Unf*cking The Republic

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.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Max welcomes Ben Lorber and Shane Burley to the program, co-authors of Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism. Resources Melville House: Safety through SolidarityA Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism Bookshop: Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism Ben Lorber on Twitter Ben Lorber on Instagram BenLorber.com Shane Burley on Twitter Shane Burley on Instagram Shane Burley Linktree -- If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@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® at unftr.com/blog 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) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.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 Democratic Party finally took the all important step of convincing Joe Biden to drop his bid for re-election. In a matter of hours, the party elites, donors, elected officials and DNC members coalesced around Kamala Harris, and according to The New York Times, she has already secured the delegates required to run the table at the convention. Despite calls for an open convention process from figures like Barack Obama, the urgency surrounding the failing campaign led to the decision to go with Harris. As quickly as the Dems fell in line, the media narratives on the left and right came together, and the narrative has been set for November. This episode is a reminder of what has been forgotten along the way and highlights the single biggest issue that Democrats continue to ignore. UNFTR Video Resources The Coronation of Kamala Harris: A Progressive Perspective DNR The DNC: Propping up the Cadaver-in-Chief -- If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@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® at unftr.com/blog 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) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.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.

This week I spoke with an old friend and inspiration—comedian, author, commentator and activist Lee Camp. We’re all over the place in a cathartic conversation about independent media, censorship, Supreme Court antics, Julian Assange, the presidential election and more. Resources Lee Camp Online Lee Camp on Twitter Lee Camp on Instagram Lee Camp on Facebook Dangerous Ideas with Lee Camp Bullet Points and Punch Lines: The Most Important Commentary Ever Written on the Epic American Tragicomedy -- If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@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® at unftr.com/blog 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) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.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.

Despite his assurances to the contrary, Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee is far from a lock. What happens if the DNC winds up hosting a contested convention? In this episode we delve into a brief history of contested conventions and draw upon prior examples to demonstrate how progressives can use a contested convention to their advantage and get the so-called progressive movement back on track. Chapters Intro: 00:00:10 Chapter One: Nullification. 00:00:52 Chapter Two: Delegate to the Delegate. 00:06:45 Chapter Three: Moon Shot for Progressives. 00:14:18 Post Show Musings: 00:25:44 Outro: 00:42:15 Resources 99's Birthday Donor Drive FactCheck.org: Q&A: How Biden Can Be Replaced as the Democratic Nominee Democrats.org: Delegate Selection Rules History: How Ronald Reagan's 1976 Convention Battle Fueled His 1980 Landslide History: 4 Contested Conventions in Presidential Election History Brookings: What is a brokered convention? What is a contested convention? PBS News: What is a contested convention, and why does it matter in 2020? Newsweek: Joe Biden Is Ready for a Messy Democratic Convention Pew Research: Contested presidential conventions, and why parties try to avoid them History News Network: Why Does the Democratic Party Have Superdelegates? New York Magazine: Why Are AOC and the Squad Backing Biden So Forcefully? -- If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@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® at unftr.com/blog 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) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.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.

After Joe Biden’s historically bad debate performance, many Americans were left wondering how the Democratic Party could allow him to remain in the race. The answer is a corrupt and wholly inept corporation called the DNC Services Corporation—Democratic National Committee or DNC for short. This episode looks at the DNC’s failures over time and how they’ve worked with the RNC to rig the system against third party candidates. And it pulls back the curtain to reveal the tragic ineptitude that continues to deliver wins to the Republican Party. Resources Newsweek: My Fellow Progressives: Replacing Biden Is Not Our Fight BYU Law: The Constitution and the Ballot Box: Supreme Court Jurisprudence and Ballot Access for Independent Candidates Intercept: DNC Staffers Mocked the Bernie Sanders Campaign, Leaked Emails Show Colorado Politics: How Dems, GOP each legally 'rig' presidential primaries, caucuses The New York Times: The D.N.C. Has a Primary Problem The Hill: DNC chair on third-party candidates: ‘This is not the time in order to experiment’ Democrats.org: Jaime Harrison League of Women Voters: The League's History Sponsoring Presidential Debates Commission on Presidential Debates Tampa Bay Times: Nader, Buchanan kept out of debate Britannica: United States presidential election of 1912 TIME: How Ross Perot Changed Political Campaigns AP News: Biden's debate performance spurs Democratic panic about his ability to lead party against Trump The New York Times: To Serve His Country, President Biden Should Leave the Race The New York Times: Biden Tells Allies He Knows He Has Only Days to Salvage Candidacy Ballotpedia: Partisan composition of state legislatures Pew Research Center: Public Opinion on Abortion The Hill: 88 percent in new poll support background checks on all gun sales UNFTR Episode Resources The Clinton Years Series. The Carter Years Series. From Bull Moose to Jackass: U.S. Progressivism from 1912 to 2021 The End of Roe v. Wade: Extinguishing the Penumbra -- If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@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® at unftr.com/blog 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) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.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 this week's Show Notes Max and 99 catch up from a few episodes past, and dive into some news items. They also hatch a plan to celebrate 99's birthday month. Enjoy! Chapters Intro: 00:20:00 Emails: 00:23:39 Memberships: 00:58:29 Reviews: 00:59:17 Outro: 01:00:53 -- If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@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® at unftr.com/blog 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) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.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.

Yanis Varoufakis discusses Technofeudalism, Julian Assange release, future of labor, and post-capitalism reality. They explore cloud capital, AI impact on jobs, and international progressive movements for solidarity.

The United States Postal Service is one of the most derided institutions in the country. Also, it’s one of the most highly regarded according to every poll conducted on government agencies. This episode digs into our complicated relationship with the Postal Service and examines the historical challenges facing this institution. We cover the controversy surrounding Louis DeJoy, the current Postmaster General and his ten-year plan to modernize the agency. And we finish with a recommendation for how it should ultimately be run that honors its original mandate. Chapters Intro: 00:00:48 Chapter One: Ye Olde Post Office. 00:01:41 Chapter Two: The Post Office Gets a Makeover. 00:06:11 Chapter Three: Ode to DeJoy. 00:13:20 Bring it home, Max. 00:18:37 Post Show Musings: 00:27:14 Outro: 00:34:47 Resources Pew Research Center: Public Holds Broadly Favorable Views of Many Federal Agencies, Including CDC and HHS USPS: Postal Facts Congress.gov: ArtI.S8.C7.1 Historical Background on Postal Power Brookings: How is the U.S. Postal Service governed and funded? The Guardian: There was only one loser in this Royal Mail privatisation: the taxpayer Wikipedia: Bandwidth throttling United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General: Postal Retirement Funds in Perspective: Historical Evolution and Ongoing Challenges Congressional Research Service: FY2024 U.S. Postal Service Appropriations Vox: Trump thinks Amazon’s destroying the post office. Here’s what’s really happening. Katie Porter gets DeJoy to make embarrassing admission at USPS hearing USPS: Delivering for America The Guardian: ‘It’s going to delay the mail’: the fight over Louis DeJoy’s USPS plan GovExec: Biden taps former cabinet secretary for USPS board GovExec: Senators call on postal board to abandon DeJoy’s USPS reforms Common Dreams: 'DeJoy Has to Go Right Now': Fury Over Postal Service Failure to Electrify Truck Fleet Time: Louis DeJoy’s Surprising Second Act CNN: Biden signs US Postal Service reform bill into law Hey Arnold: I Hate The Snow -- If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@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® at unftr.com/blog 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) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.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.

Parliamentary elections were held in the European Union last week. It did not go well. Check that. It went very well for the right-wing movement in Europe. Most Americans caught wind of some kind of election in the EU but it’s fair to say that few really understand what it was all about. And with good reason. This stuff is really confusing. Scores of parties under the umbrella of seven coalition parties, 720 members representing 27 nations, two councils, one commission, a bank and court. No one is in charge and everyone is in charge. In this episode we break down the governing structure of the EU and lay out what was at stake in this election. Chapters Intro: 00:01:07 Chapter One: 00:01:42 Chapter Two: 00:05:29 Sponsors: 00:16:51 Chapter Three: 00:17:40 Skit: 00:25:59 Post Show Musings: 00:30:24 Outro: 00:43:31 Resources Organisation of the European Commission Jacobin: In France, the Far Right Is Beating a Divided Left  The New York Times: In E.U. Elections, the Center Holds, but the Far Right Still Wreaks Havoc The Guardian: Ursula von der Leyen in pole position as she tries to build majority to keep job | European parliamentary elections 2024 European Parliament: MEPs World Socialist Web Site: Why is the far-right vote surging in the European elections? Reuters: EU’s bid to save bees stings sugar beet farmers -- If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@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® at unftr.com/blog 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) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.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.