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* Bear, Greg, "Eon" - the novel includes a depiction of a future group called the "Naderites" who follow Ralph Nader's humanistic teachings.
* Bear, Greg, "Eon" - the novel includes a depiction of a future group called the "Naderites" who follow Ralph Nader's humanistic teachings.
* Martin, Justin. ''Nader: Crusader, Spoiler, Icon.'' Perseus Publishing, 2002. ISBN 0-7382-0563-X
* Martin, Justin. ''Nader: Crusader, Spoiler, Icon.'' Perseus Publishing, 2002. ISBN 0-7382-0563-X
hello po


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 01:53, 12 June 2007

Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader signing a book.
Personal details
Born (1934-02-27) February 27, 1934 (age 90)
Winsted, Connecticut
Political partyIndependent
Green Party (For 1996 & 2000 Presidential campaigns)
Height300px
OccupationAttorney and Political Activist
Websitehttp://www.nader.org

Ralph Nader (born February 27, 1934) is an American attorney and political activist. Issues he has promoted include consumer rights, feminism, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government. Nader has also been a critic of American foreign policy in recent decades, which he views as corporatist, imperialist, and contrary to the fundamental values of democracy and human rights. His activism has played a large part in the creation of many governmental and non-governmental organizations, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Public Citizen, Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs). The Atlantic Monthly, in its list of the 100 most influential Americans, ranked Nader number 96: "He made the cars we drive safer; thirty years later, he made George W. Bush the president."[1]

Nader ran for President of the United States three times (1996, 2000, 2004). In 1996 and 2000, he was the nominee of the Green Party; Winona LaDuke was his vice-presidential running mate. In 2004, he ran as an independent with Green activist Peter Miguel Camejo as his vice-presidential nominee.

Life and early career

Nader was born in Winsted, Connecticut. His parents, Nathra and Rose Nader, were Lebanese and Egyptian immigrants. Nathra Nader was employed in a textile mill and at one point owned a bakery and restaurant where he engaged customers in discussions of political issues.

Nader graduated from Princeton University in 1955 and Harvard Law School in 1958. He served in the United States Army for six months in 1959, then began work as a lawyer in Hartford, Connecticut. Between 1961 and 1963, he was a Professor of History and Government at the University of Hartford. In 1964, Nader moved to Washington, D.C. and got a job working for the Assistant Secretary of Labor, Daniel Patrick Moynihan. He also advised a United States Senate subcommittee on car safety. In the early 1980s, Nader spearheaded a powerful lobby against FDA approval allowing for mass-scale experimentation of artificial lens implants.

Clash with the automobile industry

Nader first clashed with automobile industry in 1959 in an article called "The Safe Car You Can't Buy," which was published in The Nation.[2] In 1965, Nader wrote Unsafe at Any Speed, a study that purported to demonstrate that many American automobiles were unsafe, especially the Chevrolet Corvair and General Motors. GM tried to discredit Nader, hiring private detectives to tap his phones and investigate his past, and hiring prostitutes to trap him in a compromising situation.[3][4] GM failed to turn up any wrongdoing. It has never been explained why GM did this rather than simply defend the car in the popular press, where it had considerable influence as a very large corporation. GM's avoidance of technical journals makes more sense, it was well known among auto engineers that the Corvair's swing axle suspension handled miserably.[5] [6] Upon learning of GM's actions, Nader successfully sued the company for invasion of privacy, forced it to publicly apologize, and used much of his $284,000 net settlement to expand his consumer rights efforts. Nader's lawsuit against GM was ultimately decided by the New York Court of Appeals, whose opinion in the case expanded tort law to cover "overzealous surveillance".[7]

A 1972 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration safety commission study conducted by Texas A&M university ultimately exonerated the Corvair, declaring that the car possessed no greater potential for loss of control than its contemporaries in extreme situations.[citation needed] A different account, however, was given in John DeLorean's "General Motors autobiography", On a Clear Day You Can See General Motors, 1979 (published under the name of his would-be ghostwriter, J. Patrick Wright). DeLorean stated that Nader's criticisms were valid; the specific Corvair design flaws were corrected in the last years of the Corvair's production, although by then the Corvair name was irredeemably compromised.

In his 1975 book "Hit and Run: The Rise, and Fall? of Ralph Nader", journalist Ralph de Toledano suggested that Nader had falsified and distorted evidence of faults with the Corvair. Mr. Nader sued de Toledano and the protracted case eventually was settled out of court, causing the financial ruin of de Toledano. [citation needed]

Activism

Hundreds of young activists, inspired by Nader's work, came to DC to help him with other projects. They came to be known as "Nader's Raiders" and, led by Nader, they investigated corruption throughout government, publishing dozens of books with their results:

In 1971, Nader founded the NGO Public Citizen as an umbrella organization for these projects. Today, Public Citizen has over 140,000 members and numerous researchers investigating Congress, health, environmental, economic, and other issues. Their work is credited with helping to pass the Safe Drinking Water Act and Freedom of Information Act and prompting the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Non-profit organizations

In 1980, Nader resigned as director of Public Citizen to work on other projects, especially campaigning against what he believed to be the dangers of large multinational corporations. He went on to start a variety of non-profit organizations:

Consumer advocacy, public interest, and civic action

File:Nader-sesame01.jpg
Ralph Nader (right) appears with Bob McGrath on a 1988 Sesame Street episode, singing "People in Your Neighborhood". For the episode, Nader included a verse about consumer advocates, unique for a song featuring mail men and firefighters. Nader has since criticized the types of sponsors the show has accepted, such as McDonald's and Discovery Zone.

Because much of his early work involved advocacy to protect consumers (and workers) from unsafe products, Ralph Nader is often referred to as a "consumer advocate." This description should not be misunderstood to suggest that Nader is an advocate of consumption. On the contrary, his message of civic engagement (citizen activism in the public interest), like his harsh critique of "rapacious" corporations, calls for resistance to commercially driven consumer culture. According to Nader, mass advertising creates artificial and often harmful desires.[citation needed] Nader's "consumer" should not be conceived as a free-spending shopper, but rather as an active participant in democratic institutions.[citation needed] For example, in his critique of television news as largely empty sensationalism, Nader acknowledges that most Americans may have been trained to behave as passive "consumers" of what passes for news, but Nader's call for engagement urges citizens to work together to organize community-based news production.[citation needed]

Presidential campaigns

Main article: Ralph Nader's Presidential Campaigns
1972
"Draft Nader" effort had no ballot line to offer, nor did Nader authorize his name to appear on any ballot until 1982.
1980
Although Nader took no interest in running in 1980, he expressed the opinion that a victory by Ronald Reagan would be preferable to the reelection of Jimmy Carter. As he saw it, "Reagan is going to breed the biggest resurgence in nonpartisan citizen activism in history." .[8]
1990
Nader considered launching a third party around issues of citizen empowerment and consumer rights. He suggested a serious third party could address needs such as campaign-finance reform, worker and whistle-blower rights, government-sanctioned watchdog groups to oversee banks and insurance agencies, and class-action lawsuit reforms.
1992
Nader stood in as a write-in for "none of the above" in the 1992 New Hampshire Democratic Primary and received about 6,300 votes.[9][10] He was also a write-in candidate in the 1992 Massachusetts Democratic Primary, where he appeared at the top of the ballot.
1996
Nader was drafted as a candidate for President of the United States on the Green Party ticket during the 1996 presidential election. He was not formally nominated by the Green Party USA, which was, at the time, the largest national Green group; instead he was nominated independently by various state Green parties (in some areas, he appeared on the ballot as an independent).
2000
Nader ran actively in 2000 as the candidate of the Green Party of the United States, which had been formed in the wake of his 1996 campaign. That year, he received 2.74% of the popular vote, missing the 5% needed to qualify the Green Party for federally distributed public funding in the next election.[11]
2004
Nader announced on December 24, 2003 that he would not seek the Green Party's nomination for president in 2004; however, he did not rule out running as an independent. On February 22, 2004, Nader announced on NBC that he would indeed run for president as an independent, saying, "There's too much power and wealth in too few hands." His campaign ran on a platform consistent with the Green Party's positions on major issues, such as opposition to the war in Iraq. Because of controversies over the spoiler effect in 2000, many Democrats urged Nader to abandon his candidacy in 2004. The Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Terry McAuliffe, argued that Nader had a "distinguished career, fighting for working families" and he "would hate to see part of his legacy being that he got us eight years of George Bush."
2008
In February 2007, Nader left the door open for another possible White House bid in 2008 and criticized Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton as "a panderer and a flatterer". Asked on CNN's Late Edition news program if he would run in 2008, Nader said, "It's really too early to say.... I'll consider it later in the year."[12] During a radio appearance when he was asked to describe the former First Lady, Nader said, "Flatters, panders, coasting, front-runner, looking for a coronation ... She has no political fortitude”. [1] He says that his decision to run will be influenced, especially if the Democratic Party chooses Hillary Clinton [2]. Some Greens have already started a campaign to draft his candidacy in their party's primary for the 2008 election. [3]

Personal finances and private life

In 1970, General Motors paid an out-of-court settlement of $425,000 to settle an invasion-of-privacy lawsuit filed after it was revealed that GM hired private investigators in an attempt to expose any embarrassing details of his personal life, particularly his sex life. The investigation turned up nothing.[citation needed]

Ralph Nader has lived a frugal and simple life even though he is worth millions personally. He has never been married or had children. He has not owned a car since 1955, and has lived for decades in the same modest house in Georgetown.[citation needed]

According to the mandatory financial disclosure report that he filed with the Federal Election Commission in 2000, he then owned more than $3 million worth of stocks and mutual fund shares; his single largest holding was more than $1 million worth of stock in Cisco Systems, Inc. [4] The largest recipients of Nader's donations have included Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) and other non-profit organizations.

Unofficial appearances

  • Ralph Nader was portrayed in an episode of The Simpsons that aired after the 2000 presidential election in which he is portrayed as a clandestine member of the Springfield Republican Party and is thanked for all the fine work he has done for the Republicans. Nader has hosted or appeared five times on the television show Saturday Night Live, with his first appearance being on January 15, 1977. He has also appeared on Da Ali G Show, where interviewer Ali G persuaded him to try out his rapping skills.
  • He is portrayed in Tom Robbins' 1980 novel Still Life with Woodpecker as Princess Leigh-Cheri's love interest. Nader was also mentioned in the Greg Bear novel Eon as having a significant role in the politics of the world (as a martyr), though he does not appear directly.
  • Ralph Nader also made a cameo appearance in the movie Fun with Dick and Jane (2005) opposite Jim Carrey and Téa Leoni. In the movie, Ralph Nader criticizes Jim Carrey's character Dick Harper on a television show called MoneyLife about the financial and business dealings of his company Globodyne telling Dick Harper "I don't know how you sleep at night". Initially, Dick Harper spills his drink on live television when the Moneylife host announces that Ralph Nader is on-air. Dick says surprisingly, "Hey Ralph... Love your stuff" with Nader replying, "I wish I could say the same for you sir but I don't know how you sleep at night."
  • Nader is the subject of the satirical song "Nader: A Nuclear Saga" by The Prince featuring lyrics by Comrade Freedom, in which Ralph Nader builds nuclear bombs to use on big business in order to obtain the presidency. Nader is also mentioned in the lyrics of the songs "Franco Unamerican" by punk band NOFX and "Fast Cars" by punk band the Buzzcocks

Works

Books

Nader has authored, co-authored and edited many books. Among these are:

Articles

Selected speeches and interviews

Wikiquote has quotations related to Ralph Nader.
  • Bolohan, Scott (2007-2-16). "Nader critiques political apathy, personal values: Interview with Ralph Nader". The DePaulia. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  • Chowkwanyun, Merlin (2004-12-16). "The Prescient Candidate Reflects: An Interview with Ralph Nader". Counterpunch. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  • Nader, Ralph (1992-01-15). "Ralph Nader speaking at Harvard Law School". {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

RealVideo format.

Notes

  • An Unreasonable Man (2006). An Unreasonable Man is a documentary film about Ralph Nader that appeared at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.
  • Clinton, Bill (2005). My Life. Vintage. ISBN 1-4000-3003-X.
  • Burden, Barry C. (2005). "Ralph Nader's Campaign Strategy in the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election."[5] 2005. American Politics Research 33:672-99.
  • Ralph Nader: Up Close This film blends archival footage and scenes of Nader and his staff at work in Washington with interviews with Nader's family, friends and adversaries, as well as Nader himself. Written, directed and produced by Mark Litwak and Tiiu Lukk, 1990, color, 72 mins. Narration by Studs Terkel. Broadcast on PBS. Winner, Sinking Creek Film Festival; Best of Festival, Baltimore Int'l Film Festival; Silver Plaque, Chicago Int'l Film Festival, Silver Apple, National Educational Film & Video Festival.
  • Ballard, J.G, "The Atrocity Exhibition" - there are frequently repeated references to Ralph Nader.
  • Bear, Greg, "Eon" - the novel includes a depiction of a future group called the "Naderites" who follow Ralph Nader's humanistic teachings.
  • Martin, Justin. Nader: Crusader, Spoiler, Icon. Perseus Publishing, 2002. ISBN 0-7382-0563-X

References

  1. ^ "The Top 100: The Most Influential Figures in American History." Atlantic Monthly, (December 2006) p.62.
  2. ^ Mickey Z. 50 American Revolutions You're Not Supposed To Know. New York: The Disinformation Company, 2005. p.87 ISBN 1932857184
  3. ^ http://www.legalaffairs.org/issues/November-December-2005/scene_longhine_novdec05.msp
  4. ^ http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/safetyep.htm
  5. ^ http://www.autozine.org/technical_school/suspension/tech_suspension2.htm
  6. ^ http://members.aol.com/herald948/cc/
  7. ^ Nader v. General Motors Corp., 307 N.Y.S.2d 647 (N.Y. 1970).
  8. ^ http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20040308&s=chait030804
  9. ^ http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/04/07/0226242
  10. ^ http://www.ratical.org/co-globalize/RalphNader/RN01.15.92.html#start
  11. ^ http://www.hereinstead.com/Village-Voice--Ralph-Nader--Levine.html
  12. ^ "Nader Leaves '08 Door Open, Slams Hillary". Reuters, February 5, 2007.
Template:Succession footnote
Preceded by
(none)
 Green Party Presidential candidate
1996 (4th), 2000 (3rd) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Reform Party Presidential candidate
2004 (a) (3rd) 		Succeeded by
—


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