Unf*cking The Republic

In Part 1 of Amazon, the Unfulfillment Company, we reviewed Amazon’s rise from online bookseller to third largest company on the planet and well on its way to number one. The extreme focus on the customer is the centerpiece of founder Jeff Bezos’s philosophy and while it has increased consumerism and driven down prices on several categories of goods and services, it’s had big ripple effects in the wider economy and the labor market. Today’s episode picks up where we left off to examine the company’s earnings and acquisitions more closely and addresses how the company is one step ahead of efforts to break it up. We finish with some examples of victories and what must happen to contain Amazon’s influence before it becomes sentient and destroys us all. Or something like that.  Chapters Part 1 Recap: 00:00:05 Intro: 00:02:17 Chapter Four: Big, Bigger, Biggest: 00:07:26 Chapter Five: It’s a matter of antitrust: 00:18:01 Chapter Six: Tiny Victories: 00:30:53 Epilogue: Bring it home, Max: 00:35:33 Post Show Musings: 00:42:49 Know Your Bills: 00:43:16 Outro: 00:57:57 Resources Business Insider: Jeff Bezos famously embraces failure. Here are the biggest flops Amazon has overcome under his watch. The New York Times: Amazon reports slowing sales growth and indicates slowdown may continue. Marketplace Pulse: Amazon Net Sales 1996-2022 World Population Review: GDP Ranked by Country 2022 Forex Sentiment Board: 10 Largest Companies with Highest Revenue in 2022 Insider Intelligence: Amazon annual revenue breakdown by segment in 2022 The Register: Cloud a three-player market dominated by AWS, Google, Microsoft CNBC: Amazon has a $31 billion a year advertising business E Marketer: Amazon has a larger advertising business than YouTube - Insider Intelligence Trends, Forecasts & Statistics Forbes: Amazon Buys MGM For $8.5 Billion: Deal Could Be Unwound In The Future Next Big Brand: Here Is The List Of Top 10 Firms Acquired By Amazon TechCrunch: Amazon to acquire autonomous driving startup Zoox CB Insights: Visualizing Tech Giants' Billion-Dollar Acquisitions PYMNTS.com: Amazon's All-Time High US eCommerce Share: 56.7% Reveal News: Private Report Shows How Amazon Drastically Undercounts Its Carbon Footprint Congress.gov: 117th Congress (2021-2022): Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2021 Book Love Alec MacGillis: Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America Pod Love 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 written and hosted by Leonard Nimoy's corpse and distributed by dick rockets. 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's Show Notes minisode we continue to celebrate #FMF Day by reading Unf*cker’s scathing comments towards ‘ol Milty, continue to shit on Amazon (and even get some Elon digs in) and Manny regales us with some Newark/Atlanta stories. Listen to BONUS: Happy F*ck Milton Friedman Day. Listen to Amazon (Part 1). Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Emails: 00:02:32 Facebook Shout Outs: 00:28:03 Twitter Shout Outs: 00:34:37 Instagram Shout Outs: 00:36:25 Substack Shout Outs: 00:41:12 Buy Me A Coffee Donations + Memberships: 00:41:51 Reviews: 00:46:15 Outro: 00:48:43 Resources Heather McGhee: The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together to Collections UNFTR: The Economics of Racism. UNFTR: Student Debt. Mehrsa Baradaran: The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap Richard Rothstein: The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America Michelle Alexander: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness Red Wine & Blue Website Red Wine & Blue FB Groups Best of the Left  #1495 No One Supports the Economic Interests of Rural America News Beat: Why We Riot Chloe Maxmin + Canyon Woodward: Dirt Road Revival: How to Rebuild Rural Politics and Why Our Future Depends on It -- 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 written and 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first of a two part series on Amazon. In many ways, Amazon is the logical extension of America’s perverted version of neoliberal capitalism. The self-described libertarian founder Jeff Bezos created a company with nearly 100% brand recognition that has permeated our daily lives in obvious ways and some not so obvious ways. In Part 1 we examine Amazon’s relationship with its hometown of Seattle, its obsessive focus on the customer to the exclusion of all else and how it built its power base in Washington D.C. Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Chapter One: Seattle Not-so Super Sonic: 00:07:33 Chapter Two: Customer Centric: 00:17:32 Chapter Three: Gaming the System: 00:25:44 Coffee Break 00:19:22 Post Show Musings: 00:33:23 Pod Love: 00:56:21 Book Love: 00:57:02 Outro: 00:57:19 Resources Alec MacGillis: The Cynic: The Political Education of Mitch McConnell Danny Meyer: Setting the Table The Seattle Times: Seattle ended decade with faster growth than suburbs, reversing a 100-year trend The New York Times: The Amazon That Customers Don't See The Intercept: Amazon Gets Tax Breaks While Its Employees Rely On Food Stamps, New Data Shows The Guardian: Top Amazon boss privately advised US government on web portal worth billions to tech firm The Hill: Monopoly critics decry ‘Amazon amendment’ Book Love Alec MacGillis: Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America Pod Love 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 written and hosted by beaten down warehouse workers and distributed by full piss bottles. 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Manny Faces joins Max and 99 in studio for the first time ever. The three celebrate the dastardly legacy of Milton Friedman, reflect on the growth and evolution of the podcast and each reveal something new about themselves. It's a quick and breezy hang. Won't you join in? #FMF Listen to the original F*ck Milton Friedman episode. -- 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 written and 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's Show Notes minisode Max rides solo and struggles to understand how emails or social media work. Okay, it wasn't that bad. Max teases some new features that are coming later this summer, gets pumped up for Fuck Milton Friedman day, and has some fun chats with (to?) the listeners about the last few episodes. Listen to Congressional Summer School. Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Emails: 00:09:21 Social Shout Outs: 00:45:46 Buy Me A Coffee Donations + Memberships: 00:54:49 Outro: 00:55:25 Resources Best of the Left: #1492 The Great Replacements (Conspiracy vs Reality) Chloe Maxmin + Canyon Woodward: Dirt Road Revival: How to Rebuild Rural Politics and Why Our Future Depends on It Stephen Marche: The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future -- 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 written and 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s Quickie we’re going to look at three different bills or groupings of bills that represent the array of legislation that exists. Something old, something big and something new. At the end I’ll run through several bills that should be on everyone’s radar and we’ll link some helpful ways to advocate in show notes and on Substack. In terms of structure, I’ll provide a summary of the bill, tell you who’s behind it and who’s not, where it stands, what it does, what it theoretically costs and what’s at stake.  Chapters Intro: 00:01:06 The 117th Congress: 00:04:39 Quickie One: A Two-Fer for First Nations 00:10:14 Quickie Two: The bare fucking minimum. 00:14:20 Coffee Break 00:19:22 Quickie Three: Reefer Madness 00:20:29 Post Show Musings: 00:33:31 Outro: 00:48:53 Resources GovTrack: Statistics and Historical Comparison Congress.gov: H.R.1688 - Native American Child Protection Act Indian Country Today: House passes Gallego and Young bill to protect Native American children Congress.gov: H.R.5444 - Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act Congress.gov: H.R.4 - John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 Congress.gov: H.R.3617 - Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act ACLU: Vote Yes on H.R. 3617, Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (More) Act Congress.gov: H.R.1996 - SAFE Banking Act of 2021 UNFTR Episode Resources Unf*cking Congress: And the Fucking Fuckers Who Fucked Us. Boarding Schools From Hell. The Itsfuckedforsure Bill. -- 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 written and hosted by weed and distributed by Earl Blumenauer. 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's Show Notes minisode we chat a lot about making change, how to cope with our current political system, and then end up fried from the 900 degree heat in the studio. Listen to Topical Cream 5: The School Shooting Script Listen to Obsession Over Recession Depression. Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Emails: 00:02:19 Facebook Shout Outs: 01:23:52 Twitter Shout Outs: 01:24:54 Instagram Shout Outs: 01:31:43 Substack Shout Outs: 01:33:18 Buy Me A Coffee Donations + Memberships: 01:37:29 Reviews: 01:41:09 Outro: 01:43:09 Resources Libertarians Are Exhausting [Part I] Libertarians Are Exhausting [Part II] Cuba (Not So) Libre: "Vas Bien, Fidel." Best of the Left  #1491 Mismanaging Capitalism Can Lead to Fascism (Inflation and the Working Class) Red Wine & Blue Website @progressive.waifus Instagram Behind the Bastards Part One: Kissinger  -- 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 written and 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We just came through the eighth “technical” recession over the past 50 years and many predict that another is around the corner. Depending upon who you believe we might already be in one, we are about to drop off a cliff or it’s only smooth sailing ahead. Today we talk about how to measure a recession, the different character of prior downturns and why it doesn’t really fucking matter to most of us.  Chapters Intro: 00:00:51 Prologue: 00:01:48 Chapter One: Recessions Defined: 00:05:08 Chapter Two: Recessions of the Modern Era: 00:09:20 Coffee Break: 00:22:33 Chapter Three: Thwart. Mitigate. Or Fuck it. 00:23:43 Chapter Four: Yo Max, we gonna be okay or what? 00:36:01 Post Show Musings: 00:46:20  Outro: 01:03:13 Resources National Bureau of Economic Research: Business Cycle Dating The Balance: How Does the Fed Funds Rate Work, and What Is Its Impact? CBS: Mortgage rates jump above 4% — prompting borrowers to return to a staple of the housing bubble Macrotrends: Federal Funds Rate - 62 Year Historical Chart The Conference Board: US Leading Indicators St. Louis Fed: Personal Saving Rate  Federal Reserve: Distribution of Household Wealth in the U.S. since 1989 Pod Love The Economist Asks: How will the war in Ukraine change the world economy? The David McWilliams Podcast: Living with inflation, the story of Turkey UNFTR Episode Resources Capitalism. Corporate (Ir)Responsibility (Part I). Corporate (Ir)Responsibility (Part II). F*ck Milton Friedman. Modern Monetary Theory. Peak Oil. Immigration Nation. Student Debt. -- 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 written and hosted by inflation and distributed by interest rates. 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the same old script. Mass shooting occurs. Thoughts and prayers fly. Declarations are made. Fingers point. There’s something more insidious at play in this nation than just easy access to weapons and ammunition. Our propensity toward gun violence is indicative of a deeper illness. Like many difficult issues, it’s never just one thing but a confluence of deadly issues that plague our country. To fight for the “soul of the nation,” one has to first ask whether we ever had one to begin with. Resources BBC News: America's gun culture - in seven charts EducationWeek: School Shootings This Year: How Many and Where EducationWeek: School Shootings Over Time: Incidents, Injuries, and Deaths EducationWeek: School Shootings in 2021: How Many and Where EducationWeek: School Shootings in 2020: How Many and Where EducationWeek: School Shootings in 2019: How Many and Where EducationWeek: School Shootings in 2018: How Many and Where CNN: How US gun culture stacks up with the world The Violence Project: Explore the shooters, their backgrounds, guns and motivations. World Population Review: Standard of Living by Country | Quality of Life by Country 2022 Forever Wars: What America Does Abroad Is What America Does at Home -- 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 written and 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's Show Notes minisode we chat about the free market/student debt, hear from John Kane about Deb Haaland’s residential school report, and share a bunch of incredible insights from the most intelligent group of people: our Unf*ckers. Listen to Topical Cream 4: Boarding Schools From Hell. Listen to Student Debt: Hey Boomer, STFU. Chapters Intro: 00:00:46 Emails: 00:04:10 Facebook Shout Outs: 00:47:13 Twitter Shout Outs: 00:58:20 Instagram Shout Outs: 01:23:40 Substack Shout Outs: 01:25:01 Buy Me A Coffee Donations + Memberships: 01:27:05 Reviews: 01:29:03 Outro: 01:29:16 Resources Let’s Talk Native…With John Kane Wisconsin United To Amend (WIUTA) Noam Chomsky Interview Joel Wainwright and Geoff Mann: Climate Leviathan: A Political Theory Of Our Planetary Future -- 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 written and 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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.