In Pursuit of Justice : Collected Writings, 2000-2003

by Nader, Ralph

• ISBN13: 9781583226292
• ISBN10: 158322629X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-08-30
• Publisher: Random House Inc

Summary

"Ralph Nader is our indispensible voice of outrage against corporate corruption, greed, invasion of privacy, and abuse of power."-James K. Galbraith, author of Created Unequal: The Crisis in American Pay Over the last 40 years, Ralph Nader has established himself as this country's most active visionary. In this insightful new collection of his nationally syndicated column, Nader is at his best. Collecting more than 100 articles spanning three decades, In Pursuit of Justice addresses corporate abuse; the latent dangers of nuclear energy, water and air pollution, consumer safety; and more, all with Nader's inimitable sense of both his subjects' gravity and citizens' entitlement to a fair lot. Writing with a passion for justice and a piercing awareness of the issues of the day, Nader has been tireless in his pursuit of safer lives for U.S. citizens, leaving no one in this country untouched by his reforms. Remarkably contemporary in its breadth, In Pursuit of Justice is an important retrospective highlighting past victories and leading the way toward the coming decade's most consequential social struggles. Author, lawyer and leading consumer advocate Ralph Nader is the award-winning founder of the Public Interest Research Group, the Center for Study of Responive Law, Public Citizen, the Clean Water Action Project, the Disability Rights Project and the Project for Corporate Responsibility. His 2000 presidental election campaign on the Green Party ticket served to broaden the scope of debate on federal priorities.

Author Biography

Born in Connecticut in 1934, RALPH NADER has spent his lifetime challenging corporations and government agencies to be more accountable to the public. His 1965 book Unsafe at Any Speed permanently altered the course of a reckless U.S. automobile industry and made Nader a household name. His lobbying and writing on the food industry helped to ensure that the food we buy is required to pass strict guidelines before reaching the consumer. One of Nader’s greatest achievements was his successful lobbying for a 1974 amendment to the Freedom of Information Act, which gave increased public access to government documents. Over the years he has co-founded the public interest groups Public Citizen, Critical Mass, Commercial Alert, and the Center for the Study of Responsive Law. His 2000 presidential campaign on the Green Party ticket served to broaden the scope of debate on the nation’s priorities. Named by the Atlantic as one of the hundred most influential figures in American history, Nader continues to be a relentless advocate for grassroots activism and democratic change. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Table of Contents

Introduction	13	(2)
Corporate Power	15	(54)
``War is a Racket''	17	(2)
AEI---Out of Touch	19	(2)
Wall Street Accountability	21	(2)
The SEC	23	(2)
Corporate America---Trading with the ``Enemy''	25	(2)
Shed No Tears for CEOs	27	(2)
Corporate Freeloaders	29	(1)
Seymour Melman: Overspending on the Military	30	(2)
Pay it Back and Go To Jail	32	(2)
Citigroup, Heal Thyself	34	(2)
The Secret World of Banking	36	(2)
Money that Corrupts	38	(2)
A Fine Deal for Merrill Lynch	40	(2)
GM: Backwards Into the Future	42	(1)
Large Corporations Lack Allegiance to U.S.	43	(2)
Corporate Profiteering After 9-11	45	(2)
Runaway Compensation Packages	47	(2)
NYSE and Greedy Grasso	49	(2)
Revolving Door Corporate Executives	51	(2)
Pension Takeaway	53	(2)
Corporate Crime	55	(2)
Microsoft Remedies	57	(2)
No Cheerleader for Corporations	59	(1)
A Groundbreaking Lawsuit Against DaimlerChrysler	60	(3)
Curbing Microsoft's Monopolistic Practices	63	(1)
Bill Marriott Demands Corporate Welfare	64	(1)
Merger Mania	65	(2)
Corporate Power and Measure	67	(2)
Media and Commercialism	69	(50)
Signs of Societal Decay	71	(2)
The Big SnApple	73	(2)
Commercial and Civic Values at the Neighborhood Level	75	(2)
Gardening	77	(2)
Giving Our Airwaves to the Media Moguls	79	(1)
MSNBC Sabotages Donahue	80	(2)
Corporate Appropriation of Public Resources	82	(3)
A Corporate State	85	(1)
Corporations: Not Real People	86	(2)
Olympics: McDonalds and First Fry	88	(2)
Corporate Sin	90	(1)
On-line Education Pitfalls	91	(2)
Privatizing Public Services	93	(2)
Privatization of Government	95	(2)
Companies Can Have a Conscience	97	(2)
Low-Power Community Radio Stations	99	(1)
The Danger of Standardized Tests	100	(2)
The Airwaves Belong to the People	102	(2)
Stop Marketing to Kids!	104	(1)
Privatization: Dangerous and Inefficient	105	(2)
Kids and Advertising	107	(2)
The Maternity Ward Marketplace	109	(2)
Power (FM) to the People	111	(2)
Channel One	113	(1)
Opinion Oligopoly Dittoheads	114	(2)
Privatizing Social Security	116	(3)
Environment and Health	119	(54)
The Energy Boondoggle	121	(1)
The Energy Disaster	122	(2)
The Blue Frontier	124	(2)
Pharmaceutical Prices	126	(2)
Government Purchasing Leverage	128	(2)
Zoonotic Diseases	130	(1)
The Quest for the Fuel Efficient Car	131	(2)
GM Keeps Fuel Efficiency in the Dark Ages	133	(2)
Why is Industrial Hemp Still Illegal?	135	(2)
Nuclear Plants Post 9-11	137	(2)
Senior Citizens Face High Drug Costs	139	(2)
Patients Rights Legislation	141	(2)
Closing Refineries and the Energy Crisis	143	(2)
Irradiation Craze	145	(1)
Dick Cheney and Energy Conservation	146	(2)
Tritium Production, Nuclear Proliferation	148	(2)
Mad Cow Disease	150	(2)
Factory Farm Mergers	152	(2)
Environmentalist David Brower Remembered	154	(2)
Genetic Engineering and the Taco Bell Crisis	156	(2)
Exxon Hasn't Paid Valdez Spill Victims	158	(2)
Department of Energy Caters to the Needs of Fossil Fuel Industries	160	(2)
HMOs---Making a Killing	162	(2)
Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles	164	(2)
Anti-Environment ``Riders''	166	(2)
Renewable Energy Now	168	(2)
Smelly Business: Car Makers and Air Pollution	170	(3)
Civil Rights/Civil Liberties/Civil Justice	173	(44)
MTBE Bailout	175	(2)
Telephone Sales: Don't Call	177	(2)
Privacy Rights	179	(1)
The Triumvirate and Our Civil Liberties	180	(3)
Selling Victims' Rights	183	(2)
Level the Playing Field for Women's Sports	185	(2)
The Malpractice Crisis	187	(2)
Trent Lott---Words and Deeds on Race	189	(2)
Predatory Lending	191	(2)
Insuring Medical Malpractice	193	(2)
``Bankruptcy Reform''	195	(2)
Payday Loans	197	(2)
Ashcroft: Anti-Civil Liberties	199	(2)
Homeland Housing	201	(2)
Congress Hides Votes	203	(2)
Protecting Consumer's Privacy	205	(2)
Lending Rip-offs	207	(2)
Advancing Voter Participation	209	(1)
Statehood for DC!	210	(2)
Coca-Cola and Race	212	(2)
Congress Weakens Privacy Rights	214	(3)
Government---Imagination and Stagnation	217	(60)
The Race to the Bottom	219	(2)
Citizen-centric E-Government	221	(2)
Let Technology Work for People	223	(2)
Making Government Sponsored Enterprises Accountable	225	(2)
FDIC: New Bank Failures	227	(2)
The Federal Reserve's Power	229	(2)
Congress Easy on Insurance Industry	231	(2)
September 11th Attack: Transportation Infrastructure	233	(2)
New Rules Publication on Banking	235	(2)
FDIC	237	(2)
California Insurance Deregulation Debacle	239	(2)
Rebuild Our Infrastructure	241	(2)
Children's Defense Fund	243	(1)
John Graham and OMB	244	(2)
Greenspan Speaks	246	(2)
Deregulation---Beware	248	(2)
The Future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac	250	(2)
Financial ``Modernization'' Legislation	252	(2)
The Insurance Lobby	254	(2)
``Standing'' to Hold Government Accountable	256	(2)
Aviation Industry Failing to Upgrade Safety Programs	258	(2)
Consumer Protection Agency Still Needed	260	(2)
Corporate Lobbyists and Their Government Buddies	262	(1)
Make the Fed Follow the Rules	263	(2)
Consumers Seeking Airline Leg Room	265	(1)
Oil Companies Defraud U.S. Government	266	(2)
Putting Public Works First	268	(1)
Corporate Welfare	269	(2)
Truckin' Past Safety Regulations	271	(2)
The Corporate Culture of Violence	273	(2)
A Free Ride for Insurance Companies	275	(2)
Global and Labor Concerns	277	(60)
The Job Export Machine	279	(2)
Bush Dodges Iraq Meeting with Civic Leaders	281	(2)
Ignoring the Caution Signs in Iraq	283	(2)
The West Texas Sheriff	285	(2)
Outsourcing Accountability	287	(2)
Anthony Mazzocchi: A Working Class Hero	289	(2)
IMF, Deregulation, and the Tobacco Industry	291	(2)
GATS, the WTO and Society	293	(2)
The Labor Party	295	(1)
The Taft-Hartley Act and Union Organizing	296	(2)
The Fast Food Legacy	298	(2)
Taking on the Corporate Government in an Age of Surrender	300	(1)
United Students Against Sweatshops	301	(2)
Pro Baseball: No Lockout, No Strike	303	(2)
A Voice for Labor	305	(1)
Democrats Role in OSHA Repeal	306	(2)
The Need for Unions	308	(2)
Minimum Wage---Time for a Raise	310	(2)
Strengthen OSHA	312	(1)
The UN---Cozy With Corporations	313	(2)
Return of the Jungle	315	(2)
Business War on Labor	317	(1)
Third-World Smoking	318	(3)
Free Trade in Executive Talent from Third-World Countries	321	(2)
China and Trade	323	(1)
IMF/World Bank Protest	324	(2)
Anti-Bribery Law Rarely Enforced	326	(2)
Seattle and the WTO	328	(2)
Anti-Sweatshop Movement	330	(2)
Gore: Aids in Africa	332	(2)
Affordable HIV/AIDS Drugs for Africa	334	(3)
Consumers and The Economy	337	(66)
USDA vs. John Munsell and Safe Meat	339	(2)
Shelving the GSE Reforms	341	(2)
Binding Arbitration Traps	343	(2)
Consumer News	345	(2)
Credit Card Crunch	347	(3)
Tax Cuts and the Homeless	350	(2)
Wiping Out State Protection for Consumers	352	(2)
The Bankruptcy Shuffle	354	(2)
Preempting States' Rights	356	(2)
The Cost and Confusion of Real Estate Settlements	358	(2)
A Banking Agenda for the Senate	360	(2)
Punishing the Poor to Bail Out the Credit Pushers	362	(2)
The Better World Travel Club	364	(2)
The Meat Monopoly	366	(2)
Cable and Telephone Industry Abuses	368	(1)
Lemon Laws for Computers	369	(2)
ATM Fees	371	(2)
The Poor Still Pay More	373	(2)
Overbilling by Utilities	375	(1)
Electronic Signature Problems	376	(2)
Microsoft Settlement Should Be Kept Public	378	(2)
Greenspan Doesn't Represent America	380	(2)
Healthcare Fraud	382	(2)
``Financial Modernization'' is a Consumer Rip-Off	384	(2)
Publically Owned Local Utilities Work	386	(1)
Internet Retailing	387	(2)
Real Estate Industry Cashes in with Stealth Strategy	389	(2)
No-Fault Car Insurance- No Bargain	391	(1)
Enforce Antitrust Laws Now	392	(2)
How to Beat High Insurance Rates	394	(1)
Taxpayer Appreciation Day	395	(2)
The Fed as Regulatory Czar	397	(2)
Financial Industry ``Nickels and Dimes'' Consumers	399	(4)
Observations and Inspirations	403	(42)
Important Tidbits	405	(2)
Addiction, Substance Abuse and the Gender Gap	407	(2)
So Many Calls, So Few Answers	409	(1)
Senator Paul Wellstone	410	(2)
Whirlwind Wheelchairs	412	(2)
Consumers ``Get No Respect''	414	(2)
Needed: Leaders with Fortitude	416	(2)
Solutions to Rising Healthcare Costs	418	(1)
Texans for Public Justice	419	(2)
The Refreshing Southwest Airlines	421	(2)
Walter Miller: A Community Leader	423	(2)
Our Nation is Obsessed with Statistics	425	(1)
Living Wage May Lower Street Crime	426	(2)
Jeff Gates: Democracy at Risk	428	(2)
Luxury and Excess	430	(2)
Gene Stilp---A Prop for Any Protest	432	(2)
Governor Davis and Civics 101	434	(1)
Granny D Wants to Clean-Up Politics	435	(2)
George Sherwood: The Public Citizen	437	(1)
Giuliani Plants Corporate Welfare	438	(2)
Joe DiMaggio	440	(2)
Detroit's Snow Policy	442	(3)
Political Games and Shames	445	(52)
``The Platform is the Party's Contract with the People''	447	(2)
The Corporatist Democratic Leadership Council	449	(2)
The All-Knowing, Instinct-Driven President	451	(2)
A Judicially-Selected Dictator	453	(3)
The Robo-Candidate	456	(1)
The Tweedledee and Tweedledum Mid-Term Elections	457	(2)
Open Letter to the Democratic Party	459	(2)
Holding Political Candidates' Feet to the Fire on Corporate Crime	461	(2)
The Highway Robbery Lobby	463	(1)
The Exclusionary Commission on Presidential Debates	464	(2)
Soft Campaign Reforms	466	(1)
Congress Feigns Shock Over Enron	467	(2)
Congress Needs to Clamp Down on Future Enrons	469	(2)
Another Insurance Bailout	471	(2)
Airline Giveaways	473	(2)
Time for New Reforms	475	(2)
The Tough on Crime Party	477	(2)
Norquist-Reagan Legacy Project	479	(2)
Bush's Tax-Cut Proposal	481	(2)
Ashcroft and the Law	483	(1)
Federal Inheritance Tax Giveaway	484	(2)
Dreary Campaigns	486	(2)
Limited Debates	488	(2)
Congress Pulls the Shades on Net	490	(2)
Shaking the Money Tree	492	(1)
Al Gore Sells Out	493	(4)
Index	497	(23)
About the Author	520