Ralph Nader Speaks in Austin

(Editor's Note: A reader reports on hearing Ralph Nader speak.)


I just got back from seeing Ralph Nader at UT tonight. It was not
advertised well, so I got a front row seat, and took this pic.

I have to say I was about as impressed with his remarks as anyone I have
ever heard speak. He was so centered on what's good for people as
opposed to big business, or self-promoting politicians. The breadth and
depth of his comments were astounding.

He touched on energy policies, and spoke multiple times about the threat
of infectious diseases, about ownership of genetic encoding, about the
loss of jobs due to outsourcing -- he told the college kids that the
jobs they train for may not be there no matter how prepared and hard
they work -- and a lot about college kids getting out and voice their
concerns and making a difference rather than spending time on working
out petty youthful problems instead of working on bigger issues. When
someone asked how to handle the pessimism you feel when you look at the
world today, he said that every decade has problems, just don't allow
yourself to feel things can't be changed. He said first you peck, then
you nibble, then you bite, then you win. I couldn't help but think of
the effort to fight IBM on the pension issue, and how that was exactly true.

He said 85% of all politicians have as their main goal getting
re-elected and this dominates their behavior. He further said there are
taboos amongst the 2 main political parties that prohibit discussion of
the real issues - like infectious disease, people's freedoms, poverty,
the drug problem, and corruption of politicians and businessmen who are
committing actual crimes and getting away with it. And that is why the
2-party-dominated system has destroyed the ability to elect people who
will do what is needed to truly fix problems.

He said Bush works off of fear, all his messages spread fear, and that
is his main agenda, to make you fear so that you accept his policies.

He looked physically haggard and old, but I cannot emphasize how
energetic, powerful, and intellectually deep he was --his comments were
focused on concrete issues with real solutions when asked -- and so
people-oriented. I kept thinking of watching an elite athlete at the top
of his game -- he was so much more that I had expected.