As is customary, HUD released its annual report on homelessness at the end of 2024. It revealed a startling year-over-year increase in homelessness among individuals and families in the United States. Among the devastating data, there were bright spots such as a decrease in homeless veterans. But the reporting and punditry surrounding the report was less than stellar, and the news was buried in a matter of days. Crucially, some of the worst reporting on HUD’s findings came from left wing media s...
Jan 11, 2025•59 min
Max goes back to finish the hat at the close of another year. 2025 has the potential to be one of the most disruptive in living memory. The rapid rollout of Project 2025 initiatives, fireworks spewing from the Trump distraction machine, the brewing onslaught of job losses due to AI and the continuing surge of far-right governments across the globe are significant weather events that could turn to a super storm tsunami if they all take off at once. With no semblance of unity on the left to coales...
Dec 28, 2024•21 min
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 ...
Dec 21, 2024•1 hr 33 min
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 co...
Dec 14, 2024•45 min
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:...
Dec 07, 2024•43 min
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: Mach...
Dec 05, 2024•1 hr 32 min
This week we go all the way back to the beginning to ruminate about what motivated us to start the podcast in the dark days of the pandemic. We open with a passage from Nancy MacLean’s Democracy in Chains that struck a chord with Max. In it MacLean talks about the early days of the nihilistic libertarian society built by Charles Koch who was himself building upon the work of his father in the John Birch Society. Turns out, Koch and the founders of the neoliberal movement were inspired by the org...
Nov 23, 2024•1 hr 33 min
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. ...
Nov 16, 2024•44 min
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 T...
Nov 02, 2024•1 hr 4 min
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...
Oct 26, 2024•21 min
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 ev...
Oct 19, 2024•40 min
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 corpora...
Oct 12, 2024•26 min
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 ...
Oct 05, 2024•18 min
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...
Sep 30, 2024•1 hr 21 min
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...
Sep 25, 2024•51 min
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...
Sep 14, 2024•35 min
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 vir...
Sep 07, 2024•35 min
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 Marke...
Sep 06, 2024•1 hr 20 min
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. Chapter...
Aug 30, 2024•21 min
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...
Aug 24, 2024•45 min
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 Sh...
Aug 17, 2024•1 hr 10 min
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 awaren...
Aug 03, 2024•47 min
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 ...
Jul 27, 2024•1 hr
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...
Jul 24, 2024•15 min
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 -- I...
Jul 20, 2024•1 hr 11 min
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...
Jul 13, 2024•43 min
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 conti...
Jul 06, 2024•21 min
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 u...
Jul 05, 2024•1 hr 3 min
In this UNFTR Phone A Friend we speak with economist, political leader and bestselling author Yanis Varoufakis about his latest book Technofeudalism : What Killed Capitalism. Max and Yanis cover a wide array of topics from the release of Julian Assange, the thesis behind Technofeudalism , the future of labor and the post-capitalism reality we already live under. Watch the interview on YouTube. Resources Melville House: Technofeudalism Bookshop.org: Technofeudalism -- If you like the pod version ...
Jun 29, 2024•1 hr 1 min
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 ho...
Jun 22, 2024•35 min
