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.

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:41

Deconstructing Krugman: 00:03:09

The Dual Mandate is Horseshit: 00:03:09

The Harris Economic Plan: 00:12:52

Post Show Musings: 00:19:09

Resources

The New York Times: What Happened to Inflation?

The New York Times: Warning Signs Flash in a Labor Survey as Fed Officials Watch for Weakness

Trading Economics: United States Average Hourly Wages

Ramsey: The Average American’s Monthly Expenses

The Ascent: Average American Credit Card Debt in 2024

Axios: The most popular grocery stores in the U.S.

Yahoo Finance: Fed confronts up to a million US jobs vanishing in revision

BLS Reports: Characteristics of minimum wage workers, 2022

MacroTrends: S&P 500 PE Ratio - 90 Year Historical Chart

PBS News: Harris has proposed a slew of economic policies. Here’s a look at what’s in them

--

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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 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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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

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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 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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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 Show Musings: 00:35:00

Outro: 01:07:22

Resources

Democratic Party Platform

CNN: Tim Walz’s political evolution took him from moderate Democrat to progressive champion

New York City Food Policy Center: States that Have Passed Universal Free School Meals (So Far)

World Population Review: Red Flag Laws States 2024

Born Perfect: Conversion Therapy Bans by U.S. State

Movement Advancement Project: Transgender Healthcare "Shield" Laws

DISA: Marijuana Legality By State

Bipartisan Policy Center: State Paid Family Leave Laws Across the U.S.

NCSL: States Offering Driver’s Licenses to Immigrants

NCSL: Felon Voting Rights

UNFTR: Can Progressives Convince Harris To Support These Popular Policies?

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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 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

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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 awareness and given Vance’s sudden rise to VP prominence, it’s important we continue to bring him forward.

--

I’m not a doctor. But even I can certainly see that Peter Thiel is a sick, sick person. Bright, awkward and successful, Peter Thiel has risen to prominence in American society on the gamble that he can break it. The product of an elitist system who wants to take it down. A gay man who backs candidates that would degrade his civil rights. A hedge fund tech investor who thinks Silicon Valley hasn’t done anything innovative in 50 years. A Trump backer and advisor who walked away when he got what he wanted. Peter Thiel is known as a contrarian, but it may be simpler than that. He might just be a nihilistic asshole.

Chapters

2024 Update: 00:00:00

Intro: 00:01:18

Chapter One: So who the fuck is this guy? 00:05:21

Chapter Two: Where did all his money come from and can I have some? 00:14:26

Chapter Three: We’re all just pawns on Peter’s board 00:22:11

Chapter Four: Bring it home, Max. 00:33:11

Post Show Musings: 00:39:09

Outro: 00:46:56

Resources

The Atlantic: Peter Thiel Hates a Copycat

ProPublica: Lord of the Roths: How Tech Mogul Peter Thiel Turned a Retirement Account for the Middle Class Into a $5 Billion Tax-Free Piggy Bank

Founders Fund: Portfolio

The Intercept: How Peter Thiel’s Palantir Helped The Nsa Spy On The Whole World

The Wall Street Journal: Tech Tycoon Peter Thiel Shies From Trump Re-Election Campaign

SEC: Palantir Technologies Inc.

Cato Unbound: The Education of a Libertarian

The Intercept: The New New Right Was Forged in Greed and White Backlash

Daily Beast: Blake Masters’ Views on Gay Marriage May Surprise His Political Master Peter Thiel

Book Love

Max Chafkin: The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley’s Pursuit of Power

--

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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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

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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 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.

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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.

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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) 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

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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 Harris. As quickly as the Dems fell in line, the media narratives on the left and right came together, and the narrative has been set for November. This episode is a reminder of what has been forgotten along the way and highlights the single biggest issue that Democrats continue to ignore.

UNFTR Video Resources

The Coronation of Kamala Harris: A Progressive Perspective

DNR The DNC: Propping up the Cadaver-in-Chief

--

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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) 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

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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

--

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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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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.

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. 00:06:45

Chapter Three: Moon Shot for Progressives. 00:14:18

Post Show Musings: 00:25:44

Outro: 00:42:15

Resources

99's Birthday Donor Drive

FactCheck.org: Q&A: How Biden Can Be Replaced as the Democratic Nominee

Democrats.org: Delegate Selection Rules

History: How Ronald Reagan's 1976 Convention Battle Fueled His 1980 Landslide

History: 4 Contested Conventions in Presidential Election History

Brookings: What is a brokered convention? What is a contested convention?

PBS News: What is a contested convention, and why does it matter in 2020?

Newsweek: Joe Biden Is Ready for a Messy Democratic Convention

Pew Research: Contested presidential conventions, and why parties try to avoid them

History News Network: Why Does the Democratic Party Have Superdelegates?

New York Magazine: Why Are AOC and the Squad Backing Biden So Forcefully?

--

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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) 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.

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 continues to deliver wins to the Republican Party.

Resources

Newsweek: My Fellow Progressives: Replacing Biden Is Not Our Fight

BYU Law: The Constitution and the Ballot Box: Supreme Court Jurisprudence and Ballot Access for Independent Candidates

Intercept: DNC Staffers Mocked the Bernie Sanders Campaign, Leaked Emails Show

Colorado Politics: How Dems, GOP each legally 'rig' presidential primaries, caucuses

The New York Times: The D.N.C. Has a Primary Problem

The Hill: DNC chair on third-party candidates: ‘This is not the time in order to experiment’

Democrats.org: Jaime Harrison

League of Women Voters: The League's History Sponsoring Presidential Debates

Commission on Presidential Debates

Tampa Bay Times: Nader, Buchanan kept out of debate

Britannica: United States presidential election of 1912

TIME: How Ross Perot Changed Political Campaigns

AP News: Biden's debate performance spurs Democratic panic about his ability to lead party against Trump

The New York Times: To Serve His Country, President Biden Should Leave the Race

The New York Times: Biden Tells Allies He Knows He Has Only Days to Salvage Candidacy

Ballotpedia: Partisan composition of state legislatures

Pew Research Center: Public Opinion on Abortion

The Hill: 88 percent in new poll support background checks on all gun sales

UNFTR Episode Resources

The Clinton Years Series.

The Carter Years Series.

From Bull Moose to Jackass: U.S. Progressivism from 1912 to 2021

The End of Roe v. Wade: Extinguishing the Penumbra

--

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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) 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®."

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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

--

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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® 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.