On The Record (07-28-26).

This week we dug into the Maduro kidnapping as the entry point for something much bigger—the Cold War racism and corporate vengeance that has driven U.S. Policy toward Venezuela for decades, why there has never actually been a socialist government anywhere on earth, and why the American left needs to get its definitions straight before the right keeps winning that argument by default. Then we checked back in on AI concentration risk, where the hyperscalers are now issuing long-dated debt at spreads approaching junk bond territory, which tells you what the market actually thinks about pinning the entire economy on a technology nobody has fully defined yet. Chapters Intro: 00:00:38 Quick Takes: 00:01:49 Max Notes: 00:09:36 Killer Left Take of the Week: 00:28:31 Chart of the Week: 00:31:25 Headlines: 00:33:28 Resources The Economist: An interview with Elon Musk The Economist: Elon Musk on AI: humans will no longer be in control in ten years LastWeekTonight: Trump & Crypto Molly White Diario AS: Trump’s Top 10 Jokes at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner CNBC Television: ‘Big Short’ investor Steve Eisman: Market will have ‘a big correction’ if AI doesn’t succeed Amnesty International: Facts and figures: Regularization and protection of Venezuelan nationals in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile Migration Policy Institute: Venezuelan Immigrants in the United States USA Today: Harris’ border work was on ‘root causes’ of migration; she wasn’t in charge | Fact check GDN Online: Venezuela to sell up to 10% of shares in some state companies - Maduro Reuters: Exxon awarded $908 million in Venezuela dispute The New York Times: How Marco Rubio Is Running Venezuela From Afar The Real News Network: US provides $300 million in earthquake recovery money to Venezuela while sitting on $8 billion in stolen oil wealth The New York Times: With $8 Billion in Venezuelan Oil Money, U.S. Gives $300 Million in Quake Aid Euro News: Venezuela calls for release of frozen assets to help earthquake recovery efforts Current Affairs: Socialists Humiliate Clueless NewsNation Host Bloomberg: Big Tech Debt Flood Is Taking Over Risk In Market: Credit Weekly Jacobin: The Cockroach Protests Are Reviving India’s Ailing Democracy The Progressive: Heat Waves Show Climate Change Is Here Truthdig: The Monty Python Election: Binface vs. Mr. Brexit Book Love Anderson M Bean: Venezuela in Crisis: Socialist Perspectives UNFTR Resources Video: On The Record 7-28-26 (Crushing Venezuela | Trump Bombs | Elon Blows | Socialism.) Essay: Socialism. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/memberships