Unf*cking The Republic

UNFTR Media
  • 4.8 (748)
  • Politics
  • Updated Semiweekly

Unf*cking The Republic® (UNFTR) is dedicated to progressive politics, leftist economic theories, and social justice in the United States. Join us for deep dives into socialism, labor rights, climate justice, and the fight against inequality. Whether you're curious about Marxist ideas, modern social movements, or progressive policies, UNFTR delivers thoroughly sourced critiques, analyses, and interviews with the historical context mainstream media won't provide. Subscribe for informative and unabashedly progressive coverage of the leftist political and economic landscape.

  1. 2h ago

    On The Record (07-14-26).

    This week we read the federal budget the way it’s meant to be read: as a moral document. What it shows is individuals paying more, corporations getting refunds, classrooms getting gutted, and the pentagon getting fed, all while the deficit stays exactly where it always was. The “fiscally responsible” costume is just that. Then we looked at the strategic petroleum reserve, which is sitting at 1983 levels after nearly 100 million barrels drawn down since the Iran war began—and with China about to reenter the market and the strait still choked off, the traders who’ve been keeping oil prices contained are running out of room. Chapters Intro: 00:00:38 Quick Takes: 00:01:25 Max Notes: 00:05:57 Killer Left Take of the Week: 00:18:04 Chart of the Week: 00:19:28 Headlines: 00:21:35 Outro: 00:22:36 Resources ABC News: Senator Lindsey Graham’s sister will complete the remainder of his term Fox News: Trump REVEALS what Lindsey Graham told him before his death CNBC: Elon Musk and Sam Altman spar on X after Apple files OpenAI lawsuit The New York Times: How Marco Rubio Is Running Venezuela From Afar PBS News: Who is Darline Graham Nordone, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sister? Peter G. Peterson Foundation: Chart Pack: Defense Spending CNN: Iran war heats up while US weapon stocks remain depleted, risking military’s ability to fight future wars Dropsite News: Inside Israel’s Plan to Ethnically Cleanse Palestine’s Jordan Valley eia: Weekly U.S. Ending Stocks of Crude Oil in SPR Reuters: Crude stocks in US strategic reserve fall 3 million barrels to lowest level since 1983 In These Times: AI’s Rise is Being Fueled by the Sprawling U.S. Military State Jacobin: Everybody Should Welcome Nationalizing AI Truthout: McConnell’s Been on Sick Leave for a Month. US Workers Aren’t Guaranteed a Day. UNFTR Resources Video: On The Record 7-14-26 (U.S. Financials in Free Fall | Graham, McConnell, and the Strait of Hormuz.) Essay: Trump’s Big Beautiful B******t Budget. Video: These ‘New Democrats’ Are Literally Aligned with Trump’s Plan -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. 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. Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  2. 3d ago

    Omnibus (07-11-26).

    Max and 99 are back for another round of Omnibus. They hit headlines on the left’s role in silencing Platner’s accusers, the ICE shooting of a Houston father, a parasite outbreak causing explosive diarrhea, and Meta using your Instagram photos to train AI. Then they tackle listener emails on the difference between socialism and social democracy, and creative vision versus collective collaboration. Enjoy! Note: The Meta AI decision was reversed after the time of recording. Details linked below. Chapters Intro: 00:00:10 Headlines: 00:10:31 Emails: 00:39:18 Beyond the B******t: 00:59:52 Memberships: 01:09:13 Outro: 01:10:32 Resources Support our friends at Straight White American Jesus PBS: A Mexican father was shot and killed by an ICE officer. His son is demanding an independent probe Chron: Did Houston ICE agents record fatal shooting? Body camera questions remain Rebecca Watson (Skepchick): The Leftists who Mocked Graham Platner’s Victims Wired: Meta Now Lets Anyone Use Your Instagram Photos in AI Images—Unless You Opt Out BBC: Meta pulls new AI image feature after days of backlash Yusuf/Cat Stevens: Father and Son UNFTR Resources Video: These ‘New Democrats’ Are Literally Aligned with Trump’s Plan. Video: Objectivism in The Bear: Elon Musk vs Zohran Mamdani -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. 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. Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  3. 4d ago

    The New Republicrats: Snakes of the Democratic Party.

    Ten sitting house democrats and five candidates just signed the “Promise to America” pledge ensuring the public they are not socialists. It has six banal points with no specifics, no plan, and no agenda that might actually help anyone. Of the six, five are limp, empty platitudes. The sixth is a Trojan horse to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. So either these “Democrats” are wholly and secretly aligned with the folks who wrote Project 2025, or they’re stupid. You decide. In this episode, Max rips apart the pledge, puts this so-called movement in historical context, grades the legislators who are signatories to it, and explains why they are so out of step with what their constituents truly desire. Resources Politicon: James Carville: What Just Happened In The NYC Primaries Fox News Clips: ‘WE’RE FOR CAPITALISM’: Moderate Democrat responds to socialist wins NBC News: ‘Mamdani is a threat to my constituents,’ says New York House Democrat Fox News Clips: Democrat TORCHES Mamdani: ‘Job-killing socialist’ Promise to America Newsweek: Democrats Launch Centrist Group as Trump Attacks Socialists, Communists Daily Kos: Promise to America: 15 Dems pledge surrender to the GOP Blue Dog PAC Wikipedia: New Democrat Coalition Problem Solvers Caucus Members The Peter G. Peterson Foundation: Chart Packs UNFTR Resources Video: These ‘New Democrats’ Are Literally Aligned With Trump’s Plan. Essay: The New Republicrats: Snakes of the Democratic Party. Series: The Clinton Years. Episode: Project 2025. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. 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. Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  4. Jul 7

    On The Record (07-07-26).

    This week we asked whether 2026 is 2008 or something worse, and the answer is: different disease, same symptoms. The hiring freeze, the housing collapse, the credit stress all rhyme with the last crisis, but this time the economy is drowning in money that just isn’t moving, pooling at the top while the bottom quietly bleeds out. Then we pulled on the thread of where all that leverage actually lives, and found that the “safe” parts of the financial system—banks, money markets, insurers—are the ones funding the riskiest trades, all stacked on the same narrow AI bet. When it unwinds, the dampeners become the accelerants. Chapters Intro: 00:00:38 Quick Takes: 00:01:30 Max Notes: 00:08:43 Killer Left Take of the Week: 00:21:05 Chart of the Week: 00:23:01 Headlines: 00:27:41 Outro: 00:28:47 Resources Bloomberg Television: OpenAI Proposes Giving the US Government a 5% Stake, FT Says CNBC Television: Palantir CEO Alex Karp says ‘something has gone completely wrong’ with how AI is sold CBS News: Trump admits he called FIFA chief about Folarin Balogun’s red card: “That wasn’t a foul” Forbes Breaking News: Graham Platner Issues Video Statement After Allegation Of Sexual Assault Emerges The New York Times: Nearly a Million Investors Lost a Total of $3.8 Billion on Trump Crypto Coin MacroMicro: US - M1 & M2 Money Supply Current Affairs: Of Course The Founding Fathers Would Have Hated Trump Bloomberg: Leveraged ETFs Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg Truthdig: Was USAID Really Neocolonial? The Intercept: RFK Jr. Claims He’s Investigating Terrorism Now, Too MotherJones: “Morally reprehensible”: Prediction Markets Offer Bets on Wildfires UNFTR Resources Video: On The Record 07-07-26 (2008 Parallels | McConnell Still Missing & Platner Should Be) Essay: Is It 2008 All Over Again? -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. 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. Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  5. Jul 6

    The Bear and the American Male Archetype: Carmen Shrugged.

    The hit series The Bear has finally concluded. The final episode is so uplifting that most reviewers appear to believe the arc of the show’s main character follows suit with a redemptive arc. But the connection to Ayn Rand’s famous book The Fountainhead might reveal the opposite meaning. The show’s main character Carmen Berzatto, portrayed beautifully by Jeremy Allen White, shows us a prototypical Randian archetype who understands everything and learns nothing. The deeper subtext of the show is the tension between the upper and working class, the pursuit of both greatness and a paycheck, and whether individual accomplishments supersede collective success. It’s a uniquely modern American theme being played out in real time between two of the most famous men in America. Elon Musk is the avatar of Rand’s objectivist theory, while Zohran Mamdani leverages his fame and status for the collective. Resources The Bear Ayn Rand: The Fountainhead The Bear, “Napkins” The Bear, “Replicants” Ayn Rand Institute: The Mike Wallace Interview with Ayn Rand Wednesday Journal: The Bear visits Oak Park’s Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio New Ideal: Howard Roark and Frank Lloyd Wright UNFTR Resources Video: Class War in The Bear: Individual Genius vs Collective Good Episode: Ayn Rand Was a Dick. Essay: The Bear and the American Male Archetype. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. 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. Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  6. Jun 30

    On The Record (6-30-26).

    This week we mapped out how Wall Street has talked itself into a story it can’t stress-test—Accenture getting punished whether AI succeeds or fails, Saylor quietly selling the Bitcoin he swore he’d never sell, and the hyperscalers borrowing billions to fund a buildout that may be obsolete before it’s finished. Then we looked at the inflation numbers, which are stuck well above target, and the quiet methodology change coming this fall that’ll let everyone claim victory without prices actually moving an inch. Chapters Intro: 00:00:37 Quick Takes: 00:01:25 Max Notes: 00:07:06 Killer Left Take of the Week: 00:18:55 Chart of the Week: 00:21:06 Headlines: 00:26:00 Outro: 00:27:08 Resources PBS NewsHour: Stephen Miller says ‘America’s doors are closed fully to asylum seekers’ after SCOTUS ruling TMZ Clips: Dr. Oz Says Great American State Fair Crowd Is Huge, But Camera Pan Shows Otherwise CBS New York: Trump says NYC rent freeze will turn buildings “into ghettos and slums” ScotusBlog.com Motley Fool: Accenture Shares Plunged 50% This Year. Here’s What Investors Need to Know. Yahoo! Finance: Strategy Says It May Sell Up to $1.25 Billion of Bitcoin Yahoo! Finance: Meta, Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft are getting hooked on debt to fuel AI boom Reuters:  Cheaper AI is better: Soaring bills are reshaping how businesses choose models TechTarget: Will data centers become obsolete? Breaking Points: “I’M DONE!” Carville, Dem Elites CRASH OUT, Demand Dem Divorce Macro Micro: US - Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index [PCE] U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index Farm Service Agency: Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) U.S. News: Methodology Changes Could Lower US May Core PCE Inflation, Economists Say Daily Kos: Thanks, GOP: Student borrowers face massive bills this week   The Intercept: Abdul El-Sayed Becomes First Senate Candidate Backed by Pro-Palestine Jewish Group ProPublica: Native American Tribes Came Together to Secure Their Rights to Colorado River Water. Four States Are Stalling the Deal. UNFTR Resources Video: On The Record 6-30-26 (Wall Street Insanity | White House Depravity | Zohran Crushing) Essay: Wall Street Is Cooked. Video: SpaceX IPO: What They’re Not Telling Retail Investors UNFTR Trivia UNFTR Newsletter 5 Non-Negotiables of the Left -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. 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. Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  7. Jun 28

    Is Private Credit the Pin That Pops the Bubble?

    Is private credit the pin that pops the market bubble? The short answer is no—but that’s the wrong question entirely. Private credit is now a $1.8–$3.5 trillion market, rivaling the entire U.S. leveraged loan and high-yield bond markets combined. It’s direct lending, shadow banking, and middle-market finance all rolled into one, and firms like Ares, Apollo, Blackstone, Blue Owl, and Morgan Stanley are at the center of it. Business development companies (BDCs), are gating redemptions. Pension funds, insurance companies, and retail investors are all exposed. And the Financial Stability Board issued a formal warning in May 2026. So what is private credit, how did it get this big, and what does it actually mean for the broader economy if it seizes up? In this episode, Max breaks down the entire private credit ecosystem—from its origins in post-2008 regulation to the mechanics of SOFR-linked floating rate loans, PIK interest, covenant-lite structures, and the $410–$540 billion in bank lending that ties the whole system together. We look at the BDC redemption crisis of 2025 and 2026, the First Brands and TriColor fraud cases and Jamie Dimon’s cockroach comment that won’t go away. Resources J.P. Morgan: Understanding Private Credit Bloomberg Television: Why Private Credit Is Not a Financial Crisis Threat Blackstone: What’s Really Happening in Private Credit? Expert Answers CNBC Television: Inside Alts: Private credit fears resurface CNBC Television: This is the start of a big crisis for private credit, says Verdad’s Rasmussen The Federal Reserve: Bank Lending to Private Credit: Size, Characteristics, and Financial Stability Implications Federal Reserve Bank of Boston: Could the Growth of Private Credit Pose a Risk to Financial System Stability? IMF eLibrary: Chapter 2 The Rise and Risks of Private Credit in: Global Financial Stability Report, April 2024 Financial Stability Board: FSB warns on private credit vulnerabilities NAIC: How State Insurance Regulators are Responding to Growth in CLOs and Private Credit Bloomberg: Ares Private Credit Fund Caps Redemptions After 14% Seek to Exit Bloomberg: Apollo Caps Private Credit Fund After 17% Request to Exit Bloomberg: Private Credit Is Still a Hot Asset for Bond Investors Buying Debt Bloomberg: Morgan Stanley Caps Private Credit Fund After 11.6% Exit Request Bloomberg: Cliffwater Private Credit Fund Stung by 17% Redemption Requests Bloomberg: Blackstone Limits Withdrawals From $79 Billion Private Credit Fund BCRED Bloomberg: Private Credit BDC Redemptions Exceed Fundraising for First Time The Lead Left: Middle Market & Private Credit – 1/5/2026 - The Lead Left Financial Times: US debt investors raise alarm over lending standards UNFTR Resources Video: Will Private Credit’s Death Spiral Pop the Market Bubble? Essay: Is Private Credit the Pin That Pops the Bubble? UNFTR Newsletter UNFTR Progressive Trivia -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. 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. Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  8. Jun 27

    Omnibus (6-27-26).

    Max and 99 are back, back, back again. They hit headlines on the Supreme Court shielding Roundup from cancer lawsuits, Stephen Miller quietly gutting disability rights, a socialist congressman who tried to abolish the Senate in 1911, and the Netherlands criminalizing conversion therapy. Then they dive into listener emails on stablecoins and the Genius Act, the “upside” of losing the Iran war, and how Max’s economic outlook squares with the Scott Galloways of the world. Enjoy, Unf*ckers. Chapters Intro: 00:00:45 Headlines: 00:14:56 Emails: 00:30:07 Beyond the B******t: 00:59:22 Membership: 01:02:27 Outro: 01:04:24 Resources NPR: DOJ memo stokes fear among disability advocates of a return to institutionalization Bloomberg Law: Stephen Miller Said to Drive DOJ Memo Eroding Disability Rights New York Times: Supreme Court Rejects Lawsuit Alleging Roundup Weedkiller Caused Cancer Jurist: Netherlands passes law banning conversion therapy Max: The Socialist Who Tried to Abolish the Senate Ed Zitron: Exclusive: OpenAI Losses Increased Nearly 8X in 2025, With Spending Hitting $34 Billion UNFTR Resources UNFTR Progressive Trivia -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. 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. Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/memberships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Unf*cking The Republic® (UNFTR) is dedicated to progressive politics, leftist economic theories, and social justice in the United States. Join us for deep dives into socialism, labor rights, climate justice, and the fight against inequality. Whether you're curious about Marxist ideas, modern social movements, or progressive policies, UNFTR delivers thoroughly sourced critiques, analyses, and interviews with the historical context mainstream media won't provide. Subscribe for informative and unabashedly progressive coverage of the leftist political and economic landscape.

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