Ep. 7.0(e): Retromike with Crumpets on Nuclear Proliferation

Retromike and Crumpets discuss nuclear proliferation in Russia, Iran, and North Korea. They look at the status of the New START treaty with Russia, the future of the Iran deal, and the complexities in negotiating with North Korea. This episode's Low Energy Loser features the President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko.

Producer(s): KoVC Retromike, Czar Nicholas Tweed
Length: 40:59

Listen here!

Ep.7.0(d): Retromike and Rpryor on Public Transportation

Retromike and Rpryor discuss public transportation in NYC and LA, focusing on the differences between governance, funding, and growth. They also look at the impact of popular apps like uber and lyft on buses and trains, and some of the more darkly humorous follies of privatization in transportation. They close with a Resistance Report on the 2018 Ohio Gubernatorial Race.

Producer(s): KoVC Retromike, Czar Nicholas Tweed
Length: 45:24

Listen here!

Ep. 7.0(c): Retromike with Antonio on the Western Left

Episode LuckySeven rolls on as Retromike and Antonio discuss the state of the Left in 'the West'. They explore the values, goals, and messaging of modern socialism and social democracy. They also take a look at the emerging ideological divide between rural populist nationalism and cities that are multinational and multicultural.

In closing the episode they make an airtight case proving how and why flawless beautiful liberal dreamboy Emmanuel Macron is actually a low energy loser headed for the World-historical Dustbin.

Producer(s): KoVC Retromike, Czar Nicholas Tweed
Length: 49:23

Listen here!

Ep. 7.0(b): Tweed with VC Earl on Canada

Czar Nick Tweed sits down with newly inducted Vice Czar for Canadian Affairs Earl. Earl and Tweed run through the recent history of Canadian politics, take a look at the New Democratic Party (NDP) and its tragic loss in 2015. By the end Nick is rambling about sports labor relations.

We hope to have Earl back on soon to discuss the ongoing NDP leadership race.

Producer(s): Czar Nicholas Tweed
Length: 56:11

Listen here!

Ep. 7.0(a): Retromike and HockeyDude on the Establishment Democrats and the Berniecrats

KoVC Retromike interviews the founder of Atlas After Dark, HockeyDude, on the Establishment Democrats and the Berniecrats, and moving forward after the four 2017 special election losses. We also have a sunny HOT TAKE on Governor Chris Christie's trip to a closed state beach, and Retro discusses the 2018 Senate Race in Texas.

Producer(s): KoVC Retromike
Length: 40:30

Listen here!

Ep. 6.0(d): Call-in With Matt Boland

Czar Nick Tweed interviews Matt Boland aka FairBol to discuss the tricks of the trade in the highly competitive radio business, including the effects on quality of the consolidation of ownership. Matt also talks about his campaign for a two-year term with Fairfield Representative Town Meeting, discussing his frustrations with Democratic lawmakers in Connecticut.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 23:59

Listen here!

Ep. 6.0(c): A Conversation Between Two Berniecrats on a Sunny Day (Averroes, Pt. III)

Czar Nick & DVC Averroes finish up their conversation on the BCRA with Averroes "most overlooked" portion of the Bill, before having a wide ranging conversation about the Democrats, healthcare, and the 2020 election that resembles the conversation they had in Wintertime.

Part III of a three-part series (over two episodes).

Producer(s): Czar Nicholas Tweed
Length: 52:10

Listen here!

Ep. 6.0(b): Tweed with AVERROES on US Healthcare

Czar Nick Tweed hosts the return of Averroes, AFR's Distinguished Vice Czar for Political Economy (Healthcare). This wide ranging, over-hour long tape constitutes Pts I-II of the three-part Interview.

Pt I: In this segment Czar Nick begins to debrief Averroes on the GOP health care plan/Better Care Reconciliation Act, but derails the conversation multiple times with rants on topics ranging from the detrimental effects of excessive rationalization of health care for the hospital patient to the "failed" treatment industry. DVC Averroes, being polite and humble, goes along with Czar Nick's detours.

Fear not: we promise, in Part II Nick better restrains himself and allows DVC Averroes to go deeper into the bill.

Pt II: For the most 'wonky' part of the episode, go to 35:30. DVC Averroes is given the chance to complete most of the briefing he prepared for AFR on the Better Care Reconciliation Act.

The coming Pt III will feature a discussion about how the Democrats have no coherent position on healthcare besides opposing the GOP, and how that may play out in the years to come.

Producer(s): Czar Nicholas Tweed
Length: 1:05:39

Listen to PtsI-II here!

Ep. 6.0(a): KoVC Retromike with Elephantower on Northern Ireland

KICKING OFF EPISODE 6.0!! Knight of Vice Czars Retromike interviews our newly minted Vice Czar for Ulster Affairs Elephantower. The two discuss the unique history, politics, and government of Northern Ireland, and look at some of the challenges posted to Ulster by Brexit and by the Tory-DUP government at Westminster. They finish with an analysis of a key swing District in the coming 2018 Midterms, Arizona-02.

Producer(s): KoVC Retromike
Length: 32:04

Listen here!

Ep. 5.0(f): KoVC Retromike with VC Dr. Cynic in A Tale of Two Cities: Pittsburgh vs. Los Angeles

Closing out Episode 5.0, Knight of Vice Czars Retromike and Vice Czar for Allegheny Affairs Dr. Cynic sit down to compare and contrast the politics, culture, lifestyles, and spoken accents of two GREAT American cities, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles.

Producer(s): KoVC Retromike, Czar Nicholas Tweed
Length: 35:39

Listen here!

Absolute Monarchy Rationalization Act 2017

ATLAS FREE RADIO
ABSOLUTE MONARCHY RATIONALIZATION ACT 2017

PREFACE.

a. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to deny or disparage the power or credibility of the A.F.R. Monarchy, as represented in Human flesh by Czar N. Tweed and Czar D. Bickers.

b. The purpose of this Act is to Rationalize the position of AFR's various contributors according to subject and contribution level, and Ministries shall be formed thereof, in order to enhance AFR's propaganda/journalistic work.

I. The following Ministries shall exist by Will and Word of the Most Benevolent Czars:
(a) Ministry of Propaganda
-Reponsible for Production of AFR Content; run by the Will and Word of the two Most Benevolent Czars, in full consultation with the Knights of Vice Czars.
(b) Ministry of State
-subministries: Intercontental Affairs; Republic of Ireland Affairs; Labour Party (UK) Affairs; Federal District (D.C.) Affairs; The Netherlands / Dutch Affairs; Allegheny Affairs
(c) Ministry of Political Economy
-subministries; Health Policy; United States Revenue & Taxation;

II. The Current Cabinet employed by the Monarchy of Atlas Free Radio stands as follows:

CZARS, THE MOST BENEVOLENT

Most Benevolent Czar Nicholas Tweed (2016-)
Most Benevolent Czar Dan Bickers / " Ebowed " (2016-)

KNIGHTS of VICE CZARS, THE MOST LOYAL

KoVC retromike22 (2017-); Ministry of Propaganda
KoVC Grandpa (2017-); Ministry of State (Honorary)

DISTINGUISHED VICE CZARS

DVC King 👑 (2016-); Ministry of Political Economy
DVC averroes (2017-); Ministry of Political Economy for Health Care Policy
DVC Hashemite 🇨🇦🇨🇴 (2017-); Ministry of State for Intercontinental Affairs

VICE CZARS

VC Baconomics 🐖 (2016-); Ministry of State (no current specialization)
VC Francis Marion McNamara " Mopsus " (2016-); Ministry of State for Dixie Affairs
VC Jesse " thedeadflagblues " (2016-); Ministry of Political Economy (no current specialization)
VC Castro (2017-); Ministry of State for Federal District (D.C.) Affairs
VC Gully ( Gully Foyle ) (2017-); Ministry of State for Republic of Ireland Affairs
VC al (2017-); Ministry of State for Labour Party (UK) Affairs
VC David (2017-): Ministry of State for Dutch Affairs
VC neveragain (2017-); Ministry of Political Economy for U.S. Revenue & Taxation
VC Dr. Cynic (2017-); Ministry of State for Allegheny Affairs

SUBJECT CONTRIBUTORS

Hon. ufokart
Hon. LLR
Hon. Reaganfan
Hon. brtd
Hon. jimmie

Ep. 5.0(e): GRANDPA inducted as Hon. Knight of Vice Czars

Czar Nick Tweed hosts Grandpa's induction as Honorary Knight of Vice Czars before a few minutes of conversation about former political figures, including but not limited to the pictured Gen. Curtis LeMay, Grandpa's former boss in the Strategic Air Command.

Producer(s): Czar Nicholas Tweed
Length: 9:41

Listen here!

Ep. 5.0(d): Al on the UK General Election (Pt II)

Czar Nick Tweed and Vice Czar for Labour Party Affairs Al continue to discuss the aftermath of the snap election which saw Theresa May lose her parliamentary majority. They consider possible scenarios as the Conservatives rely on a fragile alliance with the Democratic Unionist Party to form a government, opening up the possibility of yet another election if the weak and wobbly leadership cannot stabilize in the face of tough negotiations with the European Union.

Part 2 of a 2-part interview.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 39:40

Listen here!

Ep. 5.0(c): Al on the UK General Election (Pt I)

Czar Nick Tweed and Vice Czar for Labour Party Affairs Al discuss the fall-out from Theresa May's ill-advised decision to call a snap election and the newly emboldened standing of the opposition.

Part 1 of a 2-part interview.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 22:08

Listen here!

Ep. 5.0(b): NeverAgain on Taxes, Tax Reform, and Virginia 2017

Knight of Vice Czars Retromike interviews AFR's newly annointed Vice Czar for U.S. Revenue & Taxation, NeverAgain. The pair discuss Greg Gianforte's win in Montana, the general structure of federal taxation, proposals for tax reform, and the 2017 Virginia Gubernatorial Election.

Producer(s): Knight of Vice Czars Retromike, Czar Nicholas Tweed
Length: 34:24

Listen here!

Ep. 5.0(a): Retromike interviews Jimmie on Automation, Technology, and Job Losses

We're back!

Newly crowned Knight of Vice Czars Retromike interviews Jimmie and delves into the impact of robots and automation on the working classes.

Producer(s): Knight of Vice Czars Retromike, Czar Nicholas Tweed
Length: 32:53

Listen here!

Ep. 4.0(d): Gully on the UK Snap Election (Pt2of3)

Czar Nick Tweed and our Distinguished Vice Czar for Celtic Isles Affairs Gully discuss the political mood in Northern Ireland and Scotland as Theresa May pushes the UK government towards an ill-conceived "hard Brexit" strategy.

Part two of a three-part interview.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 20:42

Listen here!

Ep. 4.0(c): Gully on the UK Snap Election (Pt1of3)

Our host Czar Nick Tweed talks with Distinguished Vice Czar for the Celtic Isles Gully Foyle about the upcoming UK snap election on June 8. As the UK deals with the fall out from their referendum on leaving the European Union, Theresa May appears to be running a secretive and entitled campaign with as little interaction with the public as possible. Despite this, she is the heavy favorite to win an increased majority and plunge the nation into an unplanned economy where the main focus of the government will be protecting the expectations of property owners.

Part one of a three-part interview.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 30:40

Listen here!

Ep. 4.0(b): French Election Retrospective feat. Tweed, Hash Pt. II

Czar Nick Tweed and our Distinguished Vice Czar for Intercontinental Affairs Hashemite discuss the impending run-off election between Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron, and offer their predictions. Le Pen's only chance seemingly relies on abysmally low turnout. Will the polls be dead on the money twice in a row, or can Le Pen shock everyone with a better performance than expected?

Part two of a two-part interview.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 25:16

Listen here!

Ep. 4.0(a): French Election Retrospective feat. Tweed, Hash Pt. I

As promised, Distinguished Vice Czar Hash joins Tweed to react to the First Round of the French presidential Election.

This is Part I of a loosely structured two-part segment. Part I focuses attention on Melenchon, Fillon, statistics from the First Round, and future prospects for the left. Part II will focus more on Le Pen, Macron, and the political geography and demography of the French elections.

Producer(s): Czar Nicholas Tweed
Length: 15:12

Listen here!

Ep. 3.0(c): Retromike interviews Bacon King, Part II: The 2016 Election & Other Musings

FIRST GUEST EPISODE, CONTINUED.

Part II of a two-part series.

Producer(s): Vice Czar Retromike; Vice Czar Bacon King; Czar Nicholas Tweed
Length: 28:25

Listen here!

Ep. 3.0(b): Retromike interviews Bacon King, Part I: The Democratic Party

FIRST GUEST EPISODE! For all the tweed-haters out there, here is your chance: with Nick and Dan busy "relocating capital in the Southern hemisphere", Vice Czars Retromike22 and Baconomics collaborate to discuss the Democratic Party.

Lots of creativity here! Puts Nick and Dan to shame.

Part I of a two-part series.

Producer(s): Vice Czar Retromike; Vice Czar Bacon King; Czar Nicholas Tweed
Length: 24:38

Listen here!

Ep. 3.0(a): Vice Czar Hash on April 23 French Presidential Election

Czar Nick Tweed is back on the airwaves as he talks to our Vice Czar for Intercontinental Affairs Hash on the April 23rd French election. Shaping up to be a barnburner! We dissect the possibilities.

NOTE: This is UNEDITED! The first unedited clip in AFR history. Well done, Nick. According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement he still receives credit as a producer...

Producer(s): Czar Nick Tweed
Length: 29:13

Listen here!

Ep. 2.0(d): King on Ryancare

Czar Nick Tweed and our Distinguished Vice Czar for Political Economy King discuss the upcoming House vote on the wretched bill to defederalize Medicaid and repeal the ACA, come to known as "Ryancare." They discuss the consequences of making health insurance so deliberately expensive, particularly from a public health perspective.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 38:34

Listen here!

Ep. 2.0(c): King Teaser

Distinguished Vice Czar for Political Economy King alerts Nick Tweed to the late breaking news regarding the Freedom Caucus directly negotiating with the White House ahead of Thursday's vote.

The article being referenced is found here:
www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/freedom…0b22b0d19c317

Producer(s): Czar Nick Tweed
Length: 4:07

Listen here!

Provisional Atlas Free Radio Theme Song (Straight Outta Hudson Mixtape)

Atlas Free Radio attempts a theme song. HEAVILY inspired by Woody Guthrie. Honorable mention to the great Tom DeLonge. Enjoy!

LYRICS:

oh, all of the boys at AFR are ready to go
they ain’t afraid of no sleet or snow
they’re downstairs all dead
I say hey hey hey hey [Vitamin D Deficiency]
and it’s noncommercial so nobody gotta pay, no

Nick Tweed [Vitamin D]
he’s here [gum disease]
he goes [kidney stones]
up top [physical trauma]
and he does [hypertension]
all over [four leaf clover]
for you [basement bitch]
forever who
and the Dead

pah, pah, pah..

Producer(s): Czar Nick Tweed, Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 0:59

Listen here!

Ep. 2.0(b): The Dutch Elections (Pt2of2)

Czar Nick Tweed and Vice Czar for Dutch Affairs David look into the sense of dissatisfaction across the Netherlands with aspects of European Union policies as the country heads to the polls on March 15.

Part two of a two-part interview.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 31:18

Listen here!

Ep. 2.0(a): The Dutch Elections (Pt1of2)

We're back and launching Episode 2.0 with this installment about the upcoming election in the Netherlands. Czar Nick Tweed interviews our newly minted Vice Czar for Dutch Affairs David. They look at the peculiar centrist alliance that is wildly unpopular and liable to be replaced with a similarly unpalatable coalition of unlikely partners.

Part one of a two-part interview.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 21:43

Listen here!

Ep. 1.0(j): The State of the Kingdom (Pt2of2)

Czar Nick Tweed and our Vice Czar for Labour Party Relations Al discuss some of the recent historical precedents that may inform the future of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour party. The conversation invariably turns to Donald Trump as the nightmare of his presidency continues.

Part two of a two-part interview.

Producer's note: This is our final installment for Episode 1.0. We want to say a huge thank you to all of our listeners and also to our guests for making these shows possible. Rest assured that we will be launching Episode 2.0 shortly: we've already got things in the pipeline that we hope you all enjoy. See you soon!

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 26:43

Listen here!

Ep. 1.0(h): The State of the Kingdom (Pt1of2)

Czar Nick Tweed talks about the devastating result in the Copeland by-election with our new Vice Czar for Labour Party Relations Al, and they speculate about the future of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party. They discuss the political atmosphere in the UK as Theresa May attempts to navigate her government through their exit from the European Union.

Part one of a two-part interview.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 40:20

Listen here!

Ep. 1.0(g): The French Presidential Election (Pt2of2) with Colombia Recap

Czar Nick Tweed and Vice Czar for Intercontinental Affairs Hashemite share their predictions for the upcoming French presidential election before turning to politics in Colombia. They discuss the aftermath of the razor-tight failure of the peace referendum in October 2016.

Part two of a two-part interview.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 21:56

Listen here!

Ep. 1.0(f): The French Presidential Election (Pt1of2)

Czar Nick Tweed interviews our Vice Czar for Intercontinental Affairs Hashemite about the upcoming French Presidential election as they examine the success of Marine Le Pen's National Front and what has contributed to a political atmosphere that bodes poorly for the left in France.

Part one of a two-part interview.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 28:49

Listen here!

Ep. 1.0(e): Ireland Reckons with Brexit (Pt2of2)

Czar Nick Tweed and Vice Czar for Republic of Ireland Affairs Gully Foyle continue their conversation about the repercussions of Brexit. They explore the limits of free speech and the implications of so-called political correctness.

Part two of a two-part interview.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 28:36

Listen here!

Ep. 1.0(d): Ireland Reckons with Brexit (Pt1of2)

Czar Nick Tweed and Vice Czar for Republic of Ireland Affairs Gully Foyle talk about the latest political developments in the Donald Trump administration before moving on to discuss the implications for Ireland of a "hard" Brexit.

Part one of a two-part interview.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 33:24

Listen here!

Ep. 1.0(c): Minnesota Politics with BRTD

Czar Nick Tweed interviews Minnesota Political Expert BRTD ("Better Red Than Dead") to get insight into the historical development of the parties there and a sense of why the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party has been so successful in the state.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 16:48

Listen here!

Ep. 1.0(b): Inside White Nationalism with Francis Marion McNamara IV (Pt 2)

Czar Nicholas Tweed continues his interview with our Undercover Vice Czar for Trump Cultist Watch, Francis Marion McNamara IV, from within the heart of Dixie, as they explore the white nationalist subculture that propelled Trump to victory, as well as the impact of homeschooling on children in this sort of environment.

This piece is highly edited/redacted to protect Mr. McNamara IV's Undercover status.

Part two of a two-part interview.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 21:17

Listen here!

Donald Trump’s Administration: Ransacking America

Ryan Beale, Atlas Free Radio Correspondent for Corruption & the Environment

The definition of ransacking is ‘to go through a place stealing things and causing damage’. With Donald Trump now sitting in the Oval Office, it is has become increasingly clear that his Administration has every intent to pillage America for the benefit of its friends and allies. 

While attention has been paid to Trump’s many wide ranging conflicts of interest, relatively little scrutiny has been paid to the disturbing policy agenda that is being set out by Trump’s allies and appointees. When coupled with the various ethical conflicts that the President and some of these appointees bring, it paints a far deeper and more dangerous underlying picture of the new government than most anticipated.

Commerce Secretary nominee Wilbur Ross stands with Donald Trump.

During the course of the campaign, Trump ran as the outsider to the establishment and railed against ‘Crooked’ Hillary Clinton for her Wall Street links and her supposed corruption. Why the Democratic Party let a tax avoiding, union busting billionaire from Manhattan get away without any real equivalent scrutiny will be a mystery that stands the test of time, but it helped contribute to his victory. 

Trump’s platform was always heavy on rhetoric and light on detail. Nonetheless the details that have become available, as well as the nominations Trump has made during the transition, all indicate that the Trump presidency will be a massive coup for big business, particularly fossil fuels energy, Trump’s allies and potentially Trump himself. This is not in of itself a surprise, but the extent to which these forces now directly control the government was largely not anticipated and is potentially unprecedented. 

Many of the policies proposed by Trump during the campaign are significantly different in detail to what was promoted, and/or are directly and solely beneficial to industries and people close to and involved in the new administration.

  Much emphasis has been placed on Trump’s highly talked up trillion-dollar plan to restore America’s crumbling infrastructure. Democratic leaders have signaled a willingness to work with Trump on this issue. Indeed, it has been speculated that President Trump would find congressional Republicans more difficult to work with on this particular policy area. But there has been very little actual scrutiny of what the actual details of his plan might be, which is especially concerning since what has been uncovered is alarming. 

In October Wilbur Ross and Peter Navarro, both now Trump appointees, published a paper detailing how Trump’s infrastructure proposal would work. The plan is radically different to what many envisaged it would be. In fact, it’s largely bunkum. 

“The Trump infrastructure plan features a major private sector, revenue neutral option to help finance a significant share of the nation’s infrastructure needs. For infrastructure construction to be financeable privately, it needs a revenue stream from which to pay operating costs, the interest and the principal on the debt and the dividends on the equity. 

To encourage investors to commit such large amounts and to reduce the cost of the financing, government would provide a tax credit equal to 82% of the equity amount. This would lower the cost of financing the project by 18 to 20%. 

These tax credits offered by the government would be repaid from the incremental tax revenues that result project construction in a design that results in revenue neutrality. Two identifiable revenue streams for repayment are critical here. (1) the tax revenues from additional wage income, and (2) the tax revenues from additional contractor profits” 

At heart, this is all bullshit. What is essentially being put forward is a massive tax credit for any private entity that invests in any sort of loosely defined ‘infrastructure’ work. Public-private partnerships in infrastructure development are an established concept in some nations, however the fundamental incentive of the private investment is the profitable rate of return, which is why these projects tend to be limited to public transportation, toll roads or other like-facilities which can be operated at a price to the consumer. If there isn’t a long term return on an investment, it’s simply not going to happen. 

And this is where the Ross-Navarro plan is exposed. Not a single bridge will be restored, street paved or water pipe repaired under this proposal, because private capital is not going to find a way to make a return on funding that. 

What this plan does do is make construction costs potentially significantly cheaper for the very people who designed it- for example an energy company could get a tax break on building an oil or gas pipeline. Who’s the kind of person who would stand to benefit from something like that? Wilbur Ross is one, as an investor in a number of energy companies. 

The details of Trump’s policies on energy and the environment are better publicized, yet still poorly defined. He has consistently pledged to support fossil fuels and to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. The removal of any mention of climate change from the White House website is a potential sign of things to come. This rhetoric, from an environmental perspective, is deeply concerning in of itself. But what is truly terrifying is the extent to which Trump appears intent on dismantling the existing framework of environmental protections and climate regulations. The President has surrounded himself with climate deniers and people who would otherwise benefit from a lack of environmental regulation. 

The man who oversaw his EPA transition, Myron Ebell, was not someone from any environmental background but was a climate skeptic who worked at a libertarian think tank funded by energy companies. News out of that period relating to environmental matters was concerning, with transition officials ominously asked the Energy Department for a list of employees who had worked on climate change issues, as well as reports that EPA scientists were desperately copying climate data in anticipation of its disappearance. 

Given everything, it was no surprise then that Trump’s choice of Administrator of the EPA was not only a climate skeptic but also a fossil fuels goon. As Attorney-General of Oklahoma, Scott Pruitt was one of the most stringent opponents of the Obama Administration’s environmental policies, suing the EPA in his capacity as Attorney-General 14 times. Nearly half of all donations to his Super PACs came from the energy industry, which is not necessarily surprising considering Oklahoma is a state reliant on oil and gas exploration. However, the relationship between Pruitt and the energy industry does not end there. 

In 2014, the New York Times reported that Pruitt had helped form a secretive alliance between energy firms and Republican attorneys-general to oppose environmental regulations introduced by President Obama.

“But the attorneys general are also working collectively…never before have attorneys general joined on this scale with corporate interests to challenge Washington and file lawsuits in federal court. 

Out of public view, corporate representatives and attorneys general are coordinating legal strategy and other efforts to fight federal regulations, according to a review of thousands of emails and court documents and dozens of interviews.” 

Pruitt sent letters drafted by energy lobbyists to the EPA, Interior Department and other agencies and joined energy companies as plaintiffs in suits against the federal government. He essentially used the position of Attorney-General to become the courtroom lawyer of the energy industry, a true merging of corporate and political interests in the state of Oklahoma. Now with Trump appointing Pruitt as head of the body he for years fought against, the policy implications are as awful as might be suspected.

  Trump’s plans to destroy environmental protections directly benefit the fossil fuels industry and in turn harm pretty much everyone else. During his confirmation hearing, Pruitt confirmed his intentions with regards to key policies. The Clean Power Plan, Obama’s initiative to limit carbon emissions will almost certainly be scrapped (Pruitt sued the federal government over this). Although directly contrary to statements made by Trump on the campaign trail, clean water regulations are also now expected to be rolled back. The so-called “Waters of the United States” rule introduced by the EPA in 2015 extended the application of the Clean Water Act 1977 to include streams that flow into navigable rivers and wetlands near said streams and rivers. Pruitt opposed the introduction of this rule at the time, as did a number of anti-environment activists, including Iain Murray of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, who wrote that the rule was an “unprecedented power grab” and “twists the plain language of the Clean Water Act”. The Competitive Enterprise Institute was the same think tank that Myron Ebell worked at before joining Trump’s EPA transition. 

Indeed, Scott Pruitt has a history of opposing federal clean water enforcement. After large amounts of chicken manure from corporate poultry farms began polluting the Illinois River, Pruitt’s main priority was adding Oklahoma to a lawsuit by several corporate agriculture lobby groups against the EPA over their enforcement of regulations against this. 

Reducing clean water protections has no positive outcomes for residents, users of waterways or for the environment. It does benefit corporate farms, heavy industry, mining and oil and gas exploration. As does abolishing the Clean Power Plan and withdrawing from the Paris climate accord, further removing regulation on the ability of companies to pollute and damage the environment. 

And the extent to which energy companies will be able to damage the environment will not only be aided by lax regulations, it will be accelerated by the policies of the Trump Administration. Trump proudly signaled his pro-fossil fuels exploration policies, establishing them as a key plank in his Make America Great Again platform. His policies vary in their amount of detail- the only substance to his vague promises to bring back coal is ending a moratorium on leasing federal coal reserves, a measure that might give a temporary reprieve to what is and what will remain a dying industry. 

It is the oil and gas industries that will see the biggest boost under the new administration. Trump has already approved the construction of the Keystone XL and the Dakota Access pipelines. Presumably other such projects will be readily approved down the track, without serious regard for environmental safety or the safety of residents. He has promised to oversee an expansion of fracking (the kind of practice that would particularly benefit from weakened clean water rules). 

Montana congressman Ryan Zinke, the President’s Secretary of the Interior nominee, has indicated his opposition to handing federal lands in the American West to the states, a stance Trump at one point agreed with on the campaign trail. However, Zinke has expressed full support for expansion of energy exploration activity in federal lands. Nonetheless, many congressional Republicans remain committed to the idea of handing off these lands and if Trump were to in the future see that such a move was in the best interests of his friends in fossil fuels, there’s no reason to necessarily believe he wouldn’t support it. 

A huge amount of federal land- 90% according to one analysis by the Wilderness Society, is at least technically open to oil and gas leasing. The ways that the Trump Administration could attempt to expand exploration include smaller measures such as speeding up permit procedures and reducing regulations (and presumably reducing environmental protection in the process), or could involve opening up land that was previously not available for leasing. 

One proposal in that vein was to privatize Indian reservations, opening them up to oil and gas exploration. One analysis suggests as much as a fifth of the United States’ oil and gas reserves could sit under reservations. This proposal, which has not been adopted as policy, would cause huge controversy among Native Americans, who would be rightfully concerned about its implications for sovereignty over their land.  On the whole, Trump’s plans for energy are far from concrete. What is clear is that none of this will create a significant amount of jobs; energy is a high skilled industry that in reality employs relatively few people. It’s not even certain that these ideas would significantly increase the profits of energy companies, as after all market forces remain the largest determining factor in that regard. But if they did, it would be to the benefit only of the executives and shareholders, at the risk of huge environmental damage and little return for the American people. 

And more than one of those executives are now taking key positions in the federal government. Trump’s new Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, is the former CEO of ExxonMobil. He immediately has a conflict of interest of his own, namely the decision on whether to continue with sanctions on Russia, sanctions which squandered a deal between his company and Russian state oil company Rosneft over Arctic exploration. If Trump decides to remove sanctions, as he has remained open to doing, ExxonMobil stands to make millions. 

Wilbur Ross is another one of these wealthy businesspeople now at the heart of decision making. As Secretary of Commerce, Ross will oversee a federal department with wide-ranging responsibilities that overlap with a large part of Ross’s business interests. ProPublica wrote on how early into the Trump Administration, the Department of Commerce will be making decisions that have a direct impact on businesses that Ross is involved in. ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel producer, is due to face a decision about unfair pricing practices relating to steel imports from European nations. Ross has sat on the board of ArcelorMittal for a number of years and until recently retained a stake in the company. The Secretary obviously does not make the decision himself, but he nonetheless could use his new position to impact its outcome.

Ross has mostly agreed to personally divest himself from over 80 companies and funds, yet in his expanded role as Commerce Secretary (Ross is expected to be key to Trump’s trade policy), it cannot be reasonably expected that he will do anything other than favor the companies and industries that he is closest to, as the policy papers he has published seem to indicate. Indeed, even by selling those assets Ross (as do other wealthy cabinet nominees) stands to make potentially hundreds of millions in so-called ‘certificates of divestiture’, which allow Cabinet nominees to avoid capital gains tax on the required divestment of assets. 

While Wilbur Ross was forced to undergo divestment in order to get through confirmation, some appointees are luckier. Carl Icahn, also an investment magnate with significant interests in energy, has been chosen by Trump to be his ‘Special Adviser on Regulatory Reform’. As this is not an ‘official government position’ and is unpaid, there are no conflicts of interest standards applied to Icahn, who could simply advise Trump to cut regulations he feels impact the performance of his businesses. Icahn was floated during the campaign a potential Secretary of the Treasury nominee, a position that eventually went to Steven Mnuchin, who during his time at OneWest bank oversaw the foreclosure of 36,000 homes. Mnuchin conveniently forgot to mention on his Senate confirmation ethics forms that he is also the manager of a fund registered in the noted tax haven the Cayman Islands. Then there’s Tom Price, who as a Congressman engaged in insider trading by investing in healthcare companies before introducing legislation that would impact their stock price. He’s now nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

Yet none of this compares to the potential conflicts of interest that surround the President himself. In spite of the disagreement of ethics experts, Trump insists that handing off the running of his sprawling business to his children is enough to deal with potential conflicts of interest. Importantly though, he has not actually sold the business, nor has he produced any actual evidence that his various stock holdings have been either divested or placed in a blind trust. At the press conference he held to announce his future financial arrangements, the folders of ‘documents’ that were brought out were actually just blank white sheets of paper. 

Not only is there something uniquely dystopian about having the serving President’s name placed at the front of properties across America and the world, there is also an underlying ethical issue. Some believe that Trump’s ownership of these properties presents a violation of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which states that government officials may not “accept of any present, Emolument, Office or Title, of any kind whatsoever, from any King, Prince or foreign state”. Something as simple as a foreign delegation staying at one of his hotels, or a foreign company renting space at one of his properties could be enough to curry favor with this President. 

Apparently, Trump has no qualms about these conflicts. Not long after getting elected, Trump was allegedly using his official phone calls with leaders in Argentina and Turkey to advocate for building projects that bear his name. The projects in Buenos Aires and Istanbul have since been approved for construction, although Trump and officials in those respective countries insist it’s nothing but coincidence. 

Trump also seemingly has no qualms about cash-for-access schemes. By declaring that Mar-a-Lago would be his ‘winter White House’ while simultaneously doubling the initiation fee for his club there to $200,000, the implications are obvious. Nor does he have any issue advertising for people who donated to his campaign on his Twitter, even if those donations violate FEC rules. 

Something that is fascinating to look at is Trump’s stock portfolio. As of his last FEC filing, Trump had wide ranging investments in numerous large and unethical corporations. These include big Wall Street banks such JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. Big pharma companies, which have profited off of the opiate crisis sweeping rural America, also feature. 

Trump also owns stock in multinational oil companies such as Shell, Chevron and ExxonMobil. Trump’s stocks also include Phillips 66, which jointly owns the Dakota Access pipeline project and TransCanada, which owns the Keystone XL pipeline. 

With Trump having made no real apparent effort to sell off these assets, it is clear that he personally has a financial stake in his administration’s pro-fossil fuels policies. The Keystone XL pipeline, which will profit a Canadian company, would also personally profit the President of the United States. 

And perhaps the most obvious area where Trump the property developer may benefit from direct government decision making is housing policy. His nominee for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson, has not only expressed his belief that public housing should not exist, but has explicitly refused to rule out the possibility that HUD decisions could go to benefit Trump or his friends in the real estate industry. One Trump investment that already receives HUD funds is Starrett City in Brooklyn, a 5581-unit low income housing development. It would not be unprecedented for HUD money to be used in this manner. The Reagan Administration was caught out rigging grants and using HUD federal assistance funds to reward supporters and allies. Upon refusing to rule out the potential for something like this happening again, Republican Senators merely praised Carson for his ‘honesty’.

  All of this is compounded by two disastrous tax plan proposals from Trump and from Paul Ryan. Both are on the surface designed to ‘simplify’ the tax code, by reducing the number of tax brackets from 7 to 3. In reality, all this does is give a massive cut to the wealthiest earners, a 14% cut under the Trump plan. While Trump talked about income tax cuts for the middle class on the campaign trail, middle income earners would see a cut of just 2%, and lower income earners would see their tax rate rise. The result will be a large drop in federal budget revenue, which presumably will occur alongside large spending cuts. It’s the rich taking from the poor to give to the rich. 

Corporate interests and political interests have always been ludicrously close in the United States, but never before have they reached such a level of proximity. As Trump settles into the Presidency, America stands at the precipice of a new era. Massive corruption disguised as ‘Making America Great Again’ will be a hallmark of the new administration. With a Congress seemingly unable or unwilling to act and a news media increasingly less interested in real research and more interested in partisanship and sensationalism, the important ethical questions about the administration remain unasked, let alone unanswered. As those in power now seek to more blatantly ransack the nation than ever before, the onus on everyone now is one of constant vigilance.

Ep. 1.0(a): Full Interview with Castro, Vice Czar for Federal District Affairs

Czar Nick Tweed interviews our new Vice Czar for Federal District Affairs, Castro, as they discuss the mood on Capitol Hill as the presidency of Donald J. Trump begins to unfold, as well as the success of the Women's March on Washington. What does an effective resistance to the GOP agenda entail? What sort of consequences can we expect from Trump's decision to cut funding to major cities across the USA? Does Ted Cruz smell like sulfur? We discuss all of this and more in this full-length interview.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 46:46

Listen here!

Ep. 0.9(j): Bookend with Tweed & Dan

In this bookend segment for Episode 0.9, producers Czar Nick Tweed and Czar Dan Bickers thank our guests, do a quick recap of recent news events in the lead up to Trump's inauguration and the ongoing Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and finally, a retrospective over the material covered in Episode 0.9 and what we have planned for upcoming broadcasts.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 22:59

Listen here!

Ep. 0.9(i): Tweed Interviews Reaganfan, Part 2

Czar Nick Tweed gets back into it with special guest and Trump voter REAGANFAN for his take on the presidential debates last year. Reaganfan talks about his expectations for a Trump presidency and why Trump's temperament could have unexpected repercussions for the Republican establishment.

Part two of a two-part interview. For part one, check out Episode 0.9f!

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 18:56

Listen here!

Ep. 0.9(h): Inside White Nationalism with Francis Marion McNamara IV (Part 1)

What a treat we have for you! Czar Nicholas Tweed interviews our Undercover Vice Czar for Trump Cultist Watch, Francis Marion McNamara IV, live from the heart of Dixie, as they explore the white nationalist subculture that propelled Trump to victory, as well as the impact of homeschooling on children from strict Christian backgrounds.

This piece is highly edited/redacted to protect Mr. McNamara IV's Undercover status.

Part one of a two-part interview.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 17:53

Listen here!

Ep. 0.9(g): Tweed & King on the Economy, Foreign Affairs

Czar Nick Tweed and Vice Czar for Political Economy KING discuss the economic outlook for the United States, particularly as it relates to the retail and commercial real estate sectors. They also dive into the implications of Donald Trump's relationship with Vladimir Putin, and his intention to stoke an adversarial tone with China.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 22:55

Listen here!

Ep. 0.9(f): Tweed Interviews Reaganfan, Part 1

Czar Nick Tweed interviews the one and only REAGANFAN, 13-year Veteran of the Atlas, and the first Trump voter to appear on the program. Why was the gender gap smaller than expected? How did Hillary Clinton lose Wisconsin? What do people really think about Michael Bloomberg? All this and more in part 1 of a 2-part interview!

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 19:33

Listen here!

Ep. 0.9(e) Teaser: Reaganfan on Obama & Trump

Czar Nick Tweed has brought you the impossible - a man who needs no introduction - REAGANFAN. The 13-year Atlas Veteran becomes the first Trump voter to appear on the program. In this teaser for an upcoming two-part interview, Czar Nick Tweed and Reaganfan hash out the consequences of running government like a business.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 4:55

Listen here!

Ep. 0.9(d): Averroes on Obamacare

Czar Nick Tweed interviews Distinguished Vice Czar for Political Economy (Healthcare) Averroes.

Together they look at the origins and positive accomplishments of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, weighing them against the law's inherent shortcomings. Czar Nick and D.V.C. Averroes continue on and look to Mike Pence's Indiana Medicaid 2.0 for clues on what is coming down the pipe re: US health care policy under Republican minority rule.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 22:17

Listen here!

Ep. 0.9(c): A Conversation Between Two Berniecrats on a Snowy Day

Czar Nick Tweed was supposed to be conducting Pt. III of our interview with Distinguished Vice Czar for Political Economy (Healthcare) Averroes, but he got to talking too much. Oh well - we have reframed this as "A Conversation Between Two Berniecrats on a Snowy Day".

We thank the Distinguished Vice Czar for his indefatigable patience.

Almost 40 minutes of commentary on issues including the DNC and New York local/State Politics.

Producer(s): Czar Nicholas Tweed
Length: 38:43

Listen here!

Ep. 0.9(b) - Tweed interviews KING, Part I

A no-frills cut of the first segment of Czar Nick Tweed's January 6th interview with the legendary King, our new Vice Czar for Political Economy. Intelligent Dialog between two men. Useful!

Producer(s): Czar Nick Tweed, Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 12:20

Listen here!

Ep. 0.9(a): Czar Nick Tweed EXTENDED Interview with Baconomics (first official release!)

Czar Nick Tweed discusses the impending Trump inauguration spectacle with Baconomics, Vice Czar for General Affairs & Winding Down the Gold Rush. Tweed and Bacon reflect on what Trump's cabinet picks mean for the future of the United States.

Producer(s): Czar Dan Bickers
Length: 27:55

Listen here!