book Love John Kenneth Galbraith: The Affluent Society -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter 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 week’s episode we identify the most dangerous man in America that no one is talking about, the tool he is going to use to dismantle government agencies, and what we can learn from three young Republicans who helped the GOP rise from the ashes of the Obama years. Get to know Russell “Russputin” Vought and how he believes he can override Nixon-era legislation to consolidate budget and spending authority within the executive branch. Chapters Sketch: 00:00:00 Intro: 00:05:52 Chapter One: 00:08:35 Chapter Two: 00:12:44 Chapter Three: 00:18:08 Post Show Musings: 00:29:06 Outro: 00:41:26 Resources JSTOR: Democracy and the Welfare State U.S. House: 2 USC Ch. 17B: Impoundment Control  Politico: Trump says Russell Vought will return as OMB director Daily Mail: What is net worth of Trump's Cabinet? The staggering wealth of his nominees revealed The Center for Renewing America: The President’s Constitutional Power of Impoundment Protect Democracy: The impoundment threat, explained  ProPublica: How Trump Plans to Seize the Power of the Purse From Congress Democracy Now!: Project 2025 Co-Author Lays Out "Radical Agenda" for Next Trump Term in Undercover Video UNFTR on Bluesky UNFTR Episode Resources The Clinton Years Series. F*ck Milton Friedman. Project 2025. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter 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 have tons of Unf*cker feedback on the direction of the show and how to move forward as progressives. So much feedback that they had to split Show Notes into two parts! Stay tuned for next week's episode. Resources UNFTR on Bluesky Boney M.: Rasputin Reuters: Pro-Palestinian protesters arrested at New York Thanksgiving parade American Prestige Unf*cker Recommendations Philip Mirowski: More Heat Than Light: Economics as Social Physics: Physics as Nature's Economics Philip Mirowski: Machine Dreams: Economics Becomes a Cyborg Science Philip Mirowski: Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste: How Neoliberalism Survived the Financial Meltdown Melinda Cooper: Family Values: Between Neoliberalism and the New Social Conservatism Gérard Duménil + Dominique Levy: Crisis of Neoliberalism Gérard Duménil + Dominique Levy: Managerial Capitalism: Ownership, Management, and the Coming New Mode of Production -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter 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 dives into the surprising connections between neoliberalism and Lenin's principles, challenging the roots of modern political ideology. With humor, they critique the chaotic state of governance and the absurdities of political discourse. The rise of fascism and privilege is examined, emphasizing the need for active engagement. They also reflect on the legacy of movements like Occupy, the complexities of media influence, and the power of community connections, all while encouraging a proactive approach to individual and collective change.

Today we offer a grim and final eulogy to the Democratic Party and the 2024 election. The results were foretold by countless DNC missteps and missed opportunities that the Party remains reluctant to admit to. The next stage in the American experiment is going to be dire and regressive, leaving progressives with two options to move forward: Succumb to the forces of authoritarian rule guided by the corporate class, or build a plan to take control of our democracy after they burn it to the ground. We’re exiting the neoliberal phase of our journey and entering what Stanley Deetz termed “corporate colonialism.” In order to build a strong coalition to jumpstart a new progressive movement, it’s imperative that we focus our efforts on decolonizing America. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic on Substack at unftr.substack.com to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week. 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 have a Manny-less conversation (Manny on assignment, don’t worry) about the election. It’s a sobering discussion about what’s at stake; they talk Democratic missteps along the way and ask whose idea it was to let Steve Bannon out of prison before the election.  Resources Join the livestream on Wednesday, 11/6/24 at 8:00 PM EST. New York Times: Election 2024 Polls: Harris vs. Trump Middle Aged Dad Jam Band AP: CNN bans conservative writer after ‘beeper’ comment to Muslim commentator I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson: Brian’s Hat Full Sketch I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson: Ghost Tour I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson: Save Corncob TV I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson: Door AP: Crossing against the light? You won’t get ticketed now that jaywalking is legal in NYC UNFTR Episode Resources Phone A Friend: Nick Hanauer of Pitchfork Economics. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic on Substack at unftr.substack.com to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week. 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.

This week we focus on a thin slice of the energy pie to disabuse the notion of “energy independence.” When politicians reference this concept they speak narrowly in terms of oil and gas production in the United States. As though if we could somehow pump enough of our own oil specifically, we could break our dependence on foreign nations, especially those villainous bad actors like Russia and Iran. Not only is this talking point an illusion, the framing of it is completely false. For starters, we already pump more oil than we consume. Moreover, we import crude and refined oil from allies.  Chapters Intro: 00:01:00 Post Show Musings: 00:14:42 Outro: 00:20:15 Resources U.S. Energy Information Administration: What countries are the top producers and consumers of oil? NRDC: Study Shows 14,000 Unplugged Oil and Gas Wells in Gulf of Mexico Baker Hughes Rig Count Marketplace: Why oil companies aren't drilling on those 9,000 land leases CNN Business: Why oil companies are raking in record profits under Joe Biden Haas News: Explainer: The myth of 'energy independence' U.S. Senate Committee On The Budget: Sen. Whitehouse on Fossil Fuel Subsidies: “We Are Subsidizing the Danger” BLS: Fastest Growing Occupations -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic on Substack at unftr.substack.com to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week. 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.

Worker cooperatives are often viewed as part of the solution to beating back capitalism. Yet there are more than 33 million small businesses in the U.S. and less than a thousand worker co-operatives. This week’s episode looks at the different co-op models and the barriers to the growth and success of worker cooperatives in the U.S. as opposed to Europe. We take a look at iconic cooperatives such as the Mondragon Corporation in Spain to the Park Slope Food Co-Op in Brooklyn, NY and explain how everyone can easily support worker co-ops this election day. Chapters Intro: 00:00:03 Chapter One: Doing the Work. 00:03:52 Chapter Two: Mondragon. 00:11:27 Chapter Three: Cooperatives Models. 00:19:18 Chapter Four: The Food Dude Retires. 00:27:54 Chapter Five: Barriers and Clues. 00:31:20 Bring it home, Max. 00:35:31 Outro: 00:39:29 Resources Expert Market: The Most Productive Countries in 2024 USDA: More than just a co-op: How Cooperatives Strengthen Economic Power National Council of Farmer Cooperatives EOS Data Analytics: Agricultural Cooperatives: Find The Top Co-Ops In The US Ocean Spray: About Us Land O’Lakes Inc. NCBA CLUSA: Healthcare Co-ops NCUA Quarterly Credit Union Data Summary 2024 Q1 U.S. Small Business Administration: Office of Advocacy: Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business, 2023 Co-op News: Worker co-op sector continues to grow in the USA Co-opLaw.org: Subchapter T and How Money Flows Through a Cooperative H.R.7721 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): National Worker Cooperative Development and Support Act The New York Times: Founder of the Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn to Retire After 50 Years Reuters: Personal Finance: Bank Transfer Day saw 600,000 switch Bob’s Red Mill: Proudly Employee Owned Democracy at Work Institute Democracy at Work (d@w): About Co-ops MONDRAGON Corporation U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives: Sen. Bernie Sander’s Address at The Worker Co-op Conference U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives: Member Directory The New Yorker: How Mondragon Became the World’s Largest Co-Op UN: Measuring the Size and Scope of the Cooperative Economy: Results of the 2014 Global Census on Co-operatives -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic on Substack at unftr.substack.com to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week. 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.

While Max puts the finishing touches on the forthcoming Worker Cooperative episode, we’re replaying an oldie but a goodie called The American Propaganda Machine. We chose this as a complement to our recent discussions surrounding news literacy. We think it holds up pretty well, actually.  -- On this episode of Unf*cking the Republic we do a deep dive into the American system of propaganda and pull back the curtain on the tangled web of think tanks, lobbying groups, media organizations and corporations that live to fuck over the American people. We’ll demonstrate how dark money works its way through a labyrinth of special interest groups and emerges as public policy that looks and sounds patriotic and helpful but is actually designed to strip away your rights and generate profits for a handful of assholes. And we’ll show how groups like the Heritage Foundation help craft and sell these messages to turn people against their own best interests and make you believe the horse shit they’re peddling.  Resources The Center for Public Integrity: You elected them to write new laws. They’re letting corporations do it instead. Book Love Jane Mayer: Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic on Substack at unftr.substack.com to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week. 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.