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The mass media, with usual exceptions, have allowed themselves to be pulled down to the level of the political circus. If the Republican Party’s early primary campaigns for the presidential nomination had an elephant and a clown car, Ringling Brothers would be in trouble. It is hard for the Republican presidential candidates to resist temptation,…
Yes, it’s official. General Motors engaged in criminal wrongdoing for long knowing about the lethal defect in its ignition switch that took at least 174 lives and counting, plus serious injuries. At least 1.6 million GM cars – Chevrolet Cobalt and other models – hid this danger to trusting drivers, according to the Center for…
September 17, 2015 Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Statement by Ralph Nader on GM Deferred Prosecution Letting off General Motors — this homicidal fugitive from justice — once again desecrates the memory of over 100 victims and counting of General Motors criminality. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara and Attorney General Loretta Lynch have engaged in reverse…
Socrates and Plato were not in a hurry. Neither was Aristotle nor Heraclitus. They took time to think deeply. As far back as twenty-four centuries ago, they offered insights and observations about the human condition, character, and personality that are as true today as they were then. Fast forward to our fast-paced society. Many people…
Here’s an experiment to try this holiday weekend. Quiz your friends, family and acquaintances on the meaning of Labor Day. You might be surprised by the answers you hear. To many, the true meaning of Labor Day has been unfortunately lost―it’s merely a three-day vacation weekend, unless you work in retail, in which case it…
Among the hundreds of billionaires and megabillionaires in the U.S., there are more than several enlightened persons upset by the problems our society faces who could make serious improvements possible. The next step is breaking down a roadblock of sorts. A prominent, very rich businessman summed it up when he said to me: “Ralph, we…
Do you have your savings in a mutual fund? Does your pension fund invest in stocks, just as mutual funds do? If so, you may want to know this has been a bad week for U.S. stock markets. The Dow and Nasdaq indices have plummeted big time, but not because of the U.S. economy which…
When the stunning article “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us” by Bill Joy, chief scientist for Sun Microsystems, made the cover of Wired Magazine in April 2000, it created quite a rumble in high-tech circles. Its argument was that “our most powerful 21st century technologies—robotics, genetic engineering, and nanotech—are threatening to make humans an endangered…
August 7, 2015 Senator Bernie Sanders U.S. Senate 332 Dirksen Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Sanders, You’ve come a long way without my advice, but now that you are running for president, you may be interested in these suggestions: You’ve taken progressive positions on “decent paying job programs” such as investing in repairing our…
July 31, 2015 Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) 2236 Rayburn House Office Building Washington DC 20515 Representative Ron DeSantis (R-FL) 308 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) 1524 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representatives Chaffetz, DeSantis, and Jordan, The taxpayers elected you – and therefore pay your salary…