Debating Taboos 4/12 Debate

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DEBATING TABOOS A debate series by Ralph Nader & the Center for Study of Responsive Law What are the Pitfalls and Benefits of Using Ballistic Missile Defense? Friday, April 12, 2013 12 p.m. 1530 P St. NW Washington, DC The debate, held at the Carnegie Institution of Washington building, addressed a taboo subject in electoral, … Read more

Enlist the Enlightened Super-Rich!

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By Ralph Nader

You often hear progressives bemoaning the massive war chests of the right-wing funders, particularly after their successful backing of the boisterous Tea Party movement. But a common mistake made by the left is not adequately focusing on cultivating their own likeminded super-rich to provide the necessary resources to advance their own noble causes. It would only take a few enlightened mega-billionaires to provide the major funding needed to shift power from the few to the many and to get the ball rolling on long overdue, fundamental solutions to our country’s biggest problems.

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The Cruel Gap Between CEO Pay and the Stagnant Minimum Wage

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By Ralph Nader

Walmart CEO Mike Duke makes approximately $11,000 an hour. Think about that — $11,000 every hour. Think about an hour of your day, the tasks you accomplish, and the compensation you receive from your employer. If you are an average American worker, you could add up all your daily work hours and that of your close friends, family, and fellow coworkers and it still won’t even come close to what Mike Duke makes in a single hour of his work day. He was the 46th highest paid CEO in America in 2012, according to Forbes.

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Getting Tough on Devastating Corporate Crime

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By Ralph Nader

Politicians looking to bolster their appeal to voters like to talk about being “tough on crime.” They think this creates a winning public image. And why wouldn’t it? Anyone who has ever seen an old western knows that the bandits in the black hats are bad and the lawmen in the white hats are good. Consequently, many elected officials, desperate to be perceived as white-hatters, carry the “tough on crime” banner. A result is the United States now has more incarcerated people than any other country in the world, including China and Russia. Imagine — over 2 million Americans are currently serving time in prison.

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President Obama — Get Tough on Corporate Welfare

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By Ralph Nader Ask anti-government ideologues about “welfare” and they are likely to tell you all about an increasingly large group of Americans who are dependent on government handouts. They might refer to the portion of the population who Mitt Romney famously called “the 47 percent,” those who consider themselves to be “victims” entitled to … Read more

The Rule of Law or the Rule of Men?

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By Ralph Nader Last week, the State Department reassigned the official responsible for the “diplomatic issues” pertaining to the closing of the Guantanamo Bay prison. This was a telling sign that the Obama administration is abandoning its long-held but little-fought-for promise of closing that notorious facility where a majority of prisoners proved to be innocent, … Read more

The Power of Government Purchasing

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By Ralph Nader In America, the term “innovation” is often exclusively attributed to the profitable successes of private businesses — specifically big corporations like Apple, Google and Microsoft — which are considered by many to be the purveyors of all technological advancement. Recall Mitt Romney repeatedly shouting “government doesn’t create jobs” during a presidential debate … Read more

Banding Together

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By Ralph Nader Technology is advancing at a rapid pace. Smartphones, tablets, laptops, high-speed internet, high-definition screens, GPS devices, and other innovations have markedly changed the way many Americans spend their time. Think of all the tools and devices that have developed in the past decade alone that make it easier to find travel information, … Read more

Who Can Stop the People?

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By Ralph Nader If your next-door neighbors were the U.S. Congress, spending your income and using their power to influence your life, would you pay close attention to them? Over the past several weeks, Congress has been the focal point of much controversy for its inability to come together on a comprehensive fiscal cliff deal … Read more

Make Civic Engagement a Priority in the New Year

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By Ralph Nader Many people view the New Year as a time for resolutions — losing weight, exercising more, staying in better touch with friends, taking up a new hobby. Here’s something you don’t often hear of when considering New Year’s resolutions — devoting more time to civic life. Our nation has millions of runners, … Read more