Unf*cking The Republic

This is it. The moment about seven of you have been waiting for. The dramatic conclusion to the three part series on public education that no one asked for. Oh, and it’s long. In sparing our beloved Unf*ckers a fourth part, we jammed 50 years of education policy into one hot mess of learning. To quote the estimable Manny Faces, “This iz EP last of smart edumaction.” In Parts One and Two we explored the history of education and the legal fight to ensure equality. Part Three reveals the master plan of the GOP’s libertarian strain to defund education, promote a religious doctrine and battle against the constitutional right to access public education.

Chapters

Intro: 00:01:13

Chapter Seven: Phase Four. Privatization. 00:05:49

Chapter Eight: Vouchers are stupid and racist and they don’t work. 00:13:17

Chapter Nine: Arne Dunks on Public Education. 00:24:12

Chapter Ten: The Propaganda Machine in Full Swing. 00:39:53

Chapter Eleven: Bring it home, Max. 00:52:08

Post Show Musings: 01:06:25

Outro: 01:41:50

Resources

National Center For Education Statistics: Results from the NAEP 2022 Mathematics & Reading Assessments at Grades 4 & 8

OECD.org: Rankings

National Foundation for Educational Research: OECD Funding Models

Peter G. Peterson Foundation: How Is K-12 Education Funded?

National Education Association

Resilient Educator: Your Guide to Education Lingo

Pew Research Center: Religion in the Public Schools

Salon: Florida ranked No. 1 for "education freedom" — by right-wing group that wants to privatize it all

Heritage Foundation: Education Freedom Report Card

The New York Times: Profits and Questions at Online Charter Schools

NY Daily News: Fix this wasteful federal charter-school fund

The Nation’s Report Card: Student Performance Across Subjects

EdWeek: Education Statistics: Facts About American Schools

EdWeek: Lawmakers, Education Secretary Clash Over Charter School Rules

Teaching Certification: Education Spending by State – How does your state compare?

Book Love

Howard Gardner: Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Nelson Lichtenstein: State of the Union: A Century of American Labor

Derek W. Black: Schoolhouse Burning: Public Education and the Assault on American Democracy

Nancy McLean: Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America

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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."

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In today's Show Notes, Max and 99 review feedback from Education Part Two, talk about some language nuances and 99 is a wee bit cranky. Enjoy, Unf*ckers!

Listen to Public Education (Part Two): Expansion, Reconstruction & Desegregation.

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:20

Emails: 00:06:36

Instagram Shout Outs: 00:39:42

Buy Me A Coffee Donations + Memberships: 00:46:03

Outro: 01:02:08

Resources

Wolves of Glendale: Olivia

Psychology Today: The Illusory Theory of Multiple Intelligences

The Ezra Klein Show: The Hidden Costs of Cheap Meat

Animal Equality: Biden Administration Backs the Pig Industry’s Prop 12 Opposition

Maintenance Phase: The Food Pyramid

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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.unftr.com/memberships

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today is the great professor and renowned linguist Noam Chomsky's birthday. December 7th. A day that lives in infamy to this pod, because we love us some Uncle Noam. So in honor of this great public intellectual we wanted to reshare our Chomsky tribute episode. We've got show notes to follow tomorrow and part three of our education series dropping on Saturday, so enjoy this appetizer while we prepare the rest of the meal.

[2026 Edit] To learn how we feel today, please read our post-Epstein take on Chomsky.

Access the accompanying essay/transcript.

Resources

New York Times: QAnon Now as Popular in U.S. as Some Major Religions, Poll Suggests

The Atlantic: Noam Chomsky on Where Artificial Intelligence Went Wrong

The New Yorker: The Devil’s Accountant (Noam Chomsky’s criticism of America’s role in the world has increased his isolation—and his audience.)

Current Affairs: The Intellectual We Deserve

Book Love

Chomsky Books

Syntactic Structures

Turning the Tide: U.S. Intervention in Central America and the Struggle for Peace

The Chomsky Reader

Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media

Rethinking Camelot: JFK, the Vietnam War, and U.S. Political Culture

Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda

Profit over People: Neoliberalism and Global Order

The Umbrella of U.S. Power: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Contradictions of U.S. Policy

Gaza in Crisis: Reflections on Israel’s War Against the Palestinians

Requiem for the American Dream: The Ten Principles of Concentration of Wealth and Power

Reporter, by Seymour Hersh

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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.

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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 William F. Buckley’s fake accent and distributed by creepy old dudes in ice cream trucks.

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.’

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we continue our three-part series by examining three of the four major eras of public education in the United States: Expansion, Reconstruction and Desegregation. This episode looks at the legal and constitutional framework that protects education in all 50 states and some of the fundamental flaws that have contributed to a gross inequity in the system. This sets the stage for the conclusion of the series, which focuses on the current era of Privatization.

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:35

Chapter Four. Phase One: Expansion. The 16th Lot. 00:03:49

Chapter Five. Phase Two: Reconstruction. 00:09:43

Chapter Six. Phase Three. Desegregation. 00:19:40

Post Show Musings: 00:30:56

Outro: 00:46:39

Resources

Teaching American History: Letter to Nathaniel Banks

National Archives: Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Book Love

Derek W. Black: Schoolhouse Burning: Public Education and the Assault on American Democracy

Samuel Eliot Morison, Henry Steele Commager and William E. Leuchtenburg: A Concise History of the American Republic: Volume 1

UNFTR Episode Resources

Public Education (Part One): Scaffolding.

The End of Roe v. Wade: Extinguishing the Penumbra.

America Inc. Copyright, 2021.

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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.unftr.com/memberships

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They’re baaaack! In today's Show Notes, Max and 99 review feedback from Public Education Part One and discuss what’s to come throughout education series.

Listen to Public Education (Part One): Scaffolding.

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:20

Emails: 00:10:58

Facebook Shout Outs: 01:00:03

Instagram Shout Outs: 01:05:09

Buy Me A Coffee Donations + Memberships: 01:11:07

Outro: 01:16:49

Resources

Have You Heard Podcast

Center For Progressive Reform: Protecting Workers by Prosecuting Wage Theft as a Crime

@MoPaintsChad Fan Art

Readable: Profanity Detector

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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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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 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/memberships

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today is the first in a three-part series on public education in the United States. The focus is on compulsory K-12 education. We begin the series by educating ourselves on the business of education and stripping away the hysteria surrounding mask mandates, CRT, school prayer and kitty litter in bathrooms. Along the way we identify key stakeholders, look at outcomes and measurements, offer a primer on how schools are funded and examine the ongoing mass exodus from the profession of teaching. With a solid foundation in place, the episode ends with an overview of the more fundamental criticisms of public education to understand how and why public education is under attack in this nation. 

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:21

Chapter One: Framing the Inquiry. 00:05:43

Chapter Two: The Structure and Language of Education. 00:15:26

Chapter Three: The Opposition. 00:26:15

Post Show Musings: 00:38:05

Outro: 00:39:58

Resources

World Socialist Web Site: 2.6 million US educators and staff quit public K-12 and higher education jobs during pandemic

National Center for Education Statistics: Public School Enrollment

The Nation’s Report Card: Student Performance Across Subjects

National Center for Education Statistics: Total number of public school teachers and percentage of public school teachers in a union or employees' association, by selected school characteristics: 2015–16

Resilient Educator: Your Guide to Education Lingo

Learning Journals: What Are the Different Pedagogical Approaches to Learning?

Rasmussen University: What Is Reggio Emilia? Your Guide to This Child-Driven Approach

Stanford: An Introduction to Design Thinking

Understood: Understanding IEPs

Resilient Educator: Project Based Learning: A Hands On Approach To Teaching

Bookshop.org: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

National Association for Science, Medicine and Engineering: The Integration of the Humanities and Arts with Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in Higher Education: Branches from the Same Tree

Resilient Educator: Why the “A” in STEAM Education is Just As Important As Every Other Letter

U.S. News: IB vs. AP: Discover the Differences

Peter G. Peterson Foundation: How Is K-12 Education Funded?

Edbuild: Nonwhite School Districts Get $23 Billion Less Than White Districts Despite Serving The Same Number Of Students

Pew Charitable Trusts: ‘Lost Decade’ Casts a Post-Recession Shadow on State Finances

OECD: Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators 2012 

National Center for Education Statistics: Long-term trends in reading and mathematics achievement

The Heritage Foundation: The Battle Over Parents’ Rights in Education Is Just Getting Started

The Heritage Foundation: America’s School Choice Moment Can’t Be Missed at Midterm Elections

Bookshop: Race to the Bottom

UNFTR: F*ck Milton Friedman.

Book Love

Derek W. Black: Schoolhouse Burning: Public Education and the Assault on American Democracy

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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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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.

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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.unftr.com/memberships

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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 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/memberships

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's Show Notes, Max and 99 unwind from the Midterms Recap, reflect back on the “Tough on Crime” Republicans episode, and read the smart fuckin' write-ins from the Unf*ckers.

Listen to “Tough on Crime” Republicans.

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:20

Emails: 00:00:41

Social: 00:23:16

Buy Me A Coffee Donations + Memberships: 00:28:35

Outro: 00:35:59

Resources

Binyamin Appelbaum: The Economists' Hour: False Prophets, Free Markets, and the Fracture of Society

NYT Opinion: Liberal Hypocrisy is Fueling American Inequality. Here’s How.

CONAN: Gary Gulman On How The States Got Their Abbreviations

PBS: Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson

Jacobin: As the Fed Raises Interest Rates, People Will Lose Jobs and Democrats Will Lose Elections

Outrage + Optimism: ESG: Facts Are Not Political

Outrage + Optimism: Australia Is Back

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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.

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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.unftr.com/memberships

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Max, Manny and 99 slice and dice the midterm election and highlight several key outcomes that portend good things for Progressives. Also, 99 stayed up the latest but it was to watch the Parent Trap. So there's that.

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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.unftr.com/memberships

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The midterms are upon us and the Republicans have pinned their hopes on a tried and true fear tactic: Crime. It’s a winning narrative. Always has been. The data paint another picture entirely, however. While in no way excusing criminal activity or minimizing its impact upon individuals, families and society, we need to have an honest discussion about fear mongering and scapegoating. So let’s take a bite out of crime.

Visit the episode's accompanying site page.

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:04

Chapter One: Dispelling Crime Mythology. 00:01:50

Chapter Two: When All Else Fails. 00:05:08

Chapter Three: Gaslighting. 00:15:35

Chapter Four: Bring it home, Max. 00:21:33

Post Show Musings: 00:24:01

Outro: 00:36:13

Resources

Brennan Center For Justice: What Caused the Crime Decline?

Gotham Gazette: What Is Lee Zeldin’s Gubernatorial Campaign Platform?

Newsweek: New York City’s Most Dangerous Year of Crime Compared to 2022: Analysis

Wikipedia: Demographic history of New York City

News Beat: A Guide To Mass Incarceration In America

StopRecidivism.org: Why Are More States Than Ever Passing Laws For No Cash Bail And Pretrial Detention?

CDC: Homicide Mortality by State

UNFTR Episode Resources

The Clinton Years (Parts One, Two, and Three)

New York’s Casual White Supremacy: Losing the Plot on Hochul & Buffalo Bills.

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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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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.unftr.com/memberships

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.