Time for a Quickie. It’s been months since we put together a quick take on three seemingly unrelated issues. What do a wider Middle East war, U.S. manufacturing as the answer to climate change and dock worker strikes all have to do with one another? Both sides of the political aisle have all the wrong answers and the media are asking all the wrong questions. Max breaks it all down. Chapters Intro: 00:00:06 Part One: Asheville. 00:00:13 Part Two: Israel. 00:06:36 Part Three: Inequality. 00:10:38 Outro: 00:16:31 Resources Axios Charlotte: North Carolina is filled with Yankees — maybe more than you think The New York Times: ‘Climate Havens’ Don’t Exist BBC: US cities are advertising themselves as 'climate havens'. But can they actually protect residents from extreme weather? NPR: Climate-fueled flooding in Vermont is causing both worry and adaptation Marinette County: Tornado and Severe Summer Weather CBS News: Vice Presidential candidates Walz and Vance spar on energy policy and climate change CBS News: Israeli strikes in Lebanon decapitate Hezbollah, as civilian deaths mount and ground operation looms Barron’s: New Tally Puts October 7 Attack Dead In Israel At 1,163 Stimson Center: Israeli Assassinations in Iran and Lebanon Put Iraq’s Stability in Further Peril The Washington Post: As war widens and costs mount, Israel’s economy is in ‘serious danger’ AP News: Dockworkers may have negotiating advantage in ports strike Book Love Tad Delay: Future of Denial: The Ideologies of Climate Change -- 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.

In this week’s Show Notes Max and 99 catch up in studio to touch on the Libya episode and catch up on recent feedback from Unf*ckers. Plus, they had a therapy session about the state of podcasting and feelings around the election as well. Enjoy! Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Libya Chat: 00:19:44 Email + YouTube Feedback: 00:24:21 Memberships: 01:18:03 Reviews: 01:18:28 Outro: 01:19:22 UNFTR Episode Resources Meaningless Rage and Outrage on the Debate Stage. The Great Man-Made River Project. -- 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.

The Great Man-Made River in Libya was once considered the 8th Wonder of the World. Water was first discovered in the 1960s when oil and gas drilling companies discovered enormous aquifers beneath the desert sands of Libya. 20 years after these discoveries, Libya was under the brutal dictatorship of Muammar Gaddafi who had overthrown the monarchy in 1969. Gaddafi embarked on an ambitious plan to pump water from under the desert into large reservoirs that were connected by pipelines throughout the country. While three of the five planned phases were completed at an estimated cost of $30 billion, the project was halted when Gaddafi was killed in 2011 during the Arab Spring uprisings. This is the fascinating story of a despot who had a grand vision for Islamic pan-Arab nationalism and will forever be linked to one of the greatest engineering feats the world has ever seen; a man who was ultimately betrayed by western “allies” and ironically died as brutally as he ruled at the hands of young Islamic Arab nationalists. Chapters Intro: 00:00:35 Chapter One: 00:05:11 Chapter Two: 00:09:21 Chapter Three: 00:15:27 Chapter Four: 00:21:57 Chapter Five: 00:32:13 Chapter Six: 00:37:07 Bring it home, Max. 00:44:18 Resources Water Supply Project: GMR (Great Man-Made River) Middle East Institute: What’s next for Libya’s Great Man-Made River Project? What Happened to Libya's Great Man-Made River Project? GWI: Libya’s $11 billion water lifeline ScienceDirect Topics: Agricultural Revolution - an overview Reuters: Libyan leaders agree form new unified government Al Jazeera: Libya’s High State Council elects new leader as political gridlock deepens Muammar Gaddafi Interviewed Just Before Libyan Revolution Moammar Gadhafi Dead Video: Last Moments Alive Caught on Tape in Sirte Book Love John Wright: History of Libya -- 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.

Because it’s silly season, we interrupt our regularly scheduled programming once again to provide blow-by-excruciating-blow coverage of the (apparently only) debate between Vice President Harris and former President Donald Trump. While most observers called it a clear victory for Harris who was composed and on message, as opposed to a meanspirited and meandering Trump, the debate was more remarkable for the theatrical nature of the staging and the absence of pertinent questions that could reveal something (anything) of substance for the American people to grab onto. Resources Wall Street Journal: Full Debate: Harris vs. Trump in 2024 Presidential Debate -- 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. Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565 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.

Have you ever wondered what oligarchs talk about when they think no one is listening? Wonder no more. This week we dissect Eric Schmidt’s recent Q&A at Stanford University where he talks about remote work culture, the future of AI and how big tech intervenes at the highest levels of government. The kicker is…he thought it was private and didn’t realize it was being recorded. Some of his comments regarding the laziness of remote workers and the “arrogance” of the programmer community went viral prompting Schmidt to apologize and scramble to have the video removed. Considering he ran the world’s biggest internet search engine he should have known that nothing ever really disappears. In fact, we dug up his own words from 2013 when he said exactly that. Beyond the comments that got the most attention in the media (for a minute) the conversation reveals much more about the dark side of oligarchy in the United States. Resources TechCrunch: Video of Eric Schmidt blaming remote work for Google's woes mysteriously vanishes The Verge: Ex-Google CEO: AI startups can steal IP, hire lawyers to “clean up the mess” Digital Music News: Ex-Googler Eric Schmidt on AI — They Steal IP, Then Hire Lawyers Disconnect: Roundup: Eric Schmidt says the quiet part out loud TIME: Eric Schmidt: The 100 Most Influential People in AI 2024 Eric Schmidt, Jared Cohen: The New Digital Age: Transforming Nations, Businesses, and Our Lives Ex-Google CEO's BANNED Interview LEAKED: "You Have No Idea What's Coming" -- 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. Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565 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.

In today’s Show Notes, Max & 99 cover trending headlines, discuss the recent Krugman episode, and hear from a few Unf*ckers with general feedback. Enjoy! Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Headlines: 00:04:15 YouTube: 00:43:09 Emails: 00:56:54 Memberships: 01:18:33 Outro: 01:18:39 Resources Shiny Happy People AP: GOP network props up liberal third-party candidates in key states, hoping to siphon off Harris votes Fernando Morais: Lula Binyamin Appelbaum: The Economists' Hour: False Prophets, Free Markets, and the Fracture of Society Thomas Piketty: Capital in the Twenty-First Century Michelle Alexander: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness Chris Hedges: Death of the Liberal Class Howard Zinn: A People's History of the United States Jeff Sharlet: The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power Bernard Harcourt: The Illusion of Free Markets: Punishment and the Myth of Natural Order Nancy MacLean: Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America UNFTR Episode Resources The 5 Books that shaped my political and economic worldview Palestine Series. Fuck Milton Friedman. Capitalism. -- 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. Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565 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.

I’ve long been an admirer of Paul Krugman of The New York Times as he’s a rational and accessible liberal economist who genuinely seems to have the best interests of the public at heart. But a recent column smacked of establishment rhetoric that bordered on gaslighting. Democrats ignore economic realities at their own peril and while most leftists expect little from sources like The New York Times, Krugman has often risen above partisan talking points making this even more disappointing. Chapters Intro: 00:00:41 Deconstructing Krugman: 00:03:09 The Dual Mandate is Horseshit: 00:03:09 The Harris Economic Plan: 00:12:52 Post Show Musings: 00:19:09 Resources The New York Times: What Happened to Inflation? The New York Times: Warning Signs Flash in a Labor Survey as Fed Officials Watch for Weakness Trading Economics: United States Average Hourly Wages Ramsey: The Average American’s Monthly Expenses The Ascent: Average American Credit Card Debt in 2024 Axios: The most popular grocery stores in the U.S. Yahoo Finance: Fed confronts up to a million US jobs vanishing in revision BLS Reports: Characteristics of minimum wage workers, 2022 MacroTrends: S&P 500 PE Ratio - 90 Year Historical Chart PBS News: Harris has proposed a slew of economic policies. Here’s a look at what’s in them -- 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. Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565 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 are back to discuss Harris v. Trump episode feedback, and catch up a bit. A regular episode is coming early this week, so stay tuned! Chapters Intro: 00:00:19 Emails: 00:03:17 Memberships: 00:43:52 Outro: 00:44:11 -- 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. Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565 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.

UNFTR is back in the swing of things with a snapshot of where the election stands just 80 days from decision time. We look at trends in each of the swing states, how Congressional races are stacking up and which presidential candidate has the advantage in the swing states and on key issues. Max also tackles the media’s breathless pursuit to portray the Harris/Walz ticket as progressive despite the lackluster and surface level DNC platform. Chapters Intro: 00:02:09 Support UNFTR: 00:14:37 Post Show Musings: 00:35:00 Outro: 01:07:22 Resources Democratic Party Platform CNN: Tim Walz’s political evolution took him from moderate Democrat to progressive champion New York City Food Policy Center: States that Have Passed Universal Free School Meals (So Far) World Population Review: Red Flag Laws States 2024 Born Perfect: Conversion Therapy Bans by U.S. State Movement Advancement Project: Transgender Healthcare "Shield" Laws DISA: Marijuana Legality By State Bipartisan Policy Center: State Paid Family Leave Laws Across the U.S. NCSL: States Offering Driver’s Licenses to Immigrants NCSL: Felon Voting Rights UNFTR: Can Progressives Convince Harris To Support These Popular Policies? -- 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. Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565 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.

In October of 2022, we released this episode on Peter Thiel. The last line of the story is that he’s a monster. At the time, we were focused on his personal selections and funding of Congressional candidates, one of whom was none other than JD Vance. Far from his purported hillbilly roots, the country quickly came to know that JD is little more than a huckster who grew up pretty well and became a go-to hedge fund guy for Peter Thiel. Amazingly, Thiel is still on the backburner of people’s awareness and given Vance’s sudden rise to VP prominence, it’s important we continue to bring him forward. -- I’m not a doctor. But even I can certainly see that Peter Thiel is a sick, sick person. Bright, awkward and successful, Peter Thiel has risen to prominence in American society on the gamble that he can break it. The product of an elitist system who wants to take it down. A gay man who backs candidates that would degrade his civil rights. A hedge fund tech investor who thinks Silicon Valley hasn’t done anything innovative in 50 years. A Trump backer and advisor who walked away when he got what he wanted. Peter Thiel is known as a contrarian, but it may be simpler than that. He might just be a nihilistic asshole. Chapters 2024 Update: 00:00:00 Intro: 00:01:18 Chapter One: So who the fuck is this guy? 00:05:21 Chapter Two: Where did all his money come from and can I have some? 00:14:26 Chapter Three: We’re all just pawns on Peter’s board 00:22:11 Chapter Four: Bring it home, Max. 00:33:11 Post Show Musings: 00:39:09 Outro: 00:46:56 Resources The Atlantic: Peter Thiel Hates a Copycat ProPublica: Lord of the Roths: How Tech Mogul Peter Thiel Turned a Retirement Account for the Middle Class Into a $5 Billion Tax-Free Piggy Bank Founders Fund: Portfolio The Intercept: How Peter Thiel’s Palantir Helped The Nsa Spy On The Whole World The Wall Street Journal: Tech Tycoon Peter Thiel Shies From Trump Re-Election Campaign SEC: Palantir Technologies Inc. Cato Unbound: The Education of a Libertarian The Intercept: The New New Right Was Forged in Greed and White Backlash Daily Beast: Blake Masters’ Views on Gay Marriage May Surprise His Political Master Peter Thiel Book Love Max Chafkin: The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley’s Pursuit of Power -- 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. Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565 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.