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UNFTR Weekly Roundup

What You Missed

This week in our Members Only Newsletter you missed:

  • Max Notes on how the Left and Right narratives shifted after Biden dropped out.

  • The Tuesday Top Five news articles everyone should be reading.

  • An original essay from News Beat’s Rashed Mian on The Butcher of Gaza’s appearance in Congress.

  • And Ryan Stanco’s “Not for Nothing” on Harris, Vance and “her emails”.

So I guess the question is…what are you waiting for? Sign up today to become a member and level up to unlock a slew of additional perks!

    Max Notes

    I’m taking a lot of heat over my most recent take on the Kamala Harris coronation. I’m here for it and am grateful for all of the responses thus far, even if you’re angry with me right now. There’s a sense among liberal Democrats and progressives alike that we need to unify around a Harris candidacy and focus our efforts on running against Trump. A few thoughts to consider over the weekend…

     

    First off, my criticism of Harris mirrors my critique of the Biden administration for one simple reason. Vice President Harris is one-half of the team and therefore her record is only what she has shown us thus far as a promoter and supporter of the president. It seems like even progressives are experiencing some sort of Stockholm Syndrome. We’re held captive to the fear of another Trump term rather than pushing to escape the grip of the corporate duopoly and the structures of inequality that are endemic to both party platforms. 

     

    We believed for months, if not years now, that Joe Biden was incapable of managing a second term. 

     

    We were frustrated by the administration’s refusal to take conservative democrats like Manchin and Sinema to task by forcing votes on popular initiatives that would have put them in difficult positions in their districts. 

     

    We were incensed when progressives were sidelined by Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer as they eliminated core progressive causes from the major spending bills. 

     

    We were horrified by the DNC’s suppression tactics during the primary season in 2016, 2020 and then again this year. 

     

    We remain heartbroken over the administration’s blind support of genocide in Palestine. 

     

    Kamala Harris was “in the room” for all of it. All along the polling numbers indicated that she was as much of a loser against Trump, especially in key battleground states, as Joe Biden. We knew she was an aggressive prosecutor in a blue state during a time when the winds of progressive change were blowing throughout her state. 

     

    Now here’s a counterbalance that is worth considering. 

     

    As a U.S. Senator, Harris was decidedly more liberal than most of her colleagues. She supported popular progressive measures such as Medicare for All. She voted more like Bernie than most during her tenure. In senate hearings she was nothing short of masterful when holding power to account. She brings a much needed energy and vitality to the election and she may very well infuse the platform with more progressive ideals than her soon-to-be former boss. We’ll know more when she hits the campaign trail in earnest, sits for genuine interviews and selects her vice presidential candidate. 

     

    These are the factors that are certainly cause for optimism. 

     

    My problem, however, is this: We weren’t given a choice. No matter how you look at it, the decision has been made for us through a combination of money and backroom deals. I understand that this is the political landscape in which we exist. I didn’t just fall out of a coconut tree. But our job is to push to change this dynamic. All along I have maintained that even the most progressive-minded individual can vote for a Democrat with a clear conscience because it is a vote to protect the most vulnerable and marginalized populations. 

     

    But as we speak, they’re clearing homeless encampments in “liberal” California. 

     

    Vice President Harris was in charge of border initiatives in her administration and thus we can only assume that she did more than participate in the effort to take a hard right turn on immigration. She may very well have directed it. 

     

    When she was tasked with putting together a plan for healthcare and put her voting record on paper during her presidential bid, she substituted ‘universal healthcare’ for ‘Medicare for All’ by leaving a role for private insurers. 

     

    She has been the more critical voice in the administration with respect to Israel’s prosecution of the war in Gaza, but nothing changed. Was it “good cop / bad cop” or does a Harris administration portend a shift in our policy toward Israel?

     

    What exactly is the Democratic economic plan? As far as I can tell it’s a continuation of the “bottom up, middle out” strategy that has furthered economic stratification in the country over the past couple of years. 

     

    The common thread in my editorials over the past couple of months has been simple. It is the job of progressives to hold power to account and make political life uncomfortable for all elected officials. How one chooses to vote on a single day every four years is by no means inconsequential. But it pales in comparison to the steady advocacy and fight for individual rights, economic justice and a healthy planet. 

     

    The one lesson that I hoped to inculcate in UNFTR listeners is to show just how mighty the opposition is to progressive values. It’s why we spend so much time talking about the assault on the pillars of economic life and social structures. The 50 plus year plan the conservative movement has assiduously followed to ensure that democracy was unmoored from the people. 

     

    Everything done can be undone.  But the damage they’ve done will take years.

     

    Vote Kamala Harris. No shade. The prospect of a Trump administration (with a Republican Congress) is far scarier this time around. But do so with clear eyes and prepare for the long fight ahead. 

     

    Other things I’m obsessing over…

    • How disappointed you all are in me right now. 

    • How it probably feels to be related to me. (See above)

    • Watching Sam and Emma make fun of Tim Pool.

    • Laura Marling.

      -Max

        99’s Birthday Month Donor Drive

        It’s 99’s birthday month and she’s putting on a donor drive! Every dollar donated to UNFTR helps us work towards the mission of making this a full time job (which in turn begets you more UNFTR).

         

        During the month of July, donate:

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        Chart of the Week

        When the conservative media continues to push the “energy independence” narrative and claims that the Biden administration’s clean energy initiatives made us reliant on foreign oil, share this chart with them.

        U.S. Oil Production estimated to rise above the forecasted amount

        Source: OilPrice.com

         

        “The Biden administration has often been accused of moving away from the pursuit of energy independence by imposing restrictions on new oil and gas drilling. However, in response to the growing global demand for crude following the Covid-19 pandemic, U.S. oil production during Biden’s first year was higher than during either of Trump’s first two years in office.”

        Headlines

        There Are No Good Billionaires

        As billionaires go, Reid Hoffman is considered one of the good guys by liberals. Here’s a subtle reminder that there is no such thing as a good billionaire.

         

        From the article:

        “A few days ago, billionaire LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman gave $10 million to the Kamala Harris effort, and promised a lot more. Hoffman is a Silicon Valley titan, part of the ‘PayPal mafia’ that includes Peter Thiel and Elon Musk, though Hoffman sits on the Democratic side of the aisle. This morning, Hoffman went on CNN and issued demands. Harris must end Biden’s tariff and antitrust regimes, he said, and fire Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan.”

         

        Matt Stoller: Billionaire Orders Kamala Harris to Fire Lina Khan

         

        The Practical Reason Behind Netanyahu’s Trip to the U.S.

        Israel is running out of money. Beyond the political theater of addressing Congress, Netanyahu was really here to protect his investment. He needs our guns and money to “finish the job” as he so brazenly stated in his address. More than likely it won’t be the desecration of cemeteries in Gaza, bombing of schools and hospitals or tens of thousands of dead and disfigured citizens that bring about an end to this genocidal campaign. It will be an uprising among Israelis when there are no more jobs.

         

        From the article:

        “Israel’s economy contracted by almost 22 percent in the last quarter of 2023 following the start of the war and was still 7 percent down in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period in 2023. Credit ratings agency S&P said it expected Israel’s economy to recover more slowly than after previous military campaigns or the COVID-19 pandemic, achieving just 0.5 percent growth in GDP this year. S&P, along with Moody’s Investors Service, has downgraded Israel’s credit rating, viewing the war-hit sectors of the economy—tourism, construction and agriculture—as well as escalating regional conflicts and domestic political uncertainty, as impeding a recovery.”

         

        WSWS: Gaza war takes its toll on Israel’s finances as threat of war with Lebanon escalates

         

        Read the Following Rules Before Reading the Rest of This Garbage

        1. Don’t click the article link and give them the satisfaction.
        2. Read this passage to understand how propaganda works. 
        3. Do not read this passage on a full stomach as you’re likely to puke.

        The following excerpt is from an opinion piece in American Spectator, supposedly one of the rational conservative voices in the conservative media. Understand that this is how they portray him and thus how he is perceived by his followers.

         

        From the article:

        “Thank heavens that whereas JFK’s head was blown to bits, the bullet shot by Trump’s would-be killer just grazed his ear, apparently because the intended victim happened to turn his head slightly at the last second. During the last few years, while he has been subjected to endless harassment by his political enemies in the form of a long list of absurd hoaxes, two baseless impeachments, and countless unfounded lawsuits, Trump has exhibited extraordinary personal strength. A mere fraction of what he has been put through would have broken all but the very strongest men. All others would have cut and run. Trump, a self-made billionaire who has more than earned the right to spend his later years relaxing, could easily have bowed out of politics after his presidential term was over and spent the rest of his life in the lap of luxury at his lavish personal properties, entertaining friends and enjoying the company of his family.”

         

        American Spectator: A Modern Colossus: Donald Trump. A man in full.

          This Week on the Pod

          Phone A Friend: Shane Burley and Ben Lorber.

          Podcast art for Unf*cking The Republic and the Book cover for Safety through Solidarity- A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism by Shane Burley and Ben Lorber.

          This week, Max welcomes Ben Lorber and Shane Burley to the program, co-authors of Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism.

           

          Here’s a snippet from the pod:

          Ben: “I have to say that most critique of Israel is completely valid. We’re supporters of BDS and we’re supporters of justice in Palestine. It’s really important to say that because often, as I said, these accusations can sometimes be levied against BDS supporters in a way that’s very unjust. But it’s also important, as you said, to be mindful of these times when antisemitism can show up and to know what it sounds like and how to combat it.”

          Watch The Interview
          Access Episode Resources

          Resources

          Pod Love

          “The First Amendment. Book bans, disinformation, the wild world of the internet. Free speech debates are all around us. What were the Founding Fathers thinking when they created the First Amendment, and how have the words they wrote in the 18th century been stretched and shaped to fit a world they never could have imagined? It’s a story that travels through world wars and culture wars. Through the highest courts and the Ku Klux Klan. Today on Throughline’s We the People: What exactly is free speech, and how has the answer to that question changed in the history of the U.S.?”

           

          Throughline: We the People: Free Speech

           

          Book Love

          Okay. After spending a few weeks with Ben Lorber and Shane Burley’s book on fighting antisemitism I’ve gone back below the border to visit with Lula. I’ll let you know when I come up for air. 

           

          “Since 2011, Fernando Morais, one of Brazil’s leading writers, has gained direct, frank and frequent access to Lula. To these dozens of hours of testimonies, he has added a reporter’s flair and captivating prose to compose a biography that paints a picture in all its grandeur and complexity.”

           

          Lula: A Biography by Fernando Morais

           

          Unf*cker Comment of the Week

          From Noah J.:

          “Her campaign isn’t even a week in, and you have already concluded that she cannot win. She raised $81M in small donations in 24 hours. You claim the Democrats are not excited about her, but those small donations are the people. How dare you dismiss that!”

          Progressive Corner

          Progressive Spotlight: Ilhan Omar.

          All of the political battles Ilan Omar faces in Congress pale in comparison to her traumatic childhood, marked by escaping civil war in her native Somalia and living in a Kenyan refugee camp for four years before coming to the U.S.

           

          Progressive Organization of the Week: Center for Popular Democracy.

          “The Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) empowers communities to create an inclusive, equitable society where people of color, immigrants, working families, women, and LGBTQ communities thrive together. We foster a resilient economy and political institutions that reflect our shared priorities.”

           

          Check Out the New UNFTR Directory of Progressive Resources for More

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