We’ve all heard of the great divide. The most dysfunctional Congress ever. The end of civility! There’s an impression that nothing passes Congress with bipartisan support anymore. That every piece of legislation has to pass along party lines, setting us up for bloodsport events each and every fucking election cycle. There’s a lot of truth to this. And yet, each year thousands of bills and resolutions are introduced and hundreds are eventually signed into law. We define ourselves along partisan lines, but perhaps we should look more closely at what bipartisan efforts say about America. 

Visit the episode's accompanying site page.

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:10

Bill Primer: 00:05:22

Rule One: Protect the “free” market at all costs. 00:12:48

Coffee Break: 00:20:06

Rule Two: Protect the war machine. Even if we don’t have our own war. 00:21:36

Rule Three: Protect the war machine. In case you want to start a war.  00:29:02

Post Show Musings: 00:31:54

Outro: 00:36:30

Resources

GovTrack: S. 1404: Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act

Ghost Army Legacy Project: The story of The Ghost Army in a nutshell

GovTrack: H.R. 1448: PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act

GovTrack: H.R. 8351: Formula Act

GovTrack: H.R. 2954: Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021

Committee On Ways And Means, House Of Representatives Report: Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021

CNBC: 41% of Americans say it’s ‘going to take a miracle’ to be ready for retirement, report finds

CNBC: Some retirees get by on just Social Security. Experts disagree on how many

Congress.gov: 1st Session S. 1770 

GovTrack: S. 3522: Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022

ISS PSC Report: African conflicts to watch in 2022

ISS: Inclusive national dialogue is a priority for Ethiopia

ISS: Will this week’s AU mission to CAR deliver a change in strategy?

ISS: The clock is ticking on South Sudan’s transition

ISS: South Sudan’s transitional government: realities, challenges and opportunities

GovTrack: S. 1605: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022

U.S. Department of Defense: The Department of Defense Releases the President’s Fiscal Year 2023 Defense Budget

Politico Magazine: Where in the World Is the U.S. Military?

UNFTR Episode Resources

Procedural F*ckery: Quirks of our “Democracy.”

The Beatification of Ronald Reagan.

Immigration Nation: A Crisis of Our Own Design.

Building the Climate Industrial Complex: Strange Bedfellows, Wildfires and Heat Waves.

Priorities: War, Wealth and Welfare.

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