[Peace-discuss] Fw: Re: Ralph Nader: Tragedy to Farce

[Jenifer Cartwright]

A kinder gentler view of Nader than my own...
 --Jenifer

--- On Sun, 9/7/08, Helene Feiner  wrote:


 Hi all,

I'm so upset with Nader. This presidential election monkey wrenching 
has sure changed my opinion of him. I agree that our system needs to be 
changed but not by essentially throwing support to the Republicans. 
This reporter echoes how I feel about him.

By James Fallows
Ralph Nader: tragedy to farce

24 Feb 2008 11:00 am

I have liked and admired Ralph Nader so much. I first worked for him 
when I was in my teens (and he was in his 30s). Under his auspices, 
encouragement, and relentless pressure, I'd written two books for his 
organization by the time I was 23 -- if only I'd been able to keep up 
that pace! Or that sales success, since one of them -- Who Runs 
Congress, turned out in eight weeks, with Mark Green and David Zwick 
--- eventually sold in the millions.

Nader was funny, warm, brilliant-seeming, and, yes, caring. He visited 
my wife in the hospital after our first child was born. For years after 
that, he never failed to ask about both of our kids (or my wife) 
whenever I talked with him. I say all this as an indication of why 
Ralph Nader has so many people who actually are loyal to him -- and who 
wish they didn't have to face the reality about the choices he has made 
over the last eight years.

That he stayed in the race in 2000 was tragedy. (See: Invasion of Iraq, 
2003, and subsequent occupation.) That he came back in 2004 was 
unfortunate; his entry in 2008 is farce. Farce because it suggests 
detachment from political reality (the differences between the 
Republican and Democratic nominees are so faint that we can say, What 
the hell!) and, worse, narcissism. The fact that it won't make any 
difference in the outcome actually is sad.

I will always like and respect Ralph Nader and will always admire the 
wonderful things he has done. But I wish to God that he had not made 
this decision, or will reverse it soon. (And, I am sorry that saying 
this will make me an enemy in his eyes.) He is a better man than his 
recent decisions indicate.





      
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