Ralph Nader Radio Hour

With the Senate run-off election in Georgia close at hand, Ralph speaks to political psychologist and author of “The Political Brain,” Drew Westen, about how in order to win, the Democratic candidates need to wrap their policy prescriptions in an effective emotional message. 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

Why is it so hard for people to do the right thing? Ralph spends the entire hour with Amherst professor of psychology, Dr. Catherine Sanderson, discussing her book “Why We Act: Turning Bystanders into Moral Rebels.”    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 the author of “Salt Wars,” Dr. Michael Jacobson, who explains how the food industry and a small group of scientists keep fighting government efforts to reduce dangerous levels of sodium in our food. Plus, fraud expert, Elliot Greenblott, tells us how we can protect ourselves from getting conned by Medicare scammers. 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

Young activist, Katie Fahey tells us the inspiring story of how she was able to organize a left/right coalition to end gerrymandering in her home state of Michigan. And Paul Hudson, the head of Flyers’ Rights tells us how and why the FAA has re-approved the faulty Boeing 737 Max. 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 brief time talking about the dangers presented by Donald Trump during this lame duck period. But then we pivot away from the tumult of the election and the pandemic to a more contemplative and soothing topic by playing selections from “earth music” saxophonist and composer, Paul Winter, who tells us the stories behind his musical collaborations with nature. 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

David Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect, joins Ralph to give us his insights into why the Democrats did not landslide the Republican Party of Donald Trump. And attorney Leonard Goodman of the Chicago Reader reveals why the Democrats did very little to stop the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett. 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 Morris Pearl, chairman if Patriotic Millionaires, an organization of high-net worth Americans, business leaders, and investors who think the country would be more politically stable and businesses more profitable if they raised their own taxes. And our resident constitutional scholar, Bruce Fein, returns to tick off fourteen reasons why Donald Trump is a clear and present danger and should resign immediately. 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

Voting rights advocate, Greg Palast, returns to give us the latest on Republican efforts to purge the voter rolls of people of color. And ad guru, Bill Hillsman, comes back to analyze the effectiveness of the late stage TV ads from the Biden and Trump campaigns. 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

Historian, Paul Street, joins us to discuss how the Democrats seeded the ground for the rise of Trump in his new book, “Hollow Resistance: Obama, Trump and the Politics of Appeasement.” And Ralph welcomes the chair of Our Revolution, Larry Cohen, to update us on how the progressive movement is faring in the Biden/Harris campaign. 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 Alternative Radio’s, David Barsamian, who presents the perspectives of leading scholars of the Middle East on the ongoing turbulent relationship between the U.S. and Iran in the book “Re-Targeting Iran.” And political cartoonist, Dwayne Booth, AKA “Mr. Fish” joins us for a provocative discussion about the state of political satire. 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 back psychiatrist, Dr. Bandy Lee, for an update on Donald Trump’s pathology and a prescription for surviving it. And Tarek Milleron joins Steve and David to talk about alternatives to shopping at Amazon. Plus, 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 George Farah, author of “No Debate,” who tells us how the Commission on Presidential Debates with its secret contracts and secret sponsorships is not the non-partisan organization it appears. And board member of National Popular Vote movement, Stephen Silberstein, updates us on how close we are to reforming the Electoral College. 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

Populism is the theme when America’s #1 populist, Jim Hightower, joins Ralph to outline the six ways the right is trying to shred our vote this November. Also, we learn how the Trump Administration’s policies have really affected Iowa’s farming community from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and co-editor of the Progressive Populist, Art Cullen. 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

Distinguished professor of political science, Adolph Reed, joins Ralph to talk about the problem with emphasizing race over class in building effective, long-term coalitions. 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

First, Ralph welcomes back David Cay Johnston to give us the latest update on Donald Trump’s ongoing criminal activity. Then, environmental lawyer and author, Barbara Freese, joins us to talk about corporate stonewalling through the ages in her book “Industrial Strength Denial: Eight Stories of Corporations Defending the Indefensible, from the Slave Trade to Climate Change.”   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 speaks to behavioral economist, Robert H. Frank, about another kind of contagion, the good kind: peer pressure - and the ways peer pressure can help mitigate the climate crisis. Then, we welcome epidemiologist, Dr. Michael Mina, who explains how a program of frequent and rapid Covid testing can have the same effect as a vaccine. 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

Not driving as much? Find out how you can get money back from your auto insurance company as Ralph welcomes Insurance Director of the Consumer Federation, Robert Hunter. Also, we speak to Chuck Collins about how the rich are parking their money in charitable foundations and taxpayers are footing the bill. And finally, the editor of Current Affairs, Nathan Robinson, joins to tell us “Why You Should Be A Socialist.”   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 the editor and publisher of the Columbia Journalism Review, Kyle Pope, to talk about how the press is covering – and not covering – the climate crisis. Plus, Ralph weighs in on Joe Biden’s selection of Kamala Harris as his Vice President, tells you how you should get rebates from your auto insurance company, how the Democrats should be responding to Trump’s latest executive orders, how flyers should boycott the Boeing Max 8, and how to deal with “the lesser of two evils.” 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 Nicholas Carr, author of “The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains” who argues that despite it being a vast storehouse of knowledge, the internet could be turning us into superficial thinkers. Also, NY Times opinion writer, Justin Gillis, along with the executive director of the Energy Policy Institute, David Pomerantz report on the scandal of fossil fuel and nuclear companies bribing state politicians. 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 civics educator and author, Barbara Lewis, who tells how best to teach kids how to be effective activists in their communities. Then, investigative reporter, Greg Palast, joins us to outline how we can protect our vote this election year, chronicled in his book “How Trump Stole 2020: The Hunt for America’s Vanished Voters.” 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