Who is Ralph Nader?
The son of Lebanese immigrants, Ralph Nader was born in 1934 and trained as a lawyer. His 1965 book Unsafe at Any Speed, a critique of the car industry's safety record, made him a household name. It fed into the 1966 National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. He then built Public Citizen and a network of watchdog groups. He sought the White House four times: for the Greens in 1996 and 2000, then as an independent in 2004 and again in 2008. Nader has held no public office and is not running now. These days he is active as a writer and columnist.
Political views
- Says the American economy is mixed, and that public works and institutions are what allow private enterprise to thrive.Source: commondreams.org
- Accused the car industry of neglecting safety, a charge that helped bring the 1966 federal vehicle law.Source: en.wikipedia.org
- Is credited with helping to pass the Clean Water Act, the Freedom of Information Act, the Whistleblower Protection Act and the Consumer Product Safety Act.Source: en.wikipedia.org
- His 2000 platform included a living wage, universal health care, campaign finance reform and a bigger tax share for corporations.Source: en.wikipedia.org
- Wants Medicare for All, a bigger Social Security benefit, a higher minimum wage and no more tax escapes for rich people and large companies.Source: commondreams.org
- Opposed three-strikes sentencing. He supported legalising marijuana and hemp, and releasing nonviolent drug offenders.Source: en.wikipedia.org
- Founded the American Museum of Tort Law, which defends the right to sue for wrongful injury and to have a jury decide.Source: tortmuseum.org
Legacy
Admirers call Nader the central figure of America's modern consumer movement. In their view his research and model bills made products, food, cars and workplaces safer, and opened government records to the public. Public Citizen, which he founded, still operates. Critics point to his sharp attacks on Democratic leaders, such as his description of Barack Obama as a war criminal over the Libya intervention in 2011. Many Democrats also blame his 2000 run for George W. Bush's victory. Bush won Florida by 537 votes, while Nader got roughly 97,000 there. Nader says he did not cost Al Gore the White House, and studies disagree.
In their own words
“Public works were crucial in enabling private business enterprises to flourish.”