Nader Platform on Domestic Issues
Ralph Nader is widely considered a part of this movement now, and has scored a lot of points with people in recent debates. He has very good policies on war, the US empire, and corporatism.
At issue, however, is how well his progressive Left platform meshes with a political movement that is based on libertarian conservatism.
Here are what I consider some very interesting planks from the Ralph Nader official platform, on Government and Economic Issues:
1. Nader believes we need a $300 billion per year Carbon Tax to protect the environment.
http://www.votenader.org/issues/carbon-tax/
2. Nader favors a Canadian-style nationalized health care system.
http://www.votenader.org/issues/single-payer/
3. Nader believes we should do away with tort reforms and make civil lawsuits easier.
http://www.votenader.org/issues/tort-system/
4. Nader proposes a new tax on Wall Street speculation trading.
http://www.votenader.org/issues/speculation-tax/
5. Nader believes we should tax wealth itself, and "tax activities we dislike" --including alcohol, tobacco, gambling, luxuries.
http://www.votenader.org/issues/fiscal/fair-tax/
6. Nader believes in more powerful labor unions and elimination of the Taft-Hartley act.
http://www.votenader.org/issues/labor/workers-rights/#17406
7. Nader proposes raising the minimum wage to $10 per hour.
http://www.votenader.org/issues/labor/workers-rights/#17406
8. Nader believes we should change our system to favor National Initiatives (direct democracy):
http://www.votenader.org/issues/national-initiative/
9. Nader favors giving 16 year old children the right to vote.
http://www.votenader.org/issues/political/electoral-reform/#...
10. Nader supports affirmative action.
http://www.votenader.org/issues/social/affirmative-action/
11. Nader opposes fish farming and aquaculture.
I know some of you aren't going to like this, but
While Canada's nationalized health care system is bad, not all are.
Taiwan has it and the care is very good - single payer system. Canadians in Taiwan say the same thing. They can't understand why it's so good in Taiwan, yet so bad in their own country. My point being that you can't say that it would be always be bad - it depends upon where you are.
Other interesting Taiwan stats:
You can buy antibiotics and other pharms at a corner drug store with no prescription.
Along with the nationalized health care, they also buy lots of military hardware (from us).
Only 6% income tax.
How do they do it?
No welfare
No unemployment
No social security
The family's are still tight there and support each other during bad times - that's how they can get away with it. Probably couldn't do that here.
Thanks for that interesting post
http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/09/10/statement-to-ron-pa...
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"How can we justify to the unemployed and underemployed in the United States the incredible cost of maintaining a global empire?" - Dr. Ron Paul
Well he is not always libertarian, but reasonable
1. A carbon tax is far superior to the cap and trade systems proposed. Of course nothing is better, but why is a carbon tax any worse that the gasoline tax ?
2. of course libertarians do not want socialized medicine. What you say to a free community hospital though, or a free statewide program ? ?
3. This is libertarian, since one would expect that civil remidies are preferable to regulation.
4 + 5 - These are not libertarian
6 - elimination of taft hartley is libertarian, why should any contract negotiated in good faith be limited by the federal government ? Don't workers have a right to negotiate whatever contract, and use whatever remedies they see fit ? ?
7- Minimum $10 - not libertarian
8 - National initiatives like in Cali ? I can see both sides. It would require an amendment ot the constitution I think. This is not Un-libertarian, as long as the initiatives met Constitutional muster.
9 - 16 yr olds voting - if they have a job and pay taxes, yes - this is OK for libertarians
11- - he doesn't "oppose" fish farming, just recognizes the dangers. A libertarian would sue the fish farms, and make them unprofitable that way, he would rather regulate, since there is a problem with access to courts, civil remedies, etc. .
Like Ron Paul, Nader is NOT wanting to be your dictator
These issues you have listed and more, Nader's position on Iraq, Israel, cannabis, war on drugs, these issues are not Nader's anymore than Von Mises is Ron Paul's. Von Mises is Von Mises and Ron Paul can point to Von Mises, but he is not Von Mises...Nader can point to issues, but they are not HIS issues, they are issues brought to him by young attorneys, people who want to make political changes, and he puts them on his platform to debate.
'
When you go to a Nader meeting, you meet authors, allot of authors and younf attorneys' politicians who are ENGAGED and seeking "representation", which they find with Nader.
Why you see so many issues on the left is because the Neolibs were outting the liberals from the Democrat Party. Liberals had no way to express their ideas... Nader gives them a platform. That platform is UP for debate.
Nader LOVES debate. Debtae Nader on these topics. He will listen. He will ask questions. He will help your platform. He invited Ron Paul rEVOLutionaries to join him... that doesn't mean support.. it mean "Lets debate". You have a better way, lets hear it. Ron Paul apparently convionced Nader to end the Federal Reserve Bank....
Nader is NOT big government. Thast is why he created NGOs. He runs because it gives those who have been betrayed by BOTH parties an opportunioty to fight back.
NOTE: None of the issues you posted are anything the Democrat Party wants either... These issues are up for debate and Nader will replace the winning debater on the platform. GO FOR IT! DEBATE NADER, It's fun.
Finally, what I love most about Nader he sues the feds. He lives for that and I love him for it.
WE ARE GOING TO WIN!
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terrific points
Nader's VP Matt Gonzalez just had an interview with Vanity Fair where he states wanting to abolish the FED.
http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/09/10/statement-to-ron-pa...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57925480@N00/2660779139/sizes/l/
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http://www.libertypoet.com/
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"How can we justify to the unemployed and underemployed in the United States the incredible cost of maintaining a global empire?" - Dr. Ron Paul
"Nader is NOT big
"Nader is NOT big government."
I consider gross overtaxation and meddling in the workplace to be Big Government.
No, Nader is not a fascist-imperialist, obviously, but he's definitely running on a big government platform.
SUPPORT OUR FOUNDERS' AMERICA
Support the Constitution of the United States
SUPPORT OUR FOUNDERS' AMERICA
Support the Constitution of the United States
Heres a link Kevin Tuma
Here's Nader's invitation to you saying "I'm NOT big govt." http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2008/09/ralph-nade... If I may be so humble to suggest you debate him. I found personally, he's not a collectivist. And let me tell you.. in 2004 I saw the Green Party, socialists and Democrats ripping the shreds out of each other in the Nader camp. It was dirty, down and dirty.. low down and dirty.. (like what I watched Ron Paul rEVOLution go through with the neocons) Have you read Nader's skeleton Closet? Read how the liberals felt betrayed by Nader. Many of us Libertarians, like Justian Raimondo, (and Pat Buchanaon gave Nader the Reform Party nomination that put Nader on the ballot in seven states) who supported Nader in 04, support Nader's ballot access, because on Independent Candidate has the right to be on the ballot, and I worked with Constitution Party supporters who were working to get Petrouska on the ballot with Nader's encouragement.
As I said, that "big party" platform is created by grassroots activists who were rejected by the neolibs in the Democrat Party and had no where else to go. I say it's time to debate them and work together to beat this NWO which will fail anyways.
The liberals know Nader opened the door to Ron Paul rEVOLutionaries and they are very afraid we will take Nader up on it. No one owns Nader.
WE ARE GOING TO WIN!
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) /)' '( )
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as always Granger is right on
Love your posts Granger they contrubute so much to the table in regards to the understanding the man Ralph is.
You Rock:)))!
http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/09/10/statement-to-ron-pa...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57925480@N00/2660779139/sizes/l/
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"How can we justify to the unemployed and underemployed in the United States the incredible cost of maintaining a global empire?" - Dr. Ron Paul
I got my first work permit from the state at age 14
It never once crossed my mind that I should have also demanded the right to vote at age 14!
As for the rest of this platform, it is seriously so out of tune with anything I would consider.
I respect Ralph and admire him for the things he does right. But he is off key on many of these tunes.
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I got a job when I was 14,
I got a job when I was 14, too, but at that age I was still a child.
Can you imagine what a nightmare our already dumbed-down system would become if we had children's suffrage for voting?
SUPPORT OUR FOUNDERS' AMERICA
Support the Constitution of the United States
SUPPORT OUR FOUNDERS' AMERICA
Support the Constitution of the United States
if 14 year olds were allowed to vote
McCain would have picked Miley Cyrus as his running mate. And itd be a landslide.
Live Free or Diebold
Reminds me of a verse in Isaiah
that says, in part, "And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them."
I would have never even felt like at age 14 I was ready to be entrusted with the care of my country, even if I was capable of working on a poultry farm and mowing grass.
14 year old, or 16 year olds, in this day, are not old enough to make such weighty decisions.
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RP2012!
This famous Jefferson quote
This famous Jefferson quote nicely sums up a fundamental difference between constitutionalists and Naderites:
“In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.”
Nader obviously doesn’t see it that way. In contrast, he advices us to have lots of confidence in men in power. They can be trusted to handle our health care needs; to decide which alliances (i.e. UN, Kyoto) we should entangle ourselves in, and which (Iraq) we shouldn't; which activities ‘we’ dislike and should tax etc., etc. As long as ‘we’ elect the ‘right’ people (i.e. him) into power, we’ll be OK. Trust him.
This is a position fundamentally at odds with that of the founders, especially Jefferson. While Nader agrees with me on several important issues, and I would trust him over the McBamaCains any day, even he should be bound down by the constitution; even his government unable to engage in any activity not explicitly enumerated by our founders in that glorious document all those years ago.
Thomas Jefferson was a man
Thomas Jefferson was a man in power, and still is in the context of history. The same for the founding fathers and the Constitution.
Why do you put so much faith into them?
geessss... some just don't
geessss... some just don't get it!
"When governments fear the people there is liberty. When the people fear the government there is tyranny."
-Thomas Jefferson
I am more concerned about the return of my money than the return on my money. --Mark Twain
“A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.” (Prov. 22:3; 27:12 KJV)
Hey McCain-----┌П┐(◣_◢)┌П┐
comparing Paul to nader is
comparing Paul to nader is like comparing this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEPD1kYt0OM&feature=related
"When governments fear the people there is liberty. When the people fear the government there is tyranny."
-Thomas Jefferson
I am more concerned about the return of my money than the return on my money. --Mark Twain
“A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.” (Prov. 22:3; 27:12 KJV)
Hey McCain-----┌П┐(◣_◢)┌П┐
point is
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win"
Mahatma Gandhi
"I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers"
Ralph Nader
http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/09/10/statement-to-ron-pa...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57925480@N00/2660779139/sizes/l/
Website:
http://www.libertypoet.com/
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/LibertyPoet
"How can we justify to the unemployed and underemployed in the United States the incredible cost of maintaining a global empire?" - Dr. Ron Paul