222 episodes

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

Unf*cking The Republic UNFTR Media

    • News
    • 4.8 • 586 Ratings

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

    Show Notes [Strike!]

    Show Notes [Strike!]

    99 is back in this episode of Show Notes; her and Max talk Taylor Swift, unions + strikes, and read some opposing view feedback from Unf*ckers. Enjoy!

    Chapters

    Intro: 00:00:20

    Headlines: 00:17:43

    Emails: 00:42:42

    Buy Me A Coffee Memberships + Donations: 01:28:04

    Outro: 01:30:55

    Headlines

    The Intercept: House Republicans Are Hurtling Toward the Most Pointless Shutdown Ever

    Resources

    UNFTR Facebook Group

    House Delegate: Matt Christman: The Founder and Capitalism

    Weiner

    UNFTR: Republican Rehab

    --

    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). 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.

    • 1 hr 31 min
    Strike! Reality checking the labor movement.

    Strike! Reality checking the labor movement.

    Strike! Union actions are everywhere. High profile work stoppages from the Screen Actors Guild to the United Auto Workers have put the labor movement front and center in ways we haven’t seen for decades. How powerful is the impact of these actions? You’re not going to like my take on it. But we need to have some authentic dialogue about the labor movement, the corporate class and new strategies required to stem the tide of increasing inequality.

    Chapters

    Intro: 00:01:15

    Post Show Musings: 00:33:21

    Outro: 00:45:05

    Resources

    Associated Press:  United Auto Workers threaten to expand targeted strike if there is no substantive progress by Friday

    Automotive News: GM CEO Mary Barra's 2022 compensation: $29M

    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Annual work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers, 1947 - Present

    St. Louis Fed: Civilian Labor Force Level

    Detroit Free Press: GM to reinstate a dividend and start stock buybacks, signaling confidence

    GM Authority: GM Employees Receive Record $12,750 Profit-Sharing Check

    Social Security Administration: National Average Wage Index 

    Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung: The French Labour Paradox

    AFL-CIO: Collective Bargaining

    NBER: Impacts of Right-to-Work Laws on Unionization and Wages

    OECD: United States: Main indicators and characteristics of collective bargaining

    Forbes: Remote Work Statistics And Trends In 2023

    MckInsey & Company: Freelance, side hustles, and gigs: Many more Americans have become independent workers

    CNBC: 61% of Americans say they are living paycheck to paycheck even as inflation cools

    NLRB: Board Issues Decision Announcing New Framework for Union Representation Proceedings 

    Democracy at Work

    Mondragon

    The New Yorker: How Mondragon Became the World’s Largest Co-Op

    Economic Policy Institute: CEO pay has skyrocketed 1,460% since 1978: CEOs were paid 399 times as much as a typical worker in 2021

    Aspen Institute: Building and Sustaining Worker Cooperatives in the US

    Worker Participation: Countries

    UNDP: How Do Labor Unions Affect Inequality And Efficiency In Latin America And The Caribbean?

    UNFTR Episode Resources

    Understanding Socialism: Part One.

    Labor Unions: From Pullman To Kellogg’s. Labor’s Long, Hard Road

    The Clinton Years (Parts I, II, And III)

    Corporate (Ir)Responsibility: Part One.

    Book Love

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

    --

    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). 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.

    • 45 min
    Show Notes [Understanding Socialism: Part Five.]

    Show Notes [Understanding Socialism: Part Five.]

    Max flies solo in this episode of Show Notes while 99 is out with consumption (COVID). He covers AOC + Socialism feedback, goes on a Boebert rant, and reads tons of Unf*cker feedback. Enjoy!

    Chapters

    Intro: 00:00:20

    Headlines: 00:02:54

    Emails: 00:07:41

    Facebook Shout Outs: 00:33:03

    Instagram Shout Outs: 00:41:13

    YouTube Shout Outs: 00:41:43

    Buy Me A Coffee Memberships + Donations: 00:54:13

    Outro: 00:55:00

    Headlines

    Mother Jones: New Report: One-Third of States Have an Election Denier Overseeing Elections

    Current Affairs: The Strong Towns Movement is Simply Right-Libertarianism Dressed in Progressive Garb

    Resources

    Naomi Klein: Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World

    --

    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). 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.

    • 55 min
    Understanding Socialism: Part Five. 1871 to 1917. Revolutionary Divide.

    Understanding Socialism: Part Five. 1871 to 1917. Revolutionary Divide.

    This is technically the final installment of our series “Understanding Socialism” where we cover the period between the Paris Commune in 1871 and onset of World War I, which precedes (and leads to) the Russian Revolution in 1917. We’re going to cover the Russian Revolution briefly in an epilogue that speaks to the divergence from classical Marxism from the Revolution forward and where socialist movements stand today. This final episode brings new figures into the spotlight such as Karl Kautsky and Rosa Luxemburg and crosses the pond to introduce the likes of Emma Goldman and Eugene Debs.

    Chapters

    Intro: 00:02:05

    Chapter Ten: 00:07:16

    Chapter Eleven: 00:22:43

    Chapter Twelve: 00:50:52

    Book Love

    Joseph A. Schumpeter: Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy

    John M. Thompson: Revolutionary Russia, 1917

    Bernard Harcourt: Critique and Praxis

    Ray Ginger: The Bending Cross: A Biography of Eugene Victor Debs

    Karl Marx: The Communist Manifesto

    Karl Marx: Das Kapital 

    Michael Harrington: Socialism: Past and Future

    Victor Serge + Natalia Ivanovna Sedova: Life and Death of Leon Trotsky

    Anne Sebba: Ethel Rosenberg: An American Tragedy

    Peter Kropotkin: The Conquest of Bread

     Staughton Lynd + Andrej Grubačic: Wobblies and Zapatistas: Conversations on Anarchism, Marxism, and Radical History

    Emma Goldman: Anarchism and Other Essays

    Anthony J. Nocella II, Mark Seis and Jeff Shantz: Classic Writings in Anarchist Criminology: A Historical Dismantling of Punishment and Domination.   

    Resources

    The Collector: What do Hegel and Marx Have in Common?

    Socialist Alternative: Robert Owen and Utopian Socialism

    Marxists.org: Encyclopedia of Marxism: Events

    Washington State University: Introduction to 19th-Century Socialism

    Howard Zinn: Commemorating Emma Goldman: 'Living My Life'

    Stanford: Hegel's Dialectics

    The History of Economic Thought: Cesare Beccaria 

    Stanford: Jeremy Bentham

    Foundation for Economic Education: Robert Owen: The Woolly-Minded Cotton Spinner

    Stanford: Karl Marx 

    Central European Economic and Social History: Economic Development In Europe In The 19th Century

    Marxists.org: Encyclopedia of Marxism

    The New Yorker: Karl Marx, Yesterday and Today

    Marxists.org: Glossary of Organisations

    Northwestern Whitepaper: The Second Industrial Revolution

    The Collector: Revolutions of 1848

    Chemins de Mémoire: Franco-Prussian War of 1870

    Journal of Modern History: 1870 in European History and Historiography

    JSTOR: Paul Avrich: The Legacy of Bakunin

    Marxists.org: Bakunin

    The Anarchist Library: The Federative Principle

    The Anarchist Library: Property Is Theft

    The Collector: What do Hegel and Marx Have in Common?

    Socialist Alternative: Robert Owen and Utopian Socialism

    Marxists.org: Encyclopedia of Marxism: Events

    Washington State University: Introduction to 19th-Century Socialism | Common Errors in English Usage and More

    Howard Zinn: Commemorating Emma Goldman: 'Living My Life'

    Stanford: Hegel's Dialectics

    The History of Economic Thought: Cesare Beccaria 

    Stanford: Jeremy Bentham

    Foundation for Economic Education: Robert Owen: The Woolly-Minded Cotton Spinner

    Stanford: Karl Marx 

    Central European Economic and Social History: Economic Development In Europe In The 19th Century

    Marxists.org: Encyclopedia of Marxism

    The New Yorker: Karl Marx, Yesterday and Today

    Marxists.org: Glossary of Organisations

    Northwestern Whitepaper: The Second Industrial Revolution 

    The Collector: Revolutions of 1848

    Chemins de Mémoire: Franco-Prussian War of 1870

    Journal of Modern History: 1870 in European History and Historiography

    Jacobin: Why Kautsky was Right 

    The New Yorker: Dreyfus Affair 

    The Jacobin: John Dewey 

    Marxists.org: Anarchism and Anarcho-Syndicalism 

    Spartacus Ed: Karl Kautsky

    --

    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:

    • 1 hr 10 min
    Hands Off AOC: Reply to the Slandering of a Revolutionist.

    Hands Off AOC: Reply to the Slandering of a Revolutionist.

    AOC. The country continues to obsess over the bright light of the progressive caucus and most high profile member of “The Squad.” From day one, AOC has been the subject of harsh criticisms steeped in misogyny and class resentment; mostly from the right. Oftentimes, however, the criticisms have come from inside the Democratic Party establishment. Recently, however, she’s been in the crosshairs of the far left end of the spectrum. Some of this isn’t new, but it seems to be growing. In this episode we look deeper at her record, set a few things straight about the nature of politics in America and make a haunting comparison from history that serves as a warning.

    Chapters

    Intro: 00:00:32

    Post Show Musings: 00:20:03

    Outro: 00:36:33

    Resources

    The Militant: Hands of Rosa Luxemburg

    Vanity Fair: Unearthed Video Shows Marjorie Taylor Greene Has Been Psychotically Stalking AOC for Years

    Politico: From agitator to insider: The evolution of AOC

    AOC's Pathetic Biden Endorsement

    New York Magazine: AOC Is Just a Regular Old Democrat Now

    Pod Save America: Exclusive: AOC Talks Honestly About Joe Biden, The Supreme Court, and the 2024 Presidential Election

    Office of Congressional Ethics: OCE Referral Regarding Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

    The New York Times: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Apologizes for Vote on Iron Dome Funding

    Clerk: Roll Call 275 | Bill Number: HR 5323

    Jacobin: Railroad Workers United: “We Would Never Concede Our Right to Strike”

    Mother Jones: Railroad Workers Kept Applying Pressure For Sick Days. It’s Working.

    Global Project Against Hate and Extremism: Robert F. Kennedy Tweet Mobilizes Neo-Nazis

    Jacobin: AOC and the Squad’s List of Left-Wing Accomplishments Is Quite Long

    LR 132: Evaluating The Squad w/ Branko Marcetic + @MinionDeathCult on the UPS Vote

    UNFTR Episode Resources

    April 2021 Quickie: 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). 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.

    • 38 min
    Show Notes [What is Bidenomics?]

    Show Notes [What is Bidenomics?]

    Max and 99 are reunited in this episode of Show Notes! They talk Bidenomics, Phone A Friend, and sharting. (Sorry.)

    Chapters

    Intro: 00:00:20

    Headlines: 00:16:41

    Emails: 00:27:51

    Facebook Shout Outs: 00:47:00

    Buy Me A Coffee Memberships + Donations: 01:04:24

    Reviews: 01:06:04

    Outro: 01:06:21

    Headlines

    HRW: “They Fired on Us Like Rain”: Saudi Arabian Mass Killings of Ethiopian Migrants at the Yemen-Saudi Border

    World Socialist Web Site: BRICS to expand to counter US dollar dependence

    The New York Times: America Is Draining Its Groundwater Like There’s No Tomorrow

    Resources

    Oliver Anthony: Rich Men North Of Richmond

    Billy Bragg: Rich Men Earning North of a Million

    What Next Podcast: What’s Vivek Ramaswamy’s Deal?

    The New Yorker: Elon Musk’s Shadow Rule

    UNFTR: F*ck Milton Friedman

    --

    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). 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.

    • 1 hr 7 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
586 Ratings

586 Ratings

Recycled grandma ,

Always thought provoking

Max and his crew never talk down to listeners. Their shows are in depth and knowledge-filled.
I like the YouTube offerings too.

aikibrian ,

Awesome podcast!

This my favorite podcast! The information mixed with the entertainment make it the best one out there! Thanks for all the work you folks do!

TristinSD ,

The best out there

Max and his team produce in my opinion of the best, most informational podcasts in the podosphere. He is extremely articulate, concise, and most of all, honest. He explains abstract concepts about our democracy and the current political climate in a way that is digestible and easily understandable. You should absolutely give his series a listen as I got hooked 2 years ago and have not stopped. 10/10

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