This is the audio version of the fourth installment of our “Dumb Right Wing Tropes” series on YouTube that looks at the word “woke” and how it has been increasingly used by the right to belittle and dehumanize groups on the Left. We look at the origin of the term, the meaning behind it and why being woke is so much better than the alternative. 
Chapters
Intro: 00:00:07
Section One: 00:01:20
Fuck Florida: 00:03:31
Section Two: 00:04:00
Section Three: 00:07:05
Outro: 00:07:43
Resources
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.: How Woke Went From "Black" to "Bad"
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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
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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.

Weaponizing “Woke.” Dumb Right-Wing Tropes.

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

Welcome to Phone A Friend. Today we’re speaking with Tad DeLay, the author of the newly released book Future of Denial: The Ideologies of Climate Change. Tad Delay is a philosopher, religion scholar and interdisciplinary critical theorist. His books include Against: What Does the White Evangelical Want?, The Cynic and the Fool, and God is Unconscious. He is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy in Baltimore. I positively devoured this book and am anxious to dig into his previous titles as well. There are so many intersections that speak to the work that we do on UNFTR that I know it will resonate with you. Philosophy. Theology. Science. And even the dismal science. Future of Denial takes a multidisciplinary approach woven together with factual anecdotes and projections of science fiction. It is at once deeply intellectual and approachable; a delicate feat. Marx and Engels in dialogue with Freud and Greta Thunberg concluding with the words of Rosa Luxemburg…obviously I was in pure heaven digesting this work.
Access the transcript.
Resources
Tad DeLay: Future of Denial: The Ideologies of Climate Change
Verso: Future of Denial: The Ideologies of Climate Change
TadDelay.com
Tad on Facebook
Tad on Twitter
First Paper to Link CO2 and Global Warming, by Eunice Foote (1856)
John Tyndall: Heat considered as a Mode of Motion
Karl Marx: Capital Vol. 1, 2, & 3
John Bellamy Foster: Marx's Ecology: Materialism and Nature
Erik M. Conway + Naomi Oreskes: Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Climate Change
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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.

Phone A Friend: Tad DeLay, author of Future of Denial: The Ideologies of Climate Change.

In today's Show Notes, Max & 99 dive into some headlines, as well as the divisive feedback from the recent UNFTR episode/video on RFK Jr. Enjoy!
Chapters
Intro: 00:00:20
Headlines: 00:23:16
Emails + YouTube Comments: 00:43:22
Outro: 01:06:08
UNFTR Episode Resources
Video: RFK's Trojan Horse Campaign: What Michigan Ballot Access Means
Episode: RFK's Trojan Horse Campaign: What Michigan Ballot Access Means
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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.

Show Notes [RFK Jr.’s Trojan Horse Campaign.]

For months we’ve said that RFK Jr. is the biggest threat to Biden’s re-election. Now that he’s gained ballot access in Michigan, it’s time to go beyond the vaccine headlines to examine Kennedy the nascent politician and what his candidacy means to this election cycle. Just as the pollsters missed several important cues during the 2016 election, we might be underestimating the impact Kennedy has beyond his loyal environmental and anti-vaccine followers the media focuses on.
Resources
FiveThirtyEight: 2016 Election Forecast
Associate Press: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. secures ballot access in battleground state of Michigan
New York Times: The Ex-Bernie Sanders Pollster Raising Alarms About R.F.K. Jr.’s Appeal Among Latinos and Young Voters
Quinnipiac Poll: Is Democracy In The U.S. Working? It's A Toss-Up, But Voters Don't See It Ending In Their Lifetimes
The Conversation: Anti-vaccination beliefs don’t follow the usual political polarization
Wired: RFK Jr.’s Very Online, Conspiracy-Filled Campaign
New York Times: R.F.K. Jr.’s Environmental Colleagues Urge Him to Drop Presidential Bid
CNN: Kennedy family brushes off RFK Jr.’s campaign as they endorse Biden
--
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.

RFK Jr.’s Trojan Horse Campaign: On the Ballot in Michigan.

Distracted Max reached new heights this week so instead of releasing the third installment of the Over the Borderline series, he mashed up two shorter Topical Creams from YouTube into an episode. Both cover familiar ground to keep a focus on what matters politically. The “silly season” is when narratives harden so sometimes it’s important to reassert certain claims. The first segment is about AOC’s recent decision to fund the Democratic Party in the upcoming election for the first time in her brief career. The second is a reminder that the things that people recall fondly from the Trump era were predominantly socialist-style and Keynesian interventions that provided momentary relief and financial security for all those who made it through COVID. 
Chapters
Intro: 00:00:18
The Evolution of AOC: 00:02:16
Behind the Trump Bump: 00:10:36
Post Show Musings: 00:18:33
Outro: 01:16:25
Resources
OpenSecrets: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 
The Moscow Times: Why Is Stalin’s Popularity On the Rise?
The Guardian: Trump suggests 'nuking hurricanes' to stop them hitting America – report
Newsweek: Trump Suggests Not Raking Leaves Is Bigger Cause of California Wildfires Than Climate Change
Brookings: What did the Fed do in response to the COVID-19 crisis?
UNFTR Episode Resources
Hands Off AOC.
AOC & the Lying Men Hydra.
--
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.

The Evolution of AOC and Behind the Trump Bump.

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
--
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.

Weaponizing “Woke.” Dumb Right-Wing Tropes.

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