There are a lot of things people don't know about Nader
Any time the name ‘Ralph Nader’ comes up, it is sure to stir controversy. It is like waving a red flag in front of the Democrats.
We’ve heard it all. “He’s too old”. Let’s look at that one. Would it be acceptable to say: “He’s too white, too Hispanic, too black, too short, too tall…”? Ageism is one of the most destructive prejudices that can exist in any culture. It devalues and trivializes an entire class of people—sometimes those with the most experience and wisdom.
Other cultures understand this. They value their elders. Only in the United States do we not ‘get it’. The current trend would put Nader on an ice floe and replace him with a kid who just spent four years at a keg party. That is the view promoted by the culture.
Now is a time when we should celebrate all who contribute to our survival, young and old. Age is irrelevant at a time when a 29 year-old and other relatively young men are making enormous contributions. Not only is age irrelevant, but also we need to take another look at the ‘paper chase’. Edward Snowden has taught us that being a high school drop-out is not necessarily a bad thing. Self-education will be the way of the future.
We also hear: “Nader can’t get enough votes.” The right come-back for that one is: “No shit”. (Sorry for the less than creative language there. That’s the only response I can come up with for that old argument.) A more polite answer would be, if the voters were capable of critical thinking, Nader would win any election with a land slide. Holding any candidate responsible for the actions of voters is fuzzy thinking.
Voters—not candidates—are responsible for every vote they cast. Voters have created the current conditions by consistently voting for the ‘lesser evil’. Never, never, never let them off the hook. Every ballot has a ‘write-in’ option. There is no requirement to vote only for candidates selected by a Party. Voters have unlimited choice. Our survival depends either on ballots or bullets. Bullets have no conscience. Voters should.
There are a lot of things people don’t know about Nader. He is smart. Most people know that. Even his critics admit that. Most do not know that he is guided by a strong sense of justice and morality.
Nader is one of the most egoless Statesmen this war weary nation has ever seen. I can prove that. Back in the 1970s, the Electric Company had plans to build a floating Nuclear Power Plant off the coast of Atlantic City. A small group of citizens in Cape May, NJ fought this proposal. They were getting nowhere until Nader came from his home in Washington and helped. He came at his own expense. No fanfare. No publicity. The floating Nuclear Plant was never built.
Nader is motivated by conscience. The list of Conscientious Objectors to USA policies is growing: Greenwald, Assange, Manning, Hammond, Snowden, and many others. Nader was one of the original COs.
We owe him a lot. He might never go down in history as President. Instead he will always have an even higher status… that of Super Statesman. He is honest. He is moral. He is uncorruptable. He cannot be bought. That is more than we can say about those we vote for and elect.
How true!! Thanks, Rosemarie!
Will he attend the Green Party national meeting on 26 July in Iowa City?
Although most of this reveals a very upstanding, principled fellow, I will always remember him for delivering what would equate to the decimation of an America, that at the time in 2000, was on an upwards trajectory. Many of us now, 13 years after the fact, forget how positive, progressively ambitious, honest & (global) community minded the nation was at that time. 23 million jobs had been added to the overall economy & we were able to pay our bills, from Public Education, to renewable energy R&D to Democratization aid to developing nations – all w/the goal of expanding ours & other global Democracy’s circle of allies. What happened in the election, Mr. Nader’s part in allowing in a conservative administration, by capturing votes that would unquestionably been granted to then Vice President Gore, was as unconscionable then as now. There was no way he was going to become President. That is w/out ANY doubt what so ever (garnering only an insignificant 5% of the overall national vote tally), but he remained in the race, injecting doubt & 2nd guessing in the public debate arena – more so about the Vice President than the ‘REAL’ threat (as ALL Liberal/Progressives CLEARLY WARNED of…) posed (by a conservative in the White House) to the nation & the world & all for what? Principle? Virtue? Just to make a point of bringing a broader issue frame to the debate? OK, cool, lets say he did: knowing this, his principles & patriotism would have told him that a President Gore WOULD HAVE addressed any/all of his (Mr. Naders’) concerns & would find a more rational, intelligent civic partner in a Gore administration than what were the nitemarish disasters we’re all still now sifting thru the rubble of the last 13 years, still trying to figure out what the H&#L happened?! He would then have been ‘principled’ enuff to bow out & leave the race to those who actually could win it & worry about ‘PRINCIPLES’ later. Think about this – we lost $8-$10 trillion in war cost; another $9-$12 trillion to tax cuts to the wealthy & corporations; 4,200 – plus young, promising, ambitious & productive American souls of loved ones (& roughly 2 or more millions of victims) to needless, baseless war; 15 million lost jobs, w/only 4-5 million having been recovered over the last 5 years; a criminal crime wave on Wall St. & in the banking/investment industry – all leading to the 2nd Great Depression in 80 years, on off of 1 man’s principles? Of course it all isn’t Mr. Nadar’s fault, but his presence allowed the SCT to embark on a path that culminated in irrational decisions of Citizens United & yesterday’s verdict on voting rights. Sorry for the lengthy speech, but this is still personal, the losses suffered the nation these last 13 years, of which we can’t have back, even w/apologies over ‘principles’…
that is ridiculous. the millions of idiots who voted for tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber should be asshamed. perhaps it is the electorate who should never be forgiven. To vote a person should have to pass a test. if they only repeat ideological drivel and know no facts they should not be allowed to vote. then Nader would win.
blaming Nader for running in a democracy…..silly
I mention plenty (see rustacus21@wordpress.com) about the vacant, unsophisticated, downrite ignorance of the electorate; but what U don’t bother mentioning is the propagandized corporate media which figures prominently more in every election since then, in getting people to doubt, question & reject candidates & issues definitely beneficial to their BEST interests. The economy, the Environment, (Public) Education, labor & wages, banking policy, peace policies, all were negatively impacted as a result of the SCT’s decision, true enuff – but in FL particularly, the margin of victory wasn’t close enuff to give Gore a clearer victory & thus, allowing the last 12 years to transpire the way it has – a disaster & literally a living hell STILL, for the non-wealthy Middle Class & working poor, that connects back to that 1 single event (on 12/11/00)…