By UNFTR Media
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 o
... more
4.8
650650 ratings
The podcast currently has 304 episodes available.
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 Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson: Brian’s Hat Full Sketch
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson: Ghost Tour
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson: Save Corncob TV
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson: Door
AP: Crossing against the light? You won’t get ticketed now that jaywalking is legal in NYC
UNFTR Episode Resources
Phone A Friend: Nick Hanauer of 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 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.
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 already pump more oil than we consume. Moreover, we import crude and refined oil from allies.
Chapters
Intro: 00:01:00
Post Show Musings: 00:14:42
Outro: 00:20:15
Resources
U.S. Energy Information Administration: What countries are the top producers and consumers of oil?
NRDC: Study Shows 14,000 Unplugged Oil and Gas Wells in Gulf of Mexico
Baker Hughes Rig Count
Marketplace: Why oil companies aren't drilling on those 9,000 land leases
CNN Business: Why oil companies are raking in record profits under Joe Biden
Haas News: Explainer: The myth of 'energy independence'
U.S. Senate Committee On The Budget: Sen. Whitehouse on Fossil Fuel Subsidies: “We Are Subsidizing the Danger”
BLS: Fastest Growing Occupations
--
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 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.
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 everyone can easily support worker co-ops this election day.
Chapters
Intro: 00:00:03
Chapter One: Doing the Work. 00:03:52
Chapter Two: Mondragon. 00:11:27
Chapter Three: Cooperatives Models. 00:19:18
Chapter Four: The Food Dude Retires. 00:27:54
Chapter Five: Barriers and Clues. 00:31:20
Bring it home, Max. 00:35:31
Outro: 00:39:29
Resources
Expert Market: The Most Productive Countries in 2024
USDA: More than just a co-op: How Cooperatives Strengthen Economic Power
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
EOS Data Analytics: Agricultural Cooperatives: Find The Top Co-Ops In The US
Ocean Spray: About Us
Land O’Lakes Inc.
NCBA CLUSA: Healthcare Co-ops
NCUA Quarterly Credit Union Data Summary 2024 Q1
U.S. Small Business Administration: Office of Advocacy: Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business, 2023
Co-op News: Worker co-op sector continues to grow in the USA
Co-opLaw.org: Subchapter T and How Money Flows Through a Cooperative
H.R.7721 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): National Worker Cooperative Development and Support Act
The New York Times: Founder of the Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn to Retire After 50 Years
Reuters: Personal Finance: Bank Transfer Day saw 600,000 switch
Bob’s Red Mill: Proudly Employee Owned
Democracy at Work Institute
Democracy at Work (d@w): About Co-ops
MONDRAGON Corporation
U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives: Sen. Bernie Sander’s Address at The Worker Co-op Conference
U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives: Member Directory
The New Yorker: How Mondragon Became the World’s Largest Co-Op
UN: Measuring the Size and Scope of the Cooperative Economy: Results of the 2014 Global Census on Co-operatives
--
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 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.
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 corporations that live to fuck over the American people. We’ll demonstrate how dark money works its way through a labyrinth of special interest groups and emerges as public policy that looks and sounds patriotic and helpful but is actually designed to strip away your rights and generate profits for a handful of assholes. And we’ll show how groups like the Heritage Foundation help craft and sell these messages to turn people against their own best interests and make you believe the horse shit they’re peddling.
Resources
The Center for Public Integrity: You elected them to write new laws. They’re letting corporations do it instead.
Book Love
Jane Mayer: Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical
--
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 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.
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
Outro: 00:16:31
Resources
Axios Charlotte: North Carolina is filled with Yankees — maybe more than you think
The New York Times: ‘Climate Havens’ Don’t Exist
BBC: US cities are advertising themselves as 'climate havens'. But can they actually protect residents from extreme weather?
NPR: Climate-fueled flooding in Vermont is causing both worry and adaptation
Marinette County: Tornado and Severe Summer Weather
CBS News: Vice Presidential candidates Walz and Vance spar on energy policy and climate change
CBS News: Israeli strikes in Lebanon decapitate Hezbollah, as civilian deaths mount and ground operation looms
Barron’s: New Tally Puts October 7 Attack Dead In Israel At 1,163
Stimson Center: Israeli Assassinations in Iran and Lebanon Put Iraq’s Stability in Further Peril
The Washington Post: As war widens and costs mount, Israel’s economy is in ‘serious danger’
AP News: Dockworkers may have negotiating advantage in ports strike
Book Love
Tad Delay: Future of Denial: The Ideologies of Climate Change
--
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 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.
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 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 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.
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 country. While three of the five planned phases were completed at an estimated cost of $30 billion, the project was halted when Gaddafi was killed in 2011 during the Arab Spring uprisings. This is the fascinating story of a despot who had a grand vision for Islamic pan-Arab nationalism and will forever be linked to one of the greatest engineering feats the world has ever seen; a man who was ultimately betrayed by western “allies” and ironically died as brutally as he ruled at the hands of young Islamic Arab nationalists.
Chapters
Intro: 00:00:35
Chapter One: 00:05:11
Chapter Two: 00:09:21
Chapter Three: 00:15:27
Chapter Four: 00:21:57
Chapter Five: 00:32:13
Chapter Six: 00:37:07
Bring it home, Max. 00:44:18
Resources
Water Supply Project: GMR (Great Man-Made River)
Middle East Institute: What’s next for Libya’s Great Man-Made River Project?
What Happened to Libya's Great Man-Made River Project?
GWI: Libya’s $11 billion water lifeline
ScienceDirect Topics: Agricultural Revolution - an overview
Reuters: Libyan leaders agree form new unified government
Al Jazeera: Libya’s High State Council elects new leader as political gridlock deepens
Muammar Gaddafi Interviewed Just Before Libyan Revolution
Moammar Gadhafi Dead Video: Last Moments Alive Caught on Tape in Sirte
Book Love
John Wright: History of Libya
--
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 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.
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 something (anything) of substance for the American people to grab onto.
Resources
Wall Street Journal: Full Debate: Harris vs. Trump in 2024 Presidential Debate
--
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.buymeacoffee.com/unftr
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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 viral prompting Schmidt to apologize and scramble to have the video removed. Considering he ran the world’s biggest internet search engine he should have known that nothing ever really disappears. In fact, we dug up his own words from 2013 when he said exactly that. Beyond the comments that got the most attention in the media (for a minute) the conversation reveals much more about the dark side of oligarchy in the United States.
Resources
TechCrunch: Video of Eric Schmidt blaming remote work for Google's woes mysteriously vanishes
The Verge: Ex-Google CEO: AI startups can steal IP, hire lawyers to “clean up the mess”
Digital Music News: Ex-Googler Eric Schmidt on AI — They Steal IP, Then Hire Lawyers
Disconnect: Roundup: Eric Schmidt says the quiet part out loud
TIME: Eric Schmidt: The 100 Most Influential People in AI 2024
Eric Schmidt, Jared Cohen: The New Digital Age: Transforming Nations, Businesses, and Our Lives
Ex-Google CEO's BANNED Interview LEAKED: "You Have No Idea What's Coming"
--
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.buymeacoffee.com/unftr
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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
UNFTR Episode Resources
--
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.buymeacoffee.com/unftr
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The podcast currently has 304 episodes available.
3,358 Listeners
2,843 Listeners
3,330 Listeners
474 Listeners
5,044 Listeners
1,881 Listeners
385 Listeners
6,014 Listeners
4,250 Listeners
2,679 Listeners
1,068 Listeners
1,769 Listeners
1,463 Listeners
455 Listeners
573 Listeners