In the Public Interest

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…

With the long congressional recess in August through Labor Day approaching, “We the People” have the opportunity to do more than complain about the Congress and individual Senators and Representatives. There are many issues affecting you and your communities that need to be addressed by members of Congress. Over the years, it has become increasingly…

When I co-founded the Public Citizen Health Research Group with Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe in 1971, he declared that this was his “last job.” The drug industry might have been advised to quiver. For through his Worst Pills, Best Pills books, newsletters and spectacular outreach via the Phil Donahue show, he has exposed by brand…

Are Washington’s relentless bombings and military immersions in sectarian battles within Arab and neighboring regions accelerating the spread of terrorist attacks? Yes. The recent rash of terror attacks in Kuwait, Tunisia, Somalia, France, and other countries are tragic examples of the strategic failures of our government and its very heavy reliance on military interventions, including…