99 is back in this episode of Show Notes; her and Max talk Taylor Swift, unions + strikes, and read some opposing view feedback from Unf*ckers. Enjoy! Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Headlines: 00:17:43 Emails: 00:42:42 Buy Me A Coffee Memberships + Donations: 01:28:04 Outro: 01:30:55 Headlines The Intercept: House Republicans Are Hurtling Toward the Most Pointless Shutdown Ever Resources UNFTR Facebook Group House Delegate: Matt Christman: The Founder and Capitalism Weiner UNFTR: Republican Rehab -- I...
Sep 29, 2023•1 hr 32 min
Strike! Union actions are everywhere. High profile work stoppages from the Screen Actors Guild to the United Auto Workers have put the labor movement front and center in ways we haven’t seen for decades. How powerful is the impact of these actions? You’re not going to like my take on it. But we need to have some authentic dialogue about the labor movement, the corporate class and new strategies required to stem the tide of increasing inequality. Chapters Intro: 00:01:15 Post Show Musings: 00:33:...
Sep 22, 2023•46 min
Max flies solo in this episode of Show Notes while 99 is out with consumption (COVID). He covers AOC + Socialism feedback, goes on a Boebert rant, and reads tons of Unf*cker feedback. Enjoy! Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Headlines: 00:02:54 Emails: 00:07:41 Facebook Shout Outs: 00:33:03 Instagram Shout Outs: 00:41:13 YouTube Shout Outs: 00:41:43 Buy Me A Coffee Memberships + Donations: 00:54:13 Outro: 00:55:00 Headlines Mother Jones: New Report: One-Third of States Have an Election Denier Overseeing ...
Sep 21, 2023•55 min
This is technically the final installment of our series “Understanding Socialism” where we cover the period between the Paris Commune in 1871 and onset of World War I, which precedes (and leads to) the Russian Revolution in 1917. We’re going to cover the Russian Revolution briefly in an epilogue that speaks to the divergence from classical Marxism from the Revolution forward and where socialist movements stand today. This final episode brings new figures into the spotlight such as Karl Kautsky a...
Sep 16, 2023•1 hr 10 min
AOC. The country continues to obsess over the bright light of the progressive caucus and most high profile member of “The Squad.” From day one, AOC has been the subject of harsh criticisms steeped in misogyny and class resentment; mostly from the right. Oftentimes, however, the criticisms have come from inside the Democratic Party establishment. Recently, however, she’s been in the crosshairs of the far left end of the spectrum. Some of this isn’t new, but it seems to be growing. In this episode...
Sep 02, 2023•38 min
Max and 99 are reunited in this episode of Show Notes! They talk Bidenomics, Phone A Friend, and sharting. (Sorry.) Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Headlines: 00:16:41 Emails: 00:27:51 Facebook Shout Outs: 00:47:00 Buy Me A Coffee Memberships + Donations: 01:04:24 Reviews: 01:06:04 Outro: 01:06:21 Headlines HRW: “They Fired on Us Like Rain”: Saudi Arabian Mass Killings of Ethiopian Migrants at the Yemen-Saudi Border World Socialist Web Site: BRICS to expand to counter US dollar dependence The New York ...
Sep 01, 2023•1 hr 7 min
“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” “Is there life after death?” “If the POTUS says the economy is great but no one feels it, is it really a recovery?” I’ll leave the first two for philosophy majors. On the third question, I have some thoughts. The administration is touting what it calls, “Bidenomics.” Much like Obama chose to own “Obamacare” and turn it into a positive, President Joe Biden is owning the U.S. economy and making it the centerpiece ...
Aug 26, 2023•56 min
Francesca Fiorentini is a journalist, activist, comedian and host of the popular Bitchuation Room podcast and YouTube channel. Max and Francesca talk swimming pools, presidential politics, California candidates and the liberal obsession with tearing down AOC & the squad. Watch the interview on YouTube. Resources Francesa on YouTube The Bitchuation Room Podcast Francesca on Twitter Francesca on Facebook Francesca on Instagram -- If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out th...
Aug 21, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Happy Max-less Show Notes to all who celebrate! 99 is joined by Manny this week and they discuss Socialism Part Four, Barbie, Hip-Hop and podcasts! Chapters Intro: 00:20:00 Start Barbie Spoilers: 00:07:37 End Barbie Spoilers: 00:10:56 Emails: 00:12:14 YouTube Shout Outs: 00:22:08 Reviews: 00:25:27 Podcasts: 00:27:43 Outro: 00:45:51 Resources Bernard E. Harcourt: Critique and Praxis News Beat: Invisible Wars: A Conversation With Norman Solomon Norman Solomon: War Made Invisible: How America Hides...
Aug 13, 2023•54 min
Nathan J. Robinson is the author of 10 non-fiction books and four illustrated books. He defied modernity by launching a magazine (yes an actual physical magazine), called Current Affairs which blends eye-popping and fun illustrations with scathing prose and real, authentic journalism. Nathan and Max have a wide-ranging conversation from education to socialism in our Phone A Friend. Resources Current Affairs: The Intellectual We Deserve Current Affairs: Admit Everybody Current Affairs: The Great ...
Aug 10, 2023•1 hr 6 min
It’s Part Four this week, and things are really heating up. We’re bridging the gap between the “critique” years and the “praxis” years with a deep dive into the late 1800s. Mikhail Bakunin and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon make grand entrances into our narrative and bring some intrigue along with them. Part Four covers the pivotal year of 1870, the splinter between the anarchist and Democratic socialist wings of the party, and speaks to the variables present on the European continent at this critical j...
Jul 31, 2023•53 min
In this episode of Show Notes, Max and 99 review some housekeeping, Headlines (Leonard Leo, NY State + the ADA), and talk Socialism Part Three. Enjoy, Unf*ckers! Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Headlines: 00:22:43 Emails: 00:44:55 Facebook Shout Outs: 00:51:40 YouTube Shout Outs: 00:56:48 Buy Me A Coffee Memberships + Donations: 01:02:26 Outro: 01:02:58 Headlines The Lever: The Church Of Leonard Leo Office of the New York State Comptroller: DiNapoli: State's Fiscal Outlook Declines Mother Jones: Disabi...
Jul 28, 2023•1 hr 4 min
We have the third installment in our socialism series, where we resume our journey beginning in 1825 and the collapse of Robert Owen’s New Harmony experiment. This next chapter introduces the work of John Stuart Mill and Karl Marx and touches on Mikhail Bakunin and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, both of whom we’ll explore more fully in Part Four. Not gonna lie, this series may never end. But this is a critical piece of the puzzle that we’re calling the “Critique Period,” lasting from 1825 to around 187...
Jul 18, 2023•55 min
In the second part of Show Notes, Max and 99 delve into Unf*cker emails and social comments; weighing in on some heavy hitting topics like Israel/Palestine and term limits. Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Emails: 00:01:03 Facebook Shout Outs: 00:55:29 Instagram Shout Outs: 00:59:39 YouTube Shout Outs: 01:01:26 Buy Me A Coffee Memberships + Donations: 01:03:57 Outro: 01:08:25 Unf*cker Recommendations Lessenberry Ink: The Failure of Term Limits The Guardian: France has ignored racist police violence for ...
Jul 17, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Today we have a first: a two part Show Notes! In Part One, Max and 99 catch up, and delve into some headlines. Part Two to come tomorrow. Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Manny’s Corner: 00:05:00 Headlines: 00:22:50 Outro: 00:52:28 Headlines The Intercept: Judges Keep Ruling That Anti-Trans Health Care Bans Make Shitty Law. The GOP Isn't Giving Up. Emissions Substack: The Food Problem Is Bigger Than Lettuce Current Affairs: How To Explain Socialism Clearly In a Way That Actually Persuades People Resourc...
Jul 14, 2023•53 min
"If our democracy is to survive, the empire must be dismantled.” That’s what Dr. Cornel West told our friends at News Beat in an exclusive, wide-ranging interview in which he talked about dismantling systems of oppression, uplifting the poor and working class, ending America’s military industrial complex, and abolishing poverty, homelessness, and prisons. West, who is vying for the Green Party nomination for U.S. President, said his third-party bid is also about putting an end to the corporate d...
Jul 07, 2023•1 hr 11 min
[An update from Max, 6/26/23] Hey Unf*ckers. This episode updates the Assange piece we released a while back. It’s possible that by the time you hear this, there will have been movement on his case. If not, it seems likely that his extradition to the United States is imminent. So I’ve updated the episode with some new thoughts and generally cleaned up the text; it’s very similar, almost a re-release of the original, just tighter and more focused. Either way, it’s a good refresher considering how...
Jun 26, 2023•30 min
Today’s Show Notes is a rousing display of show notes. Headlines, emails + donations galore. Enjoy! Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Headlines: 00:03:50 Emails: 00:17:00 Instagram Shout Outs: 01:00:13 YouTube Shout Outs: 01:01:23 Buy Me A Coffee Donations + Memberships: 01:06:06 Outro: 01:06:52 Headlines RSF: UK: Julian Assange dangerously close to extradition following High Court rejection of appeal Mother Jones: The Weight of Water: Women Mariners Abused at Sea Are Finally Breaking Their Silence The I...
Jun 23, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Believe it or not, we’re still not up to Karl Marx because we’re mired in the turn of the 19th Century. Part Two reveals the progenitors of socialist theory toward the end of the Enlightenment era. Charles Fourier, Henri de Saint-Simon and Robert Owen lay the groundwork coming out of the American and French revolutions by imagining new societies and mechanisms of power. In their writings we begin to see the roots of Marxian philosophy and draw upon concepts and experiments that would influence M...
Jun 17, 2023•39 min
In this episode of Show Notes, Max and 99 read a comment from a disgruntled Unf*cker, discuss the weird number of conservatives who have done drag, and have a rousing conversation about menstruation. Oh, and the headlines! Enjoy y'all. Listen to The Doctor is in: Dr. Cornel West announces bid for presidency. Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Headlines: 00:04:50 Emails: 00:14:38 Instagram Shout Outs: 00:52:41 YouTube Shout Outs: 00:58:30 Buy Me A Coffee + Reviews: 01:03:49 Outro: 01:04:36 Headlines The Ne...
Jun 15, 2023•1 hr 6 min
In this episode of Show Notes, Max and 99 spend too much time talking about Mad Men , cover pressing news in Headlines (the injustices being waged against the LGBTQ+ community, children in the work force & climate issues), plus they hear from friend of the show John Kane. Listen to SCOTUS Native Adoption Case: Landmark Decision Due This Month. Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Headlines: 00:10:07 Emails: 00:19:57 YouTube Shout Outs: 00:47:38 Outro: 00:49:51 Resources Leave UNFTR a Review Let's Talk N...
Jun 08, 2023•51 min
Cornel West is one of the most important public intellectuals of the modern era. And now he's running for President of the United States representing the People's Party. Right person. Wrong platform. Resources World Socialist Web Site: The Movement for a People’s Party: No program, no principles, no future Cornel West for President Dr. Cornel West UNFTR Resources Video: The Doctor is IN. Dr. Cornel West announces bid for presidency. -- If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check ou...
Jun 07, 2023•15 min
The SCOTUS is set to release a number of decisions this month. Top of mind for us is the decision on Haaland v. Brackeen, which places Native sovereignty at risk. The case involves a white couple from Texas and Native foster children. The couple is petitioning the court for full custody, despite the possibility of the children moving in with Native family members on Navajo territory. It’s a complex case that challenges federal law governing Native adoptions and—surprise, surprise—involves dark m...
Jun 04, 2023•40 min
On this Show Notes episode, Max & 99 review brilliant and insightful listener and viewer feedback on our first of probably 63 Socialism episodes, admit a horrible secret that has to do with our website contact form, and reminisce about 9/11 and the Great Northeast Blackout of 2003, while the brilliant, talented and handsome Manny Faces offers a stark warning to help Max avoid losing two hours and fourteen minutes of his life. Plus 99 is a potty mouth. (Disclaimer: Manny Faces also wrote this...
Jun 02, 2023•1 hr 12 min
This week on UNFTR we have the first in the series on socialism. After our “ISMs” refresher last week, we dip our toes into the communal water and begin the process of unpacking an economic and ideological philosophy that inspires rage on the right, hope on the left and (mostly) fear in the middle. The episode starts off with listener feedback from a call we put out on social media and YouTube. We asked listeners to explain socialism in a couple of sentences and the responses were amazing. The e...
May 27, 2023•41 min
In today's Show Notes, Max and 99 gear up for the Summer Socialism Series ; they review feedback from the ISMs re-drop, hear from some global Unf*ckers on Socialism, and somehow squeeze in impressions and bad singing. Enjoy! Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Headlines: 00:09:46 Emails: 00:23:53 Instagram Shout Outs: 00:34:07 YouTube Shout Outs: 00:35:08 Buy Me A Coffee Memberships + Shout Outs: 01:18:03 Outro: 01:22:31 Resources Become a UNFTR Member Subscribe to the UNFTR Newsletter Buy Unf*cking Coffee...
May 26, 2023•1 hr 24 min
A while back we did an episode titled Capitasociafascilibdemarxism. It was an expression of the confusion surrounding the casual way insults are hurled in the political sphere. You’re a Marxist and fascist! That’s socialism! Capitalist pig! I’m a libertarian. Anarcho syndicalist. Communist. Minarchist. It’s the original form of identity politics, meant to convey a sweeping ideology to explain our worldviews or criticize others for theirs. We’re going to continue building on this for the foreseea...
May 20, 2023•1 hr 5 min
In today's Show Notes, Max & 99 wade through a litany of comments about the Williamson & Kennedy episode. 99 is nursing a back injury. Max cuts off his own mic by accident. No animals were harmed during the taping. Listen to Williamson and Kennedy: Damaging the Brand. Sorry, not sorry. Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Headlines: 00:06:48 Emails: 00:40:40 YouTube Shout Outs: 01:20:38 Buy Me A Coffee Memberships + Shout Outs: 01:28:26 Outro: 01:29:47 Headlines NYT: Why Are Americans So Negative Ab...
May 18, 2023•1 hr 30 min
Marianne Williamson and Robert Kennedy Jr. have entered the presidential race and are being cast as the progressives in the field. And to be fair, they’re talking a good game and have all the bullet points memorized. This episode speaks to why this is a disaster for the progressive movement and effectively torches Bernie’s legacy. Chapters Intro: 00:01:04 Post Show Musings: 00:30:43 Outro: 00:36:23 Resources The New York Times: George Santos Is Charged With Fraud and Lying in 13-Count Indictment...
May 13, 2023•37 min
In today’s Show Notes, Max and 99 continue discussing patriarchy, hero worship and Max’s modern nemesis, Tucker Carlson. Listen to Fox Untucked, Noam Undone, Taibbi Unhinged: The Toxic Mix of Money and Patriarchy. Chapters Intro: 00:00:20 Headlines: 00:04:29 Emails: 00:15:15 Instagram Shout Outs: 00:54:53 YouTube Shout Outs: 01:00:22 Buy Me A Coffee Memberships + Donations: 01:21:17 Outro: 01:22:34 Resources Islam Peace Debate feat Mehdi Hassan at Oxford Union Headlines Washington Post: New cars...
May 11, 2023•1 hr 23 min
