UNFTR Weekly Roundup

This week in our Members Only Newsletter you missed:

Max Notes on normalizing the names behind the corporate colonialism movement.
The Tuesday Top Five news articles everyone should be reading.
An original essay from News Beat’s Rashed Mian on Trump supporters being “NeoConned.”
And “Not for Nothing” on Fizzled Fight Night, “Glicked” and Biden lost in the Amazon.

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

There’s a lot of talk about “flooding the zone” lately. And yet, the media still plays along and reacts to every move the Trump transition team makes in preparation to destroy the so-called administrative state. And I get it. It’s tempting. Even though I was eminently prepared for this moment, the overwhelming reality of it all is still sinking in, which is why I’m going back to basics, reviewing our canon of work and hunting for themes we can dial into to make sense of all this.

For what it’s worth, I’m landing in a pretty good place. 99 was needling me toward the end of the episode about being too doom and gloom but I actually see the opposite in what we’re undertaking together on the podcast. I feel a real sense of opportunity in the wind; organized thoughts coming out of despair. I don’t know about you but I’m seeing many of the same sentiments expressed throughout social media and in news articles that wouldn’t necessarily have been out there had the Democrats not squandered the election (and $1.5 billion) so completely. Do you feel it as well?

People are looking for answers. They’re looking for a shared language to explain what’s going on around them. Sure, there’s fear and trepidation but these emotions are sparking curiosity about systems and beliefs. Make no mistake, Unf*ckers ARE in the vanguard of political thought because you’ve been willing to challenge your own assumptions and work through some pretty sticky problems. In doing so, we’ve cultivated a shared perspective that needs to be whittled and honed, packaged and delivered in a way that resonates with the masses.

That’s the biggest takeaway I’ve had thus far from reviewing our work and digging into the formative books and articles that brought us to this place. If the neoliberal movement was sparked by only a handful of people who followed the organizing principles of Lenin, then we can too. It will take time and discipline but it can be done. After all, a waterfall begins with only one drop of water…

Other things I’m obsessing over…

Sean Rowe: To Leave Something Behind. That’s all I’m trying to do.
Cenk’s histrionics aren’t helpful. And this was mean-spirited.
Speaking of mean-spirited, I really want David Brooks to just fucking go away.

-Max

Chart of the Week

Total likes, posts and follows are surging on Bluesky since election day

Source: Bluesky

We’ve gleefully abandoned X even though we never paid much attention to it. Nevertheless, we’re thrilled to join the millions of new users over at Bluesky. Won’t you be our neighbor?

Headlines

So It Begins. With the Help of Democrats No Less.

Years ago we wrote about the dangers of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) under Obama, which slipped in vague but dangerous language about organizations deemed to be “supportive” of terrorism. Congress is on target to codify similar language into legislation that gives the Trump administration broad powers to criminalize non-profit organizations at its “discretion.”

From the article:

“Under the new bill just passed by the House, criteria for designations of ‘terrorism’ are vague. If it passes the Senate and is signed into law, the Treasury Secretary would have broad discretion in the law’s enforcement and wouldn’t be required to share related evidence. The law could chill free speech by creating financial pressure on organizations that rely on their tax-exempt status to operate effectively. Under the Treasury’s discretion, the bill could be wielded against projects backed by political or corporate interests; for example, groups like WE ACT who oppose oil and gas development could be accused of obstructing critical infrastructure.”

The Lever: GOP Takes First Steps To Shut Down Climate Groups

What Happens in Sri Lanka Better Not Stay In Sri Lanka!

Look. I’m not saying it could happen here, but…There are signs of hope in other parts of the world. People are still inspired by the teachings of yesterday and how they can inform the movements of today.

From the article:

“The NPP is a cross-class electoral front launched five years ago by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP, People’s Liberation Front). While the JVP began its life as a revolutionary Marxist-Leninist party and still formally subscribes to that ideology, the NPP has positioned itself on the center left. The incoming government’s priorities, according to JVP general secretary Tilvin Silva, are ‘developing the country, eradicating corruption, and enhancing democracy with accountability.’”

Jacobin: Sri Lanka’s People Have Kicked Out the Old Political Class

Same Sex Marriage Under Trump: More Questions Than Answers

There appear to be some trap doors in marriage equality, but no one knows for sure how the Trump administration could go about upending the Supreme Court protections.

From the article:

“But while the Supreme Court rulings and the Respect for Marriage Act law apply to governmental rights and benefits, their reach is more limited in the private sector. If bakers or website designers want to deny services to gay couples based on their religious beliefs, for example, they might continue to try — but those actions would fall under state anti-discrimination laws. Many private employers — including Catholic nonprofits — who have denied benefits to their employees’ same-sex partner, would be subject to employment discrimination regulations.”

New York Times: Should Gay Couples Worry About Their Benefits Under Trump?

This Week on the Pod

Neoliberalism Borrowed From Lenin, Why Can’t We?

An AI generated image of a conspiratorial-type corkboard with red string connecting photos and documents

This week we go all the way back to the beginning to ruminate about what motivated us to start the podcast in the dark days of the pandemic. We open with a passage from Nancy MacLean’s Democracy in Chains that struck a chord with Max. In it MacLean talks about the early days of the nihilistic libertarian society built by Charles Koch who was himself building upon the work of his father in the John Birch Society. Turns out, Koch and the founders of the neoliberal movement were inspired by the organizing principles of Vladimir Lenin. Let that sink in.

From the Episode:

Max: “They’ve accomplished what sociologists have referred to as de-coupling. They’ve broken the people from the political and economic process; we no longer have the ability to influence them. They’ve mobilized their efforts under a narrow but powerful coalition that is extremely well funded. They’ve divided us to conquer us. It feels random and overwhelming because they’re attacking the legal system, education system, political system, labor, science, arts, culture, media, lifestyle choices and identity. They literally have battalions on every front and we’re so busy playing defense that we’re incapable of mounting an offense. We’ve been fighting on the back foot since Reagan.”

Access Episode Resources

Resources

Pod Love

“This week, Nick and Goldy are joined by Faiz Shakir, Executive Director of A More Perfect Union, to discuss the shocking revelation of an international oil price-fixing conspiracy. Their conversation explores how the collusion between American oil companies and the foreign nations that make up OPEC significantly contributed to inflation, costing American families between $500 and $1,000 annually. Shakir explains how the Federal Trade Commission uncovered this conspiracy and highlights the urgent need for increased regulatory oversight and harsher penalties to protect consumers from corporate malpractice.”

Pitchfork Economics: How Big Oil Rigged the System and Stuck You With the Bill (with Faiz Shakir)

Book Love

Back to basics.

“Behind today’s headlines of billionaires taking over our government is a secretive political establishment with long, deep, and troubling roots. The capitalist radical right has been working not simply to change who rules, but to fundamentally alter the rules of democratic governance. But billionaires did not launch this movement; a white intellectual in the embattled Jim Crow South did. Democracy in Chains names its true architect—the Nobel Prize-winning political economist James McGill Buchanan—and dissects the operation he and his colleagues designed over six decades to alter every branch of government to disempower the majority.”

Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America by Nancy MacLean

**Unf*cker Comment of the Week**

From @Donleavemedimi:

“You are great at messaging real bad s***.”

Progressive Corner

Progressive Spotlight: Chris Hedges.

The veteran journalist and political commentator has long warned about the corporate takeover of American institutions and the related erosion of civil liberties.

Progressive Organization of the Week: Point of Pride.

“Our mission is to help the most vulnerable members of our community feel seen and supported through access to life-saving health and wellness services.”

Check Out the New UNFTR Directory of Progressive Resources for More