November 01, 2001
Ralph Nader packs out Glenn Memorial on Halloween night
Glenn Memorial Auditorium was filled Halloween night with a standing-room only crowd to hear leading consumer activist and Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader speak to the "Ethics of Public Participation." Hosted by the Center for Ethics with the cooperation of the Emory College Council and the Student Programming Council, the evening event began with a standing ovation as Nader took to the stage.
Nader began his address by recalling his student days, and his ignorance of civic life at the time. He also recalled his time at Harvard Law School, where "they taught a class called Landlord-Tenant, but they never got to the tenant."
Directing his comments to the evening's large undergraduate presence, Nader urged students to use their course requirements and elective courses to experiment with shaping their own sense of "civic vocation." He cautioned them to seek a healthy balance between their civic interests and other important parts of their lives.
After almost two hours, Nader turned to the audience for an hour of questions. Nader signed books and greeted the audience after the event before leaving for a Green Party event.
Earlier that day, Nader led an afternoon workshop for fifty people, mostly EASL students and student government representatives.
In the workshop Nader explored the role of law as the mediating institution between civic and commercial interests. He deplored corporate violence, in the form of white collar crime, pollution, etc., noting that deaths by corporations are substantially more than deaths by murder.
Drawing attention to how "ownership" is commonly defined, he asked workshop participants to list everything they owned. After an extensive listing, Nader added objects of public ownership: national parks, government-funded scientific research, and the airwaves. He noted how children are "raised corporate," largely through mass media.
Video footage of both events is available in the multimedia section of the website.
[ Posted by Chance Hunter at November 1, 2001 05:12 PM |
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© 2000-2001 by the Center for Ethics, Emory University. Some rights reserved.
He's already ruined one election giving our Presidency to a stupid fool. I certainly hope he isn't dumb enough to do it again!
See what they are saying about him.
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AlterNet.org
Not Again, Ralph
By Edward Flattau, AlterNet
July 10, 2003
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader is on the verge of another ego-trip, and if he
should take it, those concerned about environmental protection will once more
have to hold their breath.
Nader says he is seriously considering a repeat run for the presidency on the
Green Party ticket, even though his candidacy in 2000 tilted a close contest in
favor of George W. Bush, a politician he openly despises. The consumer crusader
maintains he is motivated by the conviction that the Democrats have no one who
can vanquish President Bush in 2004. Certainly, Nader's wild card entry into the
race would enhance the odds of the Democrats' defeat, suggesting he is more
interested in pillorying Bush than removing him.
When warned that his candidacy in the 2000 presidential contest could damage
Al Gore's chances, Nader shrugged and replied "So what!" He insisted that there
was "no significant difference" between Democrats and Republicans on major
issues, including the environment. Both political parties, he asserted, were in the
hip pocket of corporate America.
Anyone remotely familiar with Gore's and Bush's records on the environment
knew that there were major distinctions between the two men regarding such
issues. It's hard to believe Nader was not aware of this disparity, but even if you
gave him the benefit of the doubt back in 2000, you can't do so now. Since
entering the White House, Bush has produced a track record that has confirmed
environmentalists' worst fears. There is simply no way that Gore would have
sought to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, modify
wetland protection, clean air and wildlife conservation laws, and stonewalled on
combating global warming. You can be sure a Gore administration would not have
been as trusting as the Bush people are of the business community's ability to
voluntarily comply with national environmental cleanup goals.
Should Nader launch another Green Party presidential bid, it would be difficult for
him to defend against the charge that he is primarily engaged in self-promotion.
And if he were to swing a close election again to George W. Bush at the expense
of a more environmentally sensitive opponent, Nader would be repeating the
unconscionable act of disenfranchising a majority of American voters to satisfy
his ego.
Nader is resurrecting the same rationalization he used in 2000. He contends that
his candidacy would attract new voters who would throw their support to
Democratic congressional candidates lower down on the ticket. But it is not
entirely clear that this occurred in 2000, and even if it did, losing the White House
in exchange for gaining several congressional seats was a Pyrrhic victory at best.
In short, it's a lame justification and raises serious questions about the depth of
Nader's concern for the country.
If he is so anguished at the thought of a second Bush term, why doesn't Nader
compete for the Democratic nomination? Given his name recognition, Ralph could
trumpet his anti-corporate message without strengthening the re-election
prospects of the very politician he would most like to dislodge.
If the Green Party wants the nation to progress, it should turn a deaf ear to
Nader's insistence that there isn't a difference, and throw its support to the most
environmentally friendly electable candidate in 2004.
Edward Flattau writes a nationally syndicated environmental column.
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The Wianecki family has been Democrats for generations. We reject everything Ralph Nader asserts since his egotistical 2000 run for President which has led to the current misfit who is our Commander in Chief. Run again Ralph. Feed the ego. Screw the country. You are not relevant to anything that matters. W and Karl Rove are loving every twist and turn your bizarre psychic takes...tgw
Posted by: Thomas Wianecki at December 3, 2003 08:20 PMPLEASE TELL THAT SPOILER NADER TO BUTT OUT. WE'VE HAD TO TOLERATE BUSH FOR 3 YEARS BECAUSE OF HIM.
Posted by: Betty Ann KAHN at February 20, 2004 05:58 PMPlease Mr. Nader, think not of yourself but of our country ~ please do not run for president in 2004.
You can do more for America by supporting a candidate other than yourself.
Remember you are part of the reason we got Dubya in the first place.
I have tried to find Ralph's email address but not being that computer savvy, I've been unsuccessful.
I was shocked to have to learn that Ralph was planning another run for president. I know that he knows he is responsible for president Bush being in office and thus responsible for the dreadful state of the economy and our relations with the rest of the world.
If Ralph does run again it can be for only two reasons-he has the worlds largest ego or he is being paid to run by Bush and the republican party..
His statement that his reason for running is that the republican rate only a D- and the Dems. a D+ is without merit. He knows that if both parties have such a low grade, the best thing for the country is for the house, senate, and presidency not to all be held by the same party.
His entry into the campaign is only selfish, self-serving and unpatriotic.
Jack Casteel
wjcasteel@earthlink.net
Please somebody out there, find Raph's email address. He needs to hear from all of us to help deflate his ego, if that is possible. I hold him personally responsible for all the deaths inIraq, of Americans and Iraqis alike. Not to even begin to speak of the thousands who are now maimed and disabled. If W isn't defeated this time, he'll keep on creating more disabled veterans and survivors who will need VA benefits, while he keeps cutting those same benefits out of the budget. STOP RALPH!
Posted by: Betty Schwendinger at February 22, 2004 09:56 PMI have been trying unsuccessfully, to email Ralph Nader, also. I can't find his address either. I am horrified, that he is going to run AGAIN! I consider him a spoiler in the 2000 election, and personally responsible in getting Bush annointed King.
I cannot find a reason that is logical for his running for President. Unless, he is really trying to help the Republican Party.
Our Country is at a very critical time, with wars, deaths, loss of jobs, health insurance, and pensions, in epidemic proportions. We absolutely cannot let Ralph Nader be a spoiler again! The Democratic Party and the Independents must see what will happen if anyone votes for Nader. It will be an automatic ticket for Bush to take over for four more long years. This year's election will be so close as it is. Any votes sent to Nader will be the horror of 2000, all over again.
Please Ralph Nader, think of your Country and not yourself!
Sincerely,
One small American Voice, Cathy Lilly
I can't believe this ego-maniac is doing this again! I used to respect Ralph Nader for the information he gave the public, but when he took votes away from Gore and now is going to do the same thing to Kerry, I will never read anything he has to say again. If he had an ounce of decency, he wouldn't do this. He knows, as he knew before, that his chances of winning are nil, so he obviously just likes to see his name in print. I, too, have been unable to Email him or to find an address for writing a letter. Let's hope he visits this website. Betty Morrow
Posted by: Betty Morrow at March 5, 2004 11:28 AM