25 Comments
User's avatar
Claire Schut's avatar

Thank you. I've sent the Ralph Nader Radio Hour on 'Big Tech Using Your Children' to the Dutch organization 'Bits of Freedom' in The Netherlands (website > https://www.bitsoffreedom.nl/en/)

Claire Schut's avatar

Of course. Thank you too.

Laborism's avatar

Good episode. I think we also need to remember that corporations were only granted life in the first place because, and on the condition that, they were supposed to provide a public benefit. We need to fundamentally change corporate law to reflect the fact that we have learned a thing or two about how corporations operate in practice. See further here https://laboristmovement.substack.com/p/laborist-changes-to-corporate-stock and here https://laboristmovement.substack.com/p/changing-corporate-board-composition . That will not happen in our current money-based style of electing politicians, even if some of them self-identify as Democratic Socialist. However, we could relatively easily make it happen if we took the time and trouble to do person-to-person laborist organizing. Remember that we did politics before technology, too, and we could do it again.

Adriana's avatar

Have you read "We, The Elites"? Corporations in this country have always been more important. Of course, that's not the name they gave back then. The slaves, the land, the properties, and how the elites used them were the foundation of the US, it is right there in the constitution. People that didn't have property were dangerous and preventing them from ever having anything was written in the document.

Some gains, with a lot of pain and struggle were made but the constitution was written to never be fundamentally changed.

Laborism's avatar

I have not, but I will add it to my reading list. Yes, the dominance of the elites who became the financiers was clear from the get go. I recently finished The Color of Politics, which goes into the fact that in the 1600s the Irish (basically kidnapped) and English (from poor houses and prisons) indentured servants were treated the same as African slaves, including the horrendous and often fatal conditions on their transport ships, with the differentiation only happening in the late 1600s when mixed-race rebellions became scary enough to convince the financiers to co-opt the poor whites by creating racial distinction, thus creating a buffer class.

That said, Jefferson and Madison, while themselves members of the elite slave-owning class, hated the growing financiers and did their best to set things up to allow them to be controlled. They gave us adequate tools. The Nonpartisan League in North Dakota (which also spun off the Farmer-Labor Party in Minnesota) organized working people to simply take power, taking over the machinery of the dominant political parties and putting real representatives in office. That resulted in impoverished farmers and laborers becoming prosperous for generations due to the simple laborist reforms implemented while the Nonpartisan League ruled. (It was broken by a nationwide flood of financier money and agents who were dispatched to the region to sow dissension based on artificial issues withing the Nonpartisan League constituency, the same strategy the parasitic financiers use today.) We can do it again.

Adriana's avatar

Yes, there were some revolts and sometimes the rebels prevailed. But the constitution is still written, and the institutions built in a way that actual change is really difficult.

Randy LeSage's avatar

Hopefully, we will see children (and adults) begin to move away from "Big Tech" - A return to 'real life', as both Beeban Kidron and Ralph Nader have envisioned. And it shouldn't take a disaster the scale of 'Chernobyl'. I do think we're seeing movement away from virtual reality. Though it will be fraught with struggle.

"Have a Better Now", as Kidron states near the end of the interview.

And Mr. Nader, I love the phrase, "Silent Sidewalks", you mentioned in relation to having children go back to the real world of nature and the street to discover communication. I'll mark that phrase down for a possible artistic response!

Thank you once again!

Laborism's avatar

I also recommend Paul Kingsnorth's book Against the Machine. https://bookshop.org/p/books/against-the-machine-on-the-unmaking-of-humanity-paul-kingsnorth/1fd1b2b275afb40f?ean=9780593850633&bkshp-astro=t He does a very nice job on spinning out this theme.

Alice's avatar

Thank you Radio Hour Team! Your guests add more to issues articulated in Bender and Hanna's The AI con,

https://thecon.ai

One more thing to put a fire under incumbents and candidates!

Don Harris's avatar

We need to treat tech companies like other corporations? Isn't just about every Radio Hour program about how we have no control over and the abuses of the corporations?

Where are the politicians? Too busy making the rounds amongst the the big money interests for campaign cash. The tech companies are just one stop.

A Chernobyl size event doesn't seem to be enough to spur action as we are in the second such event with the re-election of Trump.

But we can still prepare for when people realize the shit has hit the fan.

What is it going to take, Ralph for you to help build the infrastructure to elect small donor candidates that will do what is needed instead of what their corporate paymasters demand?

We can start it now, begin making progress in 2028 and then be well on our way in 2030.

It can start with a Union for Politics episode for Labor Day explaining how citizens can use a write in vote in November to register a vote against the big money politicians on the ballot and to create and demonstrate demand for small donor candidates in 2028 and future elections.

90% of citizens live in gerrymandered districts that are already decided for 2026 so they can cast this write in vote without having any effect on the outcome in 2026. But it will have an effect on the 2028 election.

Not doing this will also have no effect in 2026 but it will also guarantee the same outcome in 2028 instead of changing the dynamic for 2028 as casting the write in vote will accomplish.

.

It's time to stand up Ralph, you've been sitting on this for way too long!

Help citizens stand up and say to the politicians:

TAKE BIG MONEY- LOSE OUR VOTES!

Laborism's avatar

May I suggest that what really needs to happen is person-to-person laborist organizing in the style of the successful old Nonpartisan League? We could, with a little bit of effort, select actual representatives from among people we know and talk to in a way that makes money essentially irrelevant. https://substack.com/@laboristmovement/p-162364972 Registering protests or trying to organize reform movements within the current broken system, where the media disregards you unless you raise big money, won't get us to where we need to be, but we can get there by just taking the time and trouble to communicate with each other.

Andrea Popovich's avatar

Thank you all for leading this conversation. Starve the beast.

Adriana's avatar

Capitalism kills, literally. When it doesn't, it only causes pain. There is no long term gain

I will get Beeban Kidron's book and donate it to the library. If I can donate to the schools, I might do that too.

Rick Fry's avatar

Finally . . . and consistent with our support for the American Museum of Tort Law . . . Ralph is back on track!!

See

http://www.grandpadscam.org/index.html

and

http://www.consumercellularlawsuit.org/index.html

don dunne's avatar

The CEO sitting at the head of the table with his team said, "how are we going to make big bucks off these kids ? " Jake their top lawyer said, we got to do it so the parents and their guardian's don't know we are doing it, or you're going to have to pay me more than just big bucks to handle the law suits.

If we sell them toys just be sure they can't swallow them and eat the glue sticks.

Labborist Larry, what do you think we should do? This A I stuff is beginning to be a big deal the kids are getting smarter than their parents and they don't like it. Little Billy just won $6000 dollars playing some stupid a I video game on the net and his parents said that they had had enough and it was corrupting his mind and he was beginning to show early signs of level one autistic tendencies.

Then one day big Billy got an e-mail offering him a full scholarship to Stanford. Billy later graduated from Stanford and was offered 10 million dollars for an a I start up and research project dealing with, " the gambling addiction of children and a I wealth building management for teenagers".

Post Mortom : years early Billy's parents had gotten a divorce so Billy used some of his money to settle their years of arguing over how best to raise Billy, after all don't you think it's the least a rich kid could do for his parents? Good luck America have a great day my friends.

TomL's avatar

On the tech addictions and mind control that we're subjected to daily on the internet; there are alternatives and no one is forcing anyone to be yacking away constantly or texting back and forth or surfing the net. People could cut the cord, only use the computers at the local library. If they are not disciplined in internet sites, there are "net nanny" options that will reach out if they see irresponsible or unhealthy browsing.

I found the story on the kid's ai "friend" who messed with him to the extent of suicide disturbing. The word "liminal" was particularly weird and somewhat alarming. The faculty speaker at the recent high school commencement used that word as if there was a major difference between what happpened before and what is coming. I find that untrue. All of life is connected, time and events occur spontaneously. Maturity is not inevitable. The youth, entitled and caught up into magical thinking are treading into areas for trouble.

Doro Reeves's avatar

Where do these techie ghouls get off, luring kids into committing suicide, and why aren't those robots (or whateverthehell they are) illegal already?!!! This sounds as dangerous as some drugs

Rick Fry's avatar

Commit suicide? How does a child - or a senior - learn how?

Thank you, Baroness Beeban!

You have raised hot-bottom concerns here in America!!

As just one egregious example, Consumer Cellular in their GrandPad tablet, targeted specifically and purposefully to technically unsophisticated and vulnerable seniors as well as to their younger family members, features "Grandie Chat."

"Grandie Chat" is AI, of course, but with a remarkably soothing and reassuring feminine voice.

"Today the weather in . . . is mild and with a chance of rain. [Your first name, ] what can I help you with . . . ?"

For anyone interested in following up your important conversation with Ralph, in the next day or two I will post photos and specific examples on a website (now that both Consumer Cellular and GrandPad have threatened to sue me):

www.consumercellularlawsuit.org

Can't wait to learn more?

The "GrandPad" tablet also is sold in the U.K.

-Rick

Rick Fry's avatar

Brava Baroness Beeban!!

For those in Britain - or anyone not close to Winsted, Connecticut (USA) - be sure to take a VIRTUAL TOUR of the American Museum of Tort Law!

https://www.tortmuseum.org/

Navigate easily to the Dangerous Toys exhibit!

What would be very helpful - inspirational! - would be Ralph comparing and contrasting his own child safety successes with current efforts against child privacy and other abuses.

-rick@consumercellularlawsuit.org

Adriana's avatar

It is not only AI that is destroying humanity, in the sense of how humans related to each other. All technology seems to be pried to isolate and "dumbfy" people.

I saw a little kid, two years old, still on diapers and could not speak full sentences yet. But she had full command of the mother's dell phone, knew exactly what to do in the game she was playing. And could also change to another game. It is sickening

I have a request: if anyone knows anything about biofuel and if there are places invested in using this, that would be great information. I recently saw someone talking about how any diesel car could use biofuel, and in the 90's, maybe early 2000's, the fast food places were just giving their used oil (?), sometimes even paying for people to take it.

Rick Fry's avatar

Adriana, you've made my day!

I can recommend two EXCELLENT sources that continue to cover biodiesel and also Sustainable Aviation Fuel!

Both have weekly radio programs plus podcasts:

Marketplace.org

and

low.org

("loe" is for "Living on Earth").

And I cannot resist: In 1974, when the United States was "running out of oil," I bought a diesel Peugeot. The Peugeot turned out to be a "lemon," but thanks to Ralph's inspiring example, I ended up winning my case! And this also helped to usher in the 1975 Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act ("lemon law")!

Thank you Ralph!

Adriana's avatar

Thanks, will check them out!

Amy Harlib's avatar

A dumbed down, enfeebled, propagandized population is easily enslaved!

Trump and his Epstein Class cronies are exemplars of the monsters in human skin suits who rule the world getting a sadistic vampiric thrill and boost from perpetrating the vilest most demonic crimes against the most vulnerable (babies and small children) and then corrupting the system to get away with it scot free! We the People must stop them, there are a lot more of us than them!

Please check out this substack! ponerology.substack.com

WAKE THE F*CK UP! TOTAL SLAVERY IS UPON US!!

IT'S THE OMNIWAR! They can stick their f*cking damned AI, Wearables, Chips, CBDC/NO CASH, NANO, Digital IDs, and Jabs up their asses where the sun don't shine! iaindavis.substack.com

HELL NO TO GENESIS MISSION/STARGATE/DEEPSEEK! HELL NO TO AI! technocracy.news

Life everywhere is being assaulted by THE TECHNOCRATIC OMNIWAR! RESIST! DO NOT CONSENT TO ALL THINGS DIGITAL, 'SMART', AI, 5G, NO CASH - ALL OF IT! dhughes.substack.com Technocrat ruling class psychos get a sadistic thrill from their powers over life and death and hurting all who stand in their way and they need the resources worldwide to build their digital total slavery control grids (herd survivors into 15 minute city digital prisons)!

AI is designed to be anti-human/anti-life programmed by technocrat control freak psychos - garbage in = garbage out. Everyone got along just fine without all these absurd and downright satanic electronic gadgets that did not exist until recently. NOBODY NEEDS THIS AI CRAP!

CREATIVITY! ARTISTRY! IMAGINATION! SPIRITUALITY! HUMOR! LOVING KINDNESS! These are all BEAUTIFUL, the best ways to fight THEM!

I also have a landline, a wired laptop and a wired monitor screen, and I never had or will have those infernal mobile devices designed to enslave you. I also use cash as much as possible, no cash is TOTAL SLAVERY.

How to fight back against this TOTAL SLAVERY!

RESIST! DO NOT COMPLY! DITCH THE DAMNED 'SMART' PHONES AND THE DAMNED QR CODES AND GO BACK TO LANDLINES OR FLIP PHONES AND USE CASH AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! INSIST ON CASH! CBDC IS TOTAL SLAVERY!

It is heartbreaking to witness the holocausts happening and so many fellow citizens are brainwashed/bamboozled by the propaganda media, they are oblivious!

MISTAKES WERE NOT MADE! THEY can't get rid of the 'useless eaters' fast enough!

Peddling pure poison! Folks have to wake up to reality: health comes from organic diet, daily exercise and clean living and never from a needle or a pill except in dire, rare traumatic injuries.

It was NEVER about health! The Powers That Should Not Be were ALWAYS about they want you DEAD or a SLAVE! This is a painful truth to accept but we the people must wake up and fight back! And toxic injections/pills were/are a huge part of their arsenal!

This horrifying Congress Critters, Gates, Governor 'Gruesome Newscum', Soros, 'Benedict' Biden and Harris and even Trump, Vance, and 'Ramaswampy' et al are blatant fully owned and operated puppets of their globalist technocrat parasite masters same as other numerous 'PUBLIC SERPENTS' infesting by design from above, the bureaucratic apparatus.

Can't say this often enough! The Military/Industrial Complex and the Biowarfare/industrial Complex, WEF agenda and the evils assaulting humanity are from one and the same source - it is the 99% against the diabolical GREED of the 0.01% who should not be in charge of anything!

JAB INJURIES: GROSS CALAMARI BLOOD CLOTS/AUTISM TSUNAMI/SADS/TURBO CANCER/BIZARRE TERMINAL ILLNESSES: More tragic victims of the ruling parasite genocidal enslavement agenda, sacrificed on the altar of psychopathic greed and hatred of humanity.

And BIG pHARMa is an arsenal making permanently sickly addicted slaves dependent on their products - the complete opposite of actual health.

Can't say this often enough!

SCREW THE HYPOCHONDRIA GERMAPHOBIC FEAR HYSTERIA! DO NOT CONSENT! Avian flu is for the birds! RESIST!

KEEP FIGHTING! All the perps who pushed this greatest crime against humanity, all the way down to the local level, must get their comeuppances!

Proudly ANTI-VAXX! Reiterating for the sake of newbies and to support this post.

Ban all vaccine jabs! There has never been a 'safe and effective' vaccine since Edward Jenner's fraud over 200 years ago as per 'Dissolving Illusions' by Suzanne Humphries and 'Turtles All the Way Down' by Anonymous. Health can never come from a needle or pills, but from healthy eating, healthy exercise and healthy living! virustruth.net

Divide and rule! Agents provocateurs anyone, FALSE FLAGS, propaganda social engineering psyops? Keeping us proles at each others' throats while the globalist technocrat predators laugh all the way to the BIS and The Bank of Rothschild's!

BURN BACK BETTER!

PSYCHOPATHS! MEGALOMANIACS!

Bless and thank you for doing what you do.