Author Archives: Ralph Nader

Democrats must demolish Trump’s delusional law-breaking dystopia

‘The Democrats are not matching Trump’s own or his party's propaganda.’

Donald Trump continually breaks multiple laws. Yet the serial lawbreaking, lying Trump is playing the “law and order” card against street protestors reacting to fatal cases of police brutality. Armed pro-Trump provocateurs are attending civic protests and generating casualties and property damage, as was the case recently in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Trump uses such mayhem to attack Joe Biden and his hyped “radical leftists.” This is grotesque, but then that is how corrupt, dangerous, devious Donald operates when cornered by falling polls, and growing opposition from leading retired military leaders and national intelligence officials. Trump’s attack on the U.S. Postal Service is also producing a nationwide backlash and even red-state conservatives are troubled by delays in deliveries of medicine and Social Security checks. Continue reading

Democratic Convention: New faces, similar policies but sharp contrast with Trumpism

The Democratic Party avoided the issue of what to do about the gross maldistribution of power between the tiny few and the rest of the people in America.

A national political nominating convention, as the Democrats have just completed, is, to be sure, a mutual admiration event. A steady stream of speakers led to the finale with the acceptance speech by the presidential candidate, Joe Biden. But the Convention has another declared purpose: to show the country what the Democratic Party stands for and the future it wishes to shape for the American people. Continue reading

Needed: Indicators for measuring injustice and societal decay

Adequate housing, healthcare, food, public services, education, mass transit, health & safety standards, and environmental protections are the prerequisites for a humane democracy.

Economic indicators—data points, trends, and micro-categories—are the widgets of the big information industry. By contrast, indicators for our society’s democratic health are not similarly compiled, aggregated, and reported. Its up and down trends are presented piecemeal and lack quantitative precision. Continue reading

Fed guarantees unproductive debt and perilous speculation

Now it is time for various House Committees to publicly question Chairman Powell about the costs of the Fed's callous indifference to the real economy and struggling Americans.

The Federal Reserve Board—our unaccountable Central Bank—needs more citizen and congressional supervision. Fees from financial institutions fund its operations, not congressional appropriations. It is as secret as it wants to be and that’s plenty. (See Secrets of the Temple: How the Federal Reserve Runs the Country by William Greider). Plus, the Fed can print money at will. In the past several years, it has “produced” trillions of dollars that juiced the stock market’s speculation. Continue reading

Wake up, America! We must force Trump to resign or at least step aside

Your messages tell presidents which way the political winds are blowing. Make this ‘rumble of the people’ speak loud and clear NOW!

Public Citizen’s open letter, co-signed by over twenty nonprofit civic organizations working for the public health, demanded that Trump and Pence immediately give up their disastrous daily mismanagement of the Covid-19 response. Trump’s bungling and ignorance have allowed the Covid-19 virus to spread faster at an alarming rate around the country. Continue reading

The enduring case for demanding Trump’s resignation

‘It is our obligation as citizens to organize and demand Trump's resignation and focus millions of voters on turning out the Trumpsters and their four-year Dark Age that is wrecking America.’

Saturday’s New York Times headline boldly exclaimed, “PRESIDENT IS ‘NOT ABOVE THE LAW,’ JUSTICES DECIDE.” But then the Supreme Court majority found a way not to apply the law to Trump’s defiance of Congress. Continue reading

The people must rise up and remove Trump-Pence from this horror show handling of the pandemic

The citizenry must quickly mount irresistible pressure for Trump and Pence to step aside.

Major changes in society can be accomplished by a fast-emerging, broad-based civic jolt so obvious and persuasive that it overwhelms the entrenched powers. The most urgent job is for people to organize to get Trump and Pence to step aside from their bungling, making-matters-worse mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic. The White House should let a professional pandemic control specialist with public health experience and an appreciation of science replace the current and ongoing Trump horror show. Continue reading

Donald Trump, resign now for America’s sake; this is no time for a dangerous, law-breaking, bungling, ignorant ship captain

Where are the calls for Trump’s resignation? Since his first months in the White House, Trump has been the most impeachable, most lawless, most self-enriching, most bungling President in U.S. history. He relies entirely on lying and scapegoating to avoid taking responsibility for his failures. Trump didn’t even win the popular vote—the Electoral College selected him. President Trump has fomented chaos and corruption in his administration without encountering insistent demands for his resignation. Continue reading

Trump: Letting big corporations get away with whatever they want

Trump considers himself above the law.

Throughout his presidency, Donald Trump has allowed large corporations to run rampant, exploit people, and get away with it. Trump considers himself above the law, boldly claiming, “I have an Article 2, where I have the right to do whatever I want as president.” Continue reading

Stopping Trump’s demonic reversals of the long-term benefits of the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970

The omnicidal Republicans controlling the Senate support Trump’s reckless agenda regardless of the environmental harm done to their own families.

Earth Day, April 22, 1970, was the most consequential demonstration of civic energy in modern American history. Engaging nearly 20 million Americans participating in about 13,000 local events, this first Earth Day changed corporate and government policies through popular demands for clean air, water, soil and food. Continue reading

Shouldn’t our elected representatives be on the job providing essential services?

Some lawmakers want a remote Congress so they can remain AWOL and pretend to deal with the many crises remotely.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic a careening, confused president is fibbing, flailing, breaking laws, and mishandling money. As the domino effect of this crisis mounts, the public is asking: “Where is the Congress?” Our senators and representatives have been home since March 20 and won’t be back until May 4, not on the job inside the Capitol. Shameful! Continue reading

Coronavirus failures show Trump is a clear and present danger to the United States

Seven ‘pro-contagion activities’ by Trump increased the coronavirus death toll in the United States.

Trump ridiculed, then minimized, then delayed the federal government’s response to the coronavirus for weeks. Then finally he wrapped his boastful, confused ego around reality. But Trump is actively pushing programs that will endanger more Americans. Continue reading

For America’s urgent health and safety, Trump needs to resign!

Trump is unable to accept the ferocious reality of this pandemic.

Leaning on sober-minded experts in infectious diseases at his daily news conferences, Trump is frantically trying to look good. But the old delusionary Trump keeps resurfacing. On Monday, he rated his coronavirus performance at a perfect ten. On Tuesday, he lied to the public about his knowing it was a pandemic “long before it was called a pandemic.” The facts are just the opposite. On February 28, Trump called COVID-19 a Democratic hoax (See the March 18, 2020 article in the New York Times). Continue reading

The Federal Reserve dictatorship runs amok against savers

No real explanations by the Fed; it just dictates. It is a government of its own inside our government—the epitome of corporate socialism.

If you are a saver in a money market account or in a bank, you’ve already noticed your dwindling interest income as interest rates have been at their lowest in modern American history. Well, brace yourself. Your saving account has just become little more than a lock box, thanks to the supreme dictatorship of the Federal Reserve. Continue reading

Trump vs. Sanders: A concise comparison for voters (and why Bernie wins hands down)

When there is a conflict between big business and the public good, on labor rights, consumer rights, small taxpayer respect, and environmental protections, Bernie has stood with the people.

It isn’t un-American for voters to do some homework before voting. Here’s a “concise guide” for the voter with limited time who might want more information. Continue reading

American führer: Delusionary, dictatorial Donald Trump is drunk on power

The word 'corruption' cannot fully embrace how this insulting megalomaniac is tearing apart our country, our democratic practices, and our moral norms. Who will put a stop to this president's corrupt rampage against the American people?

Delusionary, dictatorial Donald Trump is drunk on power. Trump’s monarchical and lawless actions are a clear and present subversion of our republic and its Constitution. As soon as the impeachment trial ended and Trump was acquitted by the Senate’s supine Republican courtiers (except for Senator Mitt Romney), vengeance flooded Trump’s fevered mind. Continue reading

The vengeful, lawless, corporate toady Trump explodes

‘The egomaniacal Trump is inebriated with his disgraceful acquittal, convinced of his own innocence, despite the clear evidence of his guilt.’

The day after his acquittal by the Republican Party in a trial that banned witnesses, the unhinged Donald Trump gloated for over an hour on all the television networks. Trump flattered his courtiers, one by one, and fulminated against his congressional adversaries, Hillary Clinton and ex-FBI chief James Comey. Continue reading

It should be easy to defeat Trump, but corporate Democrats look ready and willing to blow it

Trump should be the most defeatable president in history.

It is remarkable how the Democratic presidential candidates allow themselves to be pigeon-holed by the media as “moderate,” “centrist,” “extreme,” “left-wing,” and other abstract fact-deprived nomenclature. Continue reading

Beware of the Medicare ‘Disadvantage’ corporate trap

Medical Disadvantage would be a more accurate name for the quasi-private programs referred to as Medicare Advantage, as insurance companies push to corporatize all of Medicare, yet keep the name for the purposes of marketing, deception, and confusion.

While the Democratic presidential candidates are debating full Medicare for All, giant insurance companies like UnitedHealthcare are advertising to the elderly in an attempt to lure them from Traditional Medicare (TM) to the so-called Medicare Advantage (MA)—a corporate plan that UnitedHealthcare promotes to turn a profit at the expense of enrollees. Continue reading

The Ukraine shakedown is important, but not sufficient to let people realize all the other things Trump is doing

The ‘abuse of the public trust’ in Alexander Hamilton's phrase is overflowing.

It is time for the House of Representatives to announce comprehensive articles of impeachment against the chronic outlaw and violator of the public trust—President Donald J. Trump who won the Electoral College, but lost the popular vote. Continue reading

Will constitutional outlaw Trump implode with lies before he is impeached?

When he is not openly violating the Constitution, Trump lies and commits impeachable offenses.

Donald Trump said he believes the Constitution lets him do “whatever I want as President.” In over two and a half years, Trump has been a serial violator of the Constitution, unmatched by any president in American history. Just about every day he is a constitutional outlaw. Continue reading

25 ways the Canadian health care system is better than Obamacare for the 2020 elections

Everybody in, nobody out, free choice of doctor and hospital. It will produce far less anxiety, dread, and fear. Can you hear that, Congress and the White House?

Dear America: Costly complexity is baked into Obamacare, and although it has improved access to healthcare for some, tens of millions of Americans still cannot afford basic medical care for their family. No healthcare system is without problems but Canadian-style single-payer—full Medicare for all—is simple, affordable, comprehensive and universal for all basic and emergency medical and hospital services. Continue reading

Avalanche-level liar Trump learned art of deception from the pros: US corporations

Before there was Trump there was a corporate stranglehold on false claims and campaigns that had a singular purpose to mislead

For avalanche-level lying, deceiving, and misleading, mega-mimic Donald Trump need look no further than the history of the corporate advertising industry and the firms that pay them. Continue reading

What and who gave us Trump?

Why did Trump look around and think, ‘Hey, I can get away with this.’? Well, take a look around.

Donald J. Trump’s presidential ambition has simmered for decades. He was and is a regular TV watcher and saw the changing political landscape. One by one, previous presidents diminished the integrity of the presidency and violated the rule of law, paving the way for Trump’s candidacy. Continue reading

Trump: importing dangerous medicines and food and keeping consumers in the dark

Messrs. Trump, Azar, and Perdue better wake up before innocent Americans lose their lives due to corporate indentured government officials failing to properly do their jobs

Conservatives favor consumer choice. Consumer information is vital to make that choice meaningful. Corporatists, masquerading as conservatives, do not care about informed consumer choice. Donald Trump is a corporatist, as are the vast majority of Republicans in his Cabinet and in Congress. Corporatists do not even want you to know where products are made. Today, producers and retail sellers do not have to tell you the “country of origin” for meat and pork products. Before 2015, when Congress bowed to the dictates of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Congress had enacted a law that required country of origin labels on meat products. Continue reading

Mugger Mick Mulvaney—Trump’s Sadist-in-Chief

Mr. Mulvaney’s title seems uninterestingly bureaucratic—director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). But as Trump’s chief hatchet man extraordinaire, Mugger Mick Mulvaney is easily one of the cruelest, most vicious presidential henchman in modern American history. From his powerful perch next door to the White House, he is carving a bloody trail against tens of millions of Americans who are poor, disabled, frail, and elderly. He has gone after defenseless children and injured or sick patients with little or no access to health care. Continue reading