In today’s Show Notes, Max and 99 discuss some midterm updates and work through some T***p 2024 feelings. Plus 99 gets all boomer on some Unf*ckers, lovingly.
Listen to BONUS: Midterm Recap.
Resources
Variety: Candace Cameron Bure Says Great American Family Will Not Feature Gay Couples, Focus on ‘Traditional Marriage’ Instead
Unf*cker Facebook Group
Jesse Jackson's David and Goliath speech
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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.
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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.buymeacoffee.com/unftr See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Show Notes [BONUS: Midterm Recap.]

Unf*cking The Republic® (UNFTR) is a series of audio essays on the grand American experiment lovingly curated and presented by a quasi-anonymous political writer. 
Each essay reflects on a singular topic that is generally misunderstood or purposely obfuscated by the so-called “powers that be.” As we know, history is written by the victors and can be perilously manufactured to favor destructive world views. These views become intractably ingrained in the public consciousness and pervert public policy, oftentimes with horrific results. 
As of this podcast’s founding, we find ourselves living in a true kakistocracy. The disconnect between what we believe and what is actually happening below the surface or in plain sight is where this podcast lives. 
Together we’ll upend conventional wisdom, blow up narratives on the left, right and center and use magical devices like facts, logic and reason to explain how exactly we arrived in bizarro America, the funhouse mirror version of what was originally intended. #UNFTR

News

Politics

Government

In today’s episode, we head to the border and below to examine the root causes and circumstances that factor into immigration patterns, from economic opportunity to asylum. Max speaks with Maureen Meyer from The Washington Office on Latin America, known as WOLA, a D.C. based organization that advocates for human rights in the Americas. Meyer serves as WOLA’s Vice President for Programs, working with senior staff to develop policy priorities and strategies to advance human rights and social justice in Latin America. We’re still following the blended episodic and Phone A Friend approach for this series, so Max begins with a brief discussion about the complex nature of immigration policy and the historical relationship between the United States and Latin America.
Chapters
Intro: 00:00:36
Episode Section: 00:03:30
Interview: 00:21:20
Resources
WNYC: WNYC's Suds & Civics project brings political dialogue to laundromats across the NY metro area
American Immigration Council: CBP One: An Overview
Pew Research Center: Migrant encounters at U.S.-Mexico border hit record high at end of 2023
Human Rights Watch: Venezuela: Events of 2023
Migration Policy Institute: Shifting Patterns and Policies Reshape Migration to U.S.-Mexico Border in Major Ways in 2023 
The Baffler: Enigmas of Ecuador | Pablo Ospina Peralta 
WhiteHouse.gov: FACT SHEET: The United States and Central America: Honoring Our Commitments
Forbes: 2024: A New Age For Venezuela-U.S. Relations 
Gobierno de Mêxico: México y Venezuela estrechan cooperación en materia migratoria
El País: United States reactivates mass deportations of Venezuelans to relieve pressure on the border with Mexico 
Council on Foreign Relations: Central America’s Turbulent Northern Triangle 
Council on Foreign Relations: Climate Change and Regional Instability in Central America 
Congressional Research Service: Central American Migration: Root Causes and U.S. Policy 
Vice: The Violence Central American Migrants Are Fleeing Was Stoked by the US
Time: Welcome to the Immigration Election 
Pew Research Center: How Americans View the Situation at the U.S.-Mexico Border, Its Causes and Consequences
Brookings: The collapse of bipartisan immigration reform: A guide for the perplexed
The Hill: Manchin: Failed border bill factored into decision not to run for White House
DW News: Ecuador raid on embassy in Mexico
Yahoo Finance:Border crisis might be boon for economy 
WOLA: Migration in the Americas: 'A root causes strategy only for Central America falls far short of addressing the type of migration we are seeing'
Congressional Budget Office: Director’s Statement on the Budget and Economic Outlook for 2024 to 2034 
WOLA
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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.buymeacoffee.com/unftr See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the Borderline: Part Two. The Politics of Migration.

Max and 99 are back today to talk "SPACtacular Bullsh*t" feedback, catch up with the Unf*ckers and get into numerous tangents, of course. Enjoy!
Chapters
Intro: 00:00:20
Emails: 00:07:13
Facebook Shout Outs: 00:52:14
YouTube Shout Outs: 00:59:51
Members + Outro: 01:05:39
Resources
Deep Blue Something: Breakfast At Tiffany's
Project 2025 YouTube Video
Unf*cker Recommendations
McFleshman's Brewing Co: Respecting the Beer Podcast
UNFTR Episode Resources
Immigration Nation: A Crisis Of Our Own Design.
SPACtacular Bullsh*t: Inside Trump’s Multi-Billion Dollar Sham.
--
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.buymeacoffee.com/unftr See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Show Notes [SPACtacular Bullsh*t.]

He did it again. The Donald pulled off yet another miracle by taking his (failing) social media platform public. The deal had been in the works for a while and looked DOA last year. But it was revived recently and when it hit the Nasdaq this week it added billions to Trump's net worth and gave him an immediate cash infusion that will likely prevent him having to sell assets to make the (reduced) bond in his civil fraud case. The wealthy in this country truly operate under different rules. The mechanism Trump used to take a losing company public quickly and with relative ease compared to normal IPOs is called a SPAC, or Special Purpose Acquisition Company. SPACs gained a lot of attention a few years back before basically imploding as regulators frowned upon them and investments fizzled. As quickly as they gained prominence, they flamed out and were basically revealed to be scams. But it didn't stop the biggest SCAM artist in the world from packaging up his SCAM social media platform inside a SCAM financial vehicle. God bless 'Murica.
Chapters
Intro: 00:00:38
Chapter One: 00:07:01
Chapter Two: 00:17:57
Chapter Three: 00:26:44
Post Show Musings: 00:26:$4
Resources
New York Times: Why Only One Top Banker Went to Jail for the Financial Crisis
Morningstar: How to Lose Money: Buy Digital World Acquisition Corp.
SPACInsider: Benessere Capital Acquisition Corp. (BENE) to Liquidate Trust
SPAC Insider: Executive Drama at Digital World Acquisition Corp. (DWAC) Provides New Source of Risk 
Financial Review: Meet the Brazilian ‘prince’, Luiz Philippe de Orléans e Braganza, backing Donald Trump’s media venture 
Investment Adviser Public Disclosure: Brian C. Shevland
CBS News: Trump's Truth Social is losing money and has scant sales. Yet it could trade at a $5 billion value.
Mizuho Insights: The SPAC Roller Coaster – Is a Renaissance Coming?
Fast Company: DWAC says Truth Social won't be profitable 'for the foreseeable future' as investors eye risky SPAC merger
Bloomberg Law: SEC Imposes New Rules on Blank-Check Deals as SPACs Fizzle (3)
US News: What Is a SPAC? 6 Best SPACs to Invest In
Yahoo Finance: Chamath Palihapitiya’s Crumbling SPAC Empire: Where His Top 5 Deals Are Today 
Casetext: Shevland v. Orlando, 629 F. Supp. 3d 1252
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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.buymeacoffee.com/unftr See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SPACtacular Bullsh*t: Inside Trump’s Multi-Billion Dollar Sham.

Max and 99 are back together in the studio to discuss Project 2025 Feedback, share Over the Borderline updates, and of course, tell a silly story or two. Enjoy!
Chapters
Intro: 00:00:20
Emails: 00:31:51
Instagram Shoutouts: 00:39:19
YouTube Shoutouts: 00:40:05
New Members: 01:02:16
Outro: 01:04:02
Resources
Become a UNFTR Member
UNFTR Series
The Kosh Podcast: Episode 121: Bob Knudsen - County Board Supervisor Candidate District #16
Unf*cker Recommendations 
Rutger Bregman: Humankind: A Hopeful History 
Unf*cking Episode Resources
Don’t sweat the election. We already lost.
"Project 2025."
Over The Borderline.
--
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.buymeacoffee.com/unftr See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Show Notes [“Project 2025.”]

Silly season is in full swing so politicians take center stage. But it's important to remember who really pulls the strings and runs the show. This week is an overdue flashback to our Corporate (Ir)Responsibility episodes that have been combined for the first time by the great Manny Faces for your listening pleasure. It's a good refresh on the bad actors that came together to rig the system. We'll be back next week with more original content as we plug away at the border crisis and other pressing issues. For now, enjoy!
This episode online
Essay + Show Notes
Resources
HBR: Why Are Companies Sitting on So Much Cash?
The Atlantic: When the Top U.S. Tax Rate was 70 Percent—or Higher
Bloomberg Tax: 10 Steps States Should Take to End Corporate Giveaways
Politico: Actually, it was Democrats who killed the 70 percent tax
Foreign Policy: To Pay for the Pandemic, Dry Out the Tax Havens
Tax Policy Center: What is the TCJA repatriation tax and how does it work
Tax Justice Network: Financial Secrecy Index - 2020 Results
OCCRP: Giant Leak of Offshore Financial Records Exposes Global Array of Crime and Corruption
Tax Foundation: How Much Revenue Would a 70% Top Tax Rate Raise? An Initial Analysis
FRED: Unemployment Rate
Trading Economics: Corporate Tax Rate in the United States remained unchanged at 21 percent in 2021 from 21 percent in 2020
BLS: Inheritances and the Distribution of Wealth, Or Whatever Happened to the Great Inheritance Boom?
Tax Foundation: Corporate Tax Rates around the World, 2020
Road & Track: Yes, The Chevrolet Corvair Really Was a Handful to Drive

GoodJobsFirst.Org
Book Love
Matt Taibbi: Griftopia: A Story of Bankers, Politicians, and the Most Audacious Power Grab in American History
Jane Mayer: Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right
Zachary D. Carter: The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes
Pod Love
Useful Idiots: David Sirota on the SALT Tax Cap, Plus: Is Biden Really the new FDR?
Best of The Left: #1414 Go Home and Go Big (Infrastructure Investment, Jobs and Climate Mitigation)
--
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.buymeacoffee.com/unftr See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Show Notes [BONUS: Midterm Recap.]

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