Unf*cking The Republic
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
Episodes
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 urgenc...
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
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 O...
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 ...
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
--
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
In this UNFTR Phone A Friend we speak with economist, political leader and bestselling author Yanis Varoufakis about his latest book Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism. Max and Yanis cover a wide array of topics from the release of Julian Assange, the thesis behind Technofeudalism, the future of labor and the post-capitalism reality we already live under.
Watch the interview on YouTube.
Resources
Melville House: Technofeudalis...
The United States Postal Service is one of the most derided institutions in the country. Also, it’s one of the most highly regarded according to every poll conducted on government agencies. This episode digs into our complicated relationship with the Postal Service and examines the historical challenges facing this institution. We cover the controversy surrounding Louis DeJoy, the current Postmaster General and his ten-year plan to...
Parliamentary elections were held in the European Union last week. It did not go well. Check that. It went very well for the right-wing movement in Europe. Most Americans caught wind of some kind of election in the EU but it’s fair to say that few really understand what it was all about. And with good reason. This stuff is really confusing. Scores of parties under the umbrella of seven coalition parties, 720 members representing 27...
Max and 99 are back after a few week Show Notes hiatus. In this episode they catch up on the most recent episodes and the latest news. Enjoy!
Chapters
Intro: 00:00:20
Emails: 00:27:35
Memberships: 01:21:50
Reviews: 01:22:16
Outro: 01:22:45
Resources
--
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
In this episode, Max breaks down the biggest scandal in the healthcare industry (and that’s saying a lot). We walk through how a bunch of pencil pushing pharmacy middlemen became so powerful they bought out the biggest health insurance companies and pharmacy chains, and did it through hiking up drug prices, kickbacks and taking advantage of government contracts. This is the story of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and how they bec...
In celebration of Pride we're flashing back to an early Unf*cking: UNFTR on LGBTQ.
Read the essay or visit the episode resources online.
--
Today we begin a conversation about the LGBTQ movement in the United States, with a nod to our Canadian friends as well. In order to properly introduce issues facing LGBTQ people into the lar...
I’m still catching my breath from the immigration series, slew of Phone A Friends and topical political stories these past couple of weeks. The upcoming episodes are all pretty exciting and intense so I decided to take a moment to have a family meeting with Unf*ckers in another “Max Unfiltered.”
Resources
UNFTR: Over The Borderline: Intro.
UNFTR: Phone A Friend: Rev. Roger Williams.
UNFTR: Phone A Friend: Ben Burgis.
UNFTR: Phone A...
Max takes aim at NYU professor Scott Galloway who recently appeared on CNN to criticize student protests with the most bizarre analysis that smacks of laziness and propaganda. While “takedowns” and “gotchas” aren’t Max’s favorite thing, he makes an exception for Galloway because of the space he occupies in the media ecosystem and on the spectrum of white male bro-influencers with independent platforms that are poisoning the media. ...
In today's Show Notes, Max and 99 get into many spirited discussions inspired by Unf*cker feedback—from climate change to faux intellectual influencers. Additionally, they touch on some topical headlines relevant to the Over The Borderline Series and Point of Pride Phone A Friend. Enjoy!
Chapters
Intro: 00:00:20
Emails: 00:34:25
Outro: 01:30:00
Resources
Phone A Friend: Jeff Main, Executive Director of Point of Pride.
One half of one percent of Americans identify as a gender other than the one assigned to them at birth. And yet our state legislatures found the time to propose more than 550 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in 2023, with over 80 passed into law and nearly all focused narrowly on restricting trans rights. According to Human Rights Watch, since the Transgender Day of Remembrance in November of 2022, at least 33 transgender and gender non-conformin...
Our third and final installment of Over The Borderline stays below the U.S. southern border to look at the economic factors that contribute to mass migration from Central and South American countries specifically. We look at the root economic causes of migration, the U.S. failure to meaningfully partner with LAC nations to promote mutually beneficial economic conditions and the expansion of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in...
In today's Show Notes, Max and 99 review Unf*cker feedback from the Over The Borderline series and the recent Phone A Friend with Tad DeLay. Enjoy!
Chapters
Intro: 00:00:20
Emails: 00:08:55
Instagram Shout Outs: 00:43:09
Member Shout Outs: 00:46:28
Outro: 00:47:04
Resources
--
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...
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 th...
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
--
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 an...
Popular Podcasts
The Podium: An NBC Olympic and Paralympic podcast. Join us for insider coverage during the intense competition at the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. In the run-up to the Opening Ceremony, we’ll bring you deep into the stories and events that have you know and those you'll be hard-pressed to forget.
In The Village will take you into the most exclusive areas of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games to explore the daily life of athletes, complete with all the funny, mundane and unexpected things you learn off the field of play. Join Elizabeth Beisel as she sits down with Olympians each day in Paris.
Listen to the latest news from the 2024 Olympics.
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are here and have everyone talking. iHeartPodcasts is buzzing with content in honor of the 33rd Olympic Games and you can follow Paris Summer Games to stay up to date on all things Olympics. We’re bringing you episodes from a variety of iHeartPodcast shows to help you keep up with the action. Follow Paris Summer Games so you don’t miss any coverage of the 2024 Olympic Games, and if you like what you hear, be sure to follow each Podcast in the feed for more great content from iHeartPodcasts.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.