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George the Foolish

July 21, 2006
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British Kings used to be described with an epithet after their name, as with Richard-the Lion Hearted. Events on the warring grounds of the Middle East—from Iraq to Palestine to Lebanon — that Bush, by his aggressive choice is mired in — warrant him being called “George-the War Criminal” or “George-the Patron Saint of Elected…

Letter from Ralph Nader to President George W. Bush

July 17, 2006
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July 17, 2006 Dear President Bush: You have been a weak president, despite your strutting and barking, when it comes to doing the right things for the American people within the Constitution and its rule of law. This trait is now in bold relief over the Israeli government’s escalating war crimes pulverizing the defenseless people…

Break Down Barriers to Minority Parties

July 11, 2006
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By Ralph Nader Originally published on July 9, 2006 in the Baltimore Sun In no other Western democracy do third-party or independent candidates confront more obstacles and exclusions from contributing to a competitive democratic process than in the United States. These include both legal obstacles and an abject lack of media coverage. Legal impediments include…

Saving our Oceans

July 7, 2006
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Millions of Americans will enjoy the ocean beaches this coming weekend. Tens of millions live within a few miles of the Atlantic and the Pacific. Yet if they could, these oceans would be crying out for help. Just a few days ago, another foreboding peril was documented connecting global warming with the accelerating deterioration of…

Letter from Ralph Nader and Rob Weissman to Justice Scalia

June 30, 2006
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June 30, 2006 Justice Antonin ScaliaSupreme Court of the United StatesWashington, D.C. 20543 Dear Justice Scalia, In January, we wrote you to “inquire as to how the application of Bill of Rights and related constitutional protections to the artificial creations known as corporations can be squared with a constitutional interpretation theory of ‘originalism.’” We have…

The Minimum Wage

June 23, 2006
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Whatever led to the metastasis of corporate demons inside the brain of the Democratic Party over the last thirty years, it has paid off the business establishment. The cost of freezing the minimum wage has deprived millions of working Americans of trillions of dollars for their necessities of life. A few Democrats, most prominently Senator…

Letter to Governor Granholm on Motorcycle Helmet Law

June 19, 2006
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The Honorable Jennifer M. GranholmGovernorP.O. Box 30013Lansing, Michigan 48909 I am writing to urge you to veto SB 297, legislation repealing the all-rider motorcycle helmet law. Public opinion strongly favors all-rider motorcycle helmet use laws. Last week’s crash involving NFL star Ben Roethlisberger demonstrated the recklessness of not wearing a helmet and the crucial role…

The Binary Media

June 19, 2006
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You have noticed, to be sure, how our nation’s politics gravitates to the binary position year after year. Webster’s dictionary defines “binary” as “something made of two things or parts.” So, parties, politicians and voters are overwhelmingly either characterized as conservative—right wing or liberal-left wing. I’ve never thought the binary approach was very useful; it…

Statement by Ralph Nader on the Seizure of the South Central Farm in Los Angeles

June 14, 2006
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On this day of infamy, an agrarian revival in the middle of urban impoverishment was stamped out by a developer whose price was met by the City of Los Angeles but whose obstinacy prevailed all the way to the bulldozers he hired to destroy the carefully cultivated little gardens. The developer has acquired a 14…

The Dixie Chicks

June 9, 2006
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Who would have thought when the Dixie Chicks were selling more than 10 million copies each of “Wide Open Spaces” (1998) and “Fly” (1999) that they would become the most controversial band in America? Even more improbable was the likelihood that three young women would have the strength of character and personality to stand their…