Ralph Nader Radio Hour

Ralph spends the whole hour with the incomparable Noam Chomsky to discuss a whole raft of issues, including the climate crisis, the military budget, healthcare, challenging the corporate structure, reforming both the tax system and our elections, how the Democrats have abandoned the working class, and whether the U.S. will be able to fend off fascism. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Tom Morello, activist, and lead guitarist of “Rage Against the Machine,” joins us to discuss the uses of music in protest, his latest album “The Atlas Underground Fire,” and his new gig writing op-eds for The New York Times. Also, child advocate, Robert Fellmeth, stops by to shed light on a situation right out of a Charles Dickens novel: the state stealing social security checks from foster children. Plus, Ralph answers your questions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Law professor Mihailis Diamantis joins us for a lively discussion about why corporations get away with murder – or at least manslaughter – and what systemic changes need to be made to bring corporate criminals to justice. Then, Christopher Shaw, author of “First Class: The U.S. Postal Service, Democracy, and the Corporate Threat” explains how important it is to revive the U.S. Postal Service. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph welcomes Miranda Massie, director of the Climate Museum, an institution focused on the intersection of art, climate science, justice, and activism — that aims to make people feel that collective action is both possible and necessary, and the only hope we have of saving the planet. Plus! Ralph answers listener questions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Randall Kennedy, Harvard Law professor and author of a collection of essays entitled “Say It Loud! On Race, Law, History, and Culture” joins us for the full hour to talk about his views on race, class, corporatism, Clarence Thomas, the “n-word,” racial optimism versus racial pessimism, and much more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph interviews two recent military veterans. First, Erik Edstrom, author of “Un-American: A Soldier’s Reckoning of Our Longest War” tells us about his awakening from West Point Army Ranger to peace advocate. Then, Garett Reppenhagen, a former sniper and now director of Veterans for Peace, tells us how that organization helps veterans put down their weapons and work for peace. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Constitutional scholar Bruce Fein joins forces with Ralph as we devote the entire radio hour to discussing war powers in the United States with Yale historian, Samuel Moyn, author of “Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

On today’s program, we look at two ways that corporate lobbies and their political allies subvert democracy: “gerrymandering” and “preemption.” First, law professor Herman Schwartz breaks down the scourge of partisan gerrymandering. Then Mark Pertschuk, director of “Grassroots Change,” sheds light on how states and the federal government can “preempt” cities and local communities from for instance raising their own minimum wage, allowing paid sick leave, regulating firearms, banning plastics, or enforcing anti-discrimination laws. Plus, Ralph, David, and Steve discuss the infrastructure package and stock buy backs. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph welcomes Professor Elizabeth Burch to talk about her work researching how a certain mechanism in the civil justice system called Multi-District Litigation (MDL) is undermining your constitutional right to have your day in court. Then, Professor Jane Hall stops by to discuss the state of the media in her new book, “Politics and the Media: Intersections and New Directions.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph spends the whole hour with Eyal Press, author of “Dirty Work: Essential Jobs and The Hidden Toll of Inequality in America,” where they discuss the large gap separating the people who perform the most thankless, ethically troubling jobs in America from the rest of us, who benefit from their work. Plus, Ralph answers listener questions.   This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph welcomes Harvard history professor, Alex Keyssar, scholar of voting rights and author of “Why Do We Still Have The Electoral College?” to discuss the battle over the Electoral College and the role white supremacy played in conceiving and perpetuating it. Then, we welcome back Steve Silberstein, board member of “National Popular Vote,” to update us on the progress that movement is making on the interstate compact where states would promise to give their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, Colin Powell’s former chief of staff, gives us his thoroughly unvarnished take on the history of our twenty-year debacle in Afghanistan. Then, we are joined by Jacob Wilson, cofounder of Congressional Progressive Staff Association an organization devoted to drawing congressional staff from the ranks of civic activists, organizers, faith leaders, and people from the labor movement in order to bring fresh, bold, progressive ideas directly into Congress members’ offices. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

In a fascinating interview, where the historian gets questioned by one of the main subjects of his history, Ralph welcomes professor Paul Sabin to discuss his history of the public interest movement, “Public Citizens: The Attack on Big Government and the Remaking of American Liberalism.” Plus, intrepid investigative reporter, Allan Nairn joins us to give us his take on U.S. culpability in the violent history of Afghanistan. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph welcomes Stacy Mitchell, co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance to talk about how enforcing anti-trust laws would lead to more decentralized and productive local economies. And Pro Publica’s Jesse Eisinger joins us to explain how Republican anti-tax groups have starved the IRS budget, which leads to billions of dollars of uncollected taxes from the wealthy. Plus, Ralph answers your questions.   This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Andrew Kimbrell, director of the International Center for Technology Assessment, joins us to talk about his documentary “A Dangerous Idea: Eugenics, Genetics and the American Dream,” and to give us an update on the Wuhan Lab leak theory. Plus, Ralph welcomes legendary civil rights attorney, Martin Garbus, to update us on new developments in the case of corporate prisoner, Steven Donzinger. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph has a lively back and forth about the state of talk radio with the publisher and editor of “Talkers” magazine, Michael Harrison. Plus, Ralph answers a listener question about his views on Julian Assange. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

We discuss the student debt crisis with Anthony Fiorentino, attorney and advocate featured along with Ralph in the documentary series “Scared to Debt: America’s Student Loan Scam.” And Consumer Federation of America’s Robert Hunter joins to remind you that your auto insurance companies probably still owe you money for not driving so much during the Covid quarantine. Plus, Ralph offers up another Congress Club letter, this one aimed at Medicare for All. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph welcomes Michael Saks and Stephan Landsman, authors of “Closing Death’s Door: Legal Innovations to End the Epidemic of Healthcare Harm” about what can be done about the third leading cause of death in America, medical error. And America’s #1 Populist, Jim Hightower stops by to give us the breaking news on Exxon-Mobil’s attempt to break the union movement. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph spends a lively hour with David Vine, Professor of Anthropology at American University, discussing his book “The United States of War: A Global History of America’s Endless Conflicts from Columbus to the Islamic State.” Plus, Ralph announces that the Congress Club letter writing campaign is ready to kick off. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

Ralph welcomes Bill Crosier of the Foreign Policy Alliance to discuss how to turn US foreign policy away from intervention and toward diplomacy, law, and cooperation. Then chemist, Paul Palmer, joins us to explain that we need to replace the “corporate scam” of recycling with the concept of “zero waste.” Plus, Ralph answers an important listener question about Medicare for All. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com