UNFTR Weekly Roundup

Max Notes

April of 1990. Spring classes were coming to an end. Graduation was around the corner. World Party drops Goodbye Jumbo, becoming an integral part of my summer soundtrack before leaving for college. 

World Party frontman Karl Wallinger died this week causing me to revisit their work and it transported me instantly to this time in my life. Few things have this effect like music and it’s little wonder why our tastes stop evolving at a certain point. There were some crossover hits from Goodbye Jumbo that put them on the charts but it was an innocuous ballad And I Fell Back Alone that survived my analog to digital playlists. 

So, thanks for that Karl. 

Searching for goodness in the world I came upon the story of Chef José Andrés whose nonprofit World Central Kitchen is attempting to deliver 200 tons of food to the starving people of Gaza. While Andrés recognizes the potential for failure, it’s nevertheless inspiring to see the definition of hospitality play out on such a large scale. 

Someone like Andrés stepping into a role that nations should occupy offers both hope and frustration. For context, it’s unclear how the food will ultimately reach shore. Or where Gazans might prepare and cook the dried goods and ingredients. There’s no functioning port and Gazans are mostly living in bombed out tent cities. And just for further context, the 200 tons of food is the equivalent of 10 trucks that are unable to pass through the Egyptian border into Gaza. 

This week the House voted to ban TikTok in the United States if the Chinese government didn’t authorize the sale of the popular app to non-Chinese owners. I know a lot of young people will be angry with this bill but this is just Congress looking out for us like they did when they reinstated Glass Steagall in the wake of the financial crisis to separate investment firms from consumer deposits. Or how they forced a bill to crackdown on food conglomerates that jacked up prices to boost profits under the cover of the global inflation crisis. 

Oh wait… Never mind. 

Other things I’m obsessing over…

• Getting in the Ireland frame of mind by watching Brooklyn. Saoirse Ronan makes it easy for sure. What a delightful movie. Yes, I just used the word ‘delightful’.
  
  
• Akaash Singh’s crowd work is the stuff of legend. Congrats are in order for his new special Gaslit. 
  
  
• Zeteo. If you dare. Good luck to Mehdi Hasan.
  
  
• Boxer > MMA (if you’re boxing.) AJ v. Fury next. Bring it.

-Max

Chart of the Week

Source: Civiqs.com

We’re going to continue watching this Civiqs chart in the coming months. The data improved slightly from the last time we shared it though it still has a long way to go to portend good things for the Democrats in November. The “getting worse” and “getting better” lines are starting to converge and they’ll need to flip entirely for Biden to have a reasonable shot and it will undoubtedly have an impact on down ballot races as well. 

Headlines

Haiti’s Unending Crisis

There hasn’t been a period in my lifetime when Haiti wasn’t in some stage of crisis. But this might be a new level of chaos. With gangs in charge of the island nation it’s difficult to predict what comes next other than the continuation of total anarchy and a humanitarian crisis that we have been fostering and promoting for decades.

From the article:

“‘Prime Minister Ariel resigned not because of politics, not because of the massive street demonstrations against him over the years, but because of the violence gangs have carried out,’ said Judes Jonathas, a Haitian consultant who has worked for years in aid delivery. ‘The situation totally changed now, because the gangs are now working together.’”

New York Times: Why Everything Changed in Haiti: The Gangs United

Coming soon to your state: Chaos!

The Freedom Caucus has infected the Republican Party on a national level in a way few saw coming. They also provided a valuable lesson to Progressives who might want to borrow a few pages from their playbook. Now the FC is on the move and wreaking havoc in state legislatures as well, ensuring the steady erosion and decline of decorum at every level of government. Well done, Republicans! Well done.

From the article:

“Much like we’ve seen at the federal level, Freedom Caucus offshoots at the state level have resulted in the same infighting, ludicrous proposed legislation, and obstructionist tactics so loved by Congress members like Jim Jordan and Matt Gaetz.”

DailyKos: State Freedom Caucuses are a thing now, and they’re nuttier than the House is

“I can’t change to adapt to the world; the world will have to adapt to me.”

99 here! This is a great piece that reminds us that asking for help is okay, but also, the world was not build accessibly; and it’s something we don’t talk enough about in our society.

From the article:

“I’ve been thinking about this the wrong way, insisting on a faulty mental construct—the myth, that is, that we should all be independent. None of us is, really. We rely on one another all day long, in all kinds of ways—parents taking turns driving their kids to soccer practice, a daughter escorting her elderly mother to the doctor, office workers contributing to a team project. So I need help finding a Dunkin’ Donuts. What’s the big deal?”

The Atlantic: I’m Disabled. Please Help Me.

This Week on the Pod

“Project 2025.”

There are few things in this world as dangerous as Republicans with time on their hands. When Republicans find themselves out of office, they stay busy hatching evil plans in undisclosed lairs somewhere. Actually, they do it in think tanks. What’s impressive is how many plans they concoct during these periods that actually wind up as legislative public policy when they’re re-elected. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 playbook is one of the more devastating handbooks ever written and it’s really important that we take them at their word given prior successes. This week’s episode is a deep dive into the 900+ book they recently published to help guide the next conservative president’s first 180 days in office.

Here’s a snippet from the pod:

Max: “What you’re about to read is entirely pulled from the 900 page book these organizations drafted for the presidential transition. I read it so you don’t have to. (That’s why it took me a couple weeks.) I’m going to editorialize on a couple of these where I think it’s necessary to clarify the meaning, but mostly the work speaks for itself. And it’s very important that we take them at their word because a lot of what you’re going to hear can be done by executive order. Now, a lot of it can’t but the nightmare scenario, of course, is that Trump takes over with control of both houses again and is way more prepared to enact several of the measures you’re about to read.”

Progressive Corner

Progressive Spotlight: Dr. Cornel West.

Progressive intellectual Dr. Cornel West, a 2024 presidential candidate, brings his truth and justice philosophy to the mainstream and hopes to dismantle American imperialism.

Progressive Organization of the Week: Move To Amend.

This one comes from Unf*cker Chris A. who wrote:

“These folks have the strongest proposal for a constitutional amendment to reverse Citizens United, and have chapters in most states that focus on generating support at the local level. The We The People Amendment explicitly states that corporations are not people and that spending money to influence elections is not a free speech Constitutionally protected right. The movement was founded in 2010, right after the Citizens United decision. Rep. Pramila Jayapal is the lead sponsor of the bill for the We The People Amendment.”

Resources

Pod Love

UNFTR Favorite Jen Briney of Congressional Dish is one of the co-hosts of We’re Not Wrong.

“The gang discuss the challenges and controversies surrounding TikTok’s ownership and the potential impact on national security. Jen, Justin and Heaton explore concerns about the potential control of platforms by Donald Trump and the dangers of giving the president the ability to cancel media outlets. The broad scope of the bill and its implications for any website or app owned by ByteDance are discussed. The potential fines for Apple, Google, and Oracle are highlighted, as well as the expansion of the bill beyond TikTok. The importance of the algorithm and the fear of losing control over American culture are examined.

“The conversation also delves into the manufacturing problems faced by Boeing. The conversation discusses safety concerns with Boeing planes, including the changes in Boeing’s operations and the challenges in fixing the problems.”

We’re Not Wrong: About the TikTok ban and Boeing

Book Love

I like to call these the “crib notes to America.” No library is complete without a copy of The Federalist Papers.

“The Federalist Papers explain the complexities of a constitutional government--its political structure and principles based on the inherent rights of man. Scholars have long regarded this work as a milestone in political science and a classic of American political theory.”

The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay

Unf*cker Comment of the Week

Craig H.:

“I’m a little late in getting this email off but had something to say regarding Briahna Joy Gray. When the phone-a-friend with her dropped, I finally went online to listen to her discussion with Krystal and Kyle. It was a good back and forth. Briahna made some great points. Her critics of Biden and the left are insightful. But when Kyle mentioned election night and if it’s Trump vs Biden again, he asked who do you want? Briahna: ‘I don’t care.’ Really? 

“Max, I’m 56, married and have two boys, 6 and 8. Do they get to grow up in a democracy? Over the years, I’ve lost a friend to addiction of oxycontin thanks to the ‘Sack of Shit’ family and crony capitalism, my wife’s good friend was killed in the Las Vegas shooting leaving very young children behind, my niece was supposed to be at the Borderline Bar in Thousand Oaks, CA where a mass shooter entered but decided not to go at the last minute. We could have lost her. Oh, and another good friend of mine died of covid. He wasn’t vaccinated because enough vaccine disinformation was around so he put it off. It cost him his life. Last, my parents still have that fucking red hat hanging on the wall next to the crucifix. So am I traumatized? Fuck yeah. But I have two boys that I have to raise, to fight for, to make sure they survive fucking elementary school and have a country and a climate to grow up in. There is a LOT riding on this election. 

“I’m a fucking parent! I do NOT have the luxury of ‘I don’t care.’”

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