Ralph invites back award-winning war correspondent and author, Chris Hedges, to discuss his new book “The Greatest Evil is War” in which he points out that war is not only a racket but - no matter what its causes - a moral obscenity. And Mark Green joins us to elaborate on “Winning America” a compendium of rhetorical strategies and concrete policies Democrats
While Chris Hedges was right that the Deathocrats are nothing more than the least worse choice when compared to Republikillers and citizens need to hold them accountable, just saying we need to hold them accountable provides no plan of action to hold them accountable.
winningamerica.net also does nothing to hold Deathocrats accountable, it merely provides Deathocrats with advice on how to keep the charade going by providing things for Deathocrats to campaign on and ignores what Deathocrats actually do. We can't make any progress voting on the empty promises of Deathocrats- we have to vote on what they actually do which is provide a false alternative to the Republikillers.
While Deathocrats don't say it when they take big money to run their campaigns they are telling us by their actions that they are working for the big money interests and not for ordinary citizens.
Citizens can hold them accountable by not voting for Deathocrats and participating in One Demand by casting a write in vote to register a vote against the big money Deathocrats and Republikillers in 2022 to create and demonstrate demand for small donor candidates in 2024.
You need to hold yourself accountable for your inaction since 2015 when I first contacted you about One Demand and standing up against the Deathocrats and Republikillers that are enemies of democracy and enemies of ordinary citizens.
And it is up to your listeners to demand that you do it and do it now.
The winningamerica.net Ralph Nader is a pitiful parody of the Ralph Nader that did so much in defense of democracy and ordinary citizens in years past.
winningamerica.net is not good for 2022 or 2024 as you claimed unless you want democracy to die.
winningamerica.net is part of the problem. Citizens need you to instead be part of the solution.
Chris Hedges failed in his "two minutes" when he provided only empty rhetoric and no plan of action. When are you going to provide me with the "two minutes" you promised on Washington Journal (10-24-2018) when you said you would have me on the Radio Hour to discuss a real plan of action provided by One Demand?
Better late than never to provide a plan of action using the basic principle of democracy that you often espouse that politicians want our votes more than they want big money.
Let's put that plan of action into action now to provide citizens with a better alternative to big money Republikillers than the false alternative that is the big money Deathocrats before it is TOO LATE.
Even after Chris Hedges' impassioned explanation of why voting for either of the two war-mongering parties was an act of self-destruction, you still had Mark Green come on and present a way of fooling voters into electing officials whose pre-paid war-mongering will make any of their promises impossible to fulfill. Election Reform to allow Green Party access should have been the next segment, instead. There are no ballot access transgressions that Republicans won't commit against Democrats that, given the chance, Democrats won't commit against Greens.
Hedges is a putin loving neo fascist who repeats the dictators lies about Ukraine. No memtion by il duce Hedges of the ethnic cleansing being carried out by Putin the thug. Pathetic appeaser.
Although Klassik is unhappy with the RNRH switch to a corporate platform such as SubStack (SubStack requires arbitration for disputes…it seems odd and inappropriate for an official website related to Mr. Nader to have such a stipulation), Klassik has decided to join SubStack in order to participate here.
Regarding David’s question to Mr. Green about minimum wage: There is certainly reason and need for an increase in minimum wage, but this is where merely increasing minimum wage is not even minimally sufficient policy. The best example I can give of this is what happened when Britain enacted a minimum wage under neoliberal PM Tony Blair. This was discussed in a relatively new book, but I’ve forgotten which one. Sorry about that.
Anyway, the point is that while Blair’s minimum wage was necessary, it proved to be politically unhelpful for Blair’s (New) Labour Party in the long-term. Why? Blair was a neoliberal, like Thatcher, and the country under Blair continued Thatcher’s goals of globalism, corporate deregulation, and the subsequent destruction of labor in the country. A minimum wage is only so helpful when wage-paying jobs are not protected by the government.
Furthermore, while the minimum wage helped the poorest in the country raise from poverty to slightly less impoverished, it did little for those who were making more than the minimum wage, but who were still poor and suffering from degraded public services under neoliberalism. These citizens, along with those who saw their jobs evaporate in the name of short-term corporate profits, grew wary of the New Labour Party and the British Conservative Party has dominated the British political scene since. Does this sound familiar to us Americans? It should because the situation here is not too dissimilar.
Of course, the Conservatives push for the same neoliberalism so they are a bad answer, but their marketing works better. The bottom line, as it relates to those of us in the US, is that an increased minimum wage without increased corporate regulation, a push to increase actual jobs and not ‘gig’ jobs, and a push towards full employment will not lead to better results for the citizens or for anyone even pretending to be a progressive candidate. I’m sorry to say the Biden Administration is doing very little about any of this. Even if there is an increase in minimum wage, the other forms of neoliberalism will just lead citizens to believe right-wing propaganda that the increase in minimum wage leads to inflation, destruction of career-type jobs, and so forth. The only answer to this is comprehensive policy reform and it is that which any progressive candidate, which excludes most national Democrats, must advocate for in campaigns and when they get into office.
I certainly hope David does not take this as criticism. I merely see David’s point as an issue that needs further explanation. Those pushing for progressive policy on labor must understand how economics is on the side of full employment and how livable wages are achievable. A guest specializing in labor economics such as Bill Mitchell would help explain this further beyond what I can add. Most progressives, much less the general population, live in ignorance of this economic knowledge.
Regarding Mr. Hedges’ Book: Thanks for having Mr. Hedges on, he’s usually a good guest. I appreciate the important coverage of foreign policy. Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson is another good guest on the RNRH who should not be a stranger to the show. Is there any possibility Anatol Lieven could be scheduled? He’s another usually reliable foreign policy analyst.
Last time RMRH had Chris Hedges on you claimed that RT Russian Today is an independent news outlet when in fact it's a state funding of the Kremlin. In 2016, Putin invited Dr. Jill Stein, Julian Assaunge's father, Rocky Anderson (former mayor of SLC), and Michael Flynn to a 10 year anniversary dinner for RT at the Kremlin sponsor by Putin.
Imperial conquest sucks life blood so we have to face up to it in the most effective and meaningful way. We have to resist it whenever it threatens any part of the world. By doing so In each new and terrifying instance, we have the responsibility to cite and condemn the recent atrocities no matter their origin and cause. Please take a look in the mirror if you condemn US imperial wars for oil but you still drive a car fly, and consume plastic etc.
Don Klepack - There is a Democrat that is anti-war, anti-corporate crime and that is Tulsi Gabbard. Her anti-war against Regime change is obvious. She is also Ant-Coorporate Crime. Gabbard has advocated for financial reform since first running for Congress, including such measures as restoring the Glass-Steagall Act, breaking up too-big-to-fail banks, strengthening protections against predatory lending practices, increasing capital requirements for the nation's largest banks, and banning naked credit default swaps. #TulsiGabbard2024.
While Chris Hedges was right that the Deathocrats are nothing more than the least worse choice when compared to Republikillers and citizens need to hold them accountable, just saying we need to hold them accountable provides no plan of action to hold them accountable.
winningamerica.net also does nothing to hold Deathocrats accountable, it merely provides Deathocrats with advice on how to keep the charade going by providing things for Deathocrats to campaign on and ignores what Deathocrats actually do. We can't make any progress voting on the empty promises of Deathocrats- we have to vote on what they actually do which is provide a false alternative to the Republikillers.
While Deathocrats don't say it when they take big money to run their campaigns they are telling us by their actions that they are working for the big money interests and not for ordinary citizens.
Citizens can hold them accountable by not voting for Deathocrats and participating in One Demand by casting a write in vote to register a vote against the big money Deathocrats and Republikillers in 2022 to create and demonstrate demand for small donor candidates in 2024.
You need to hold yourself accountable for your inaction since 2015 when I first contacted you about One Demand and standing up against the Deathocrats and Republikillers that are enemies of democracy and enemies of ordinary citizens.
And it is up to your listeners to demand that you do it and do it now.
The winningamerica.net Ralph Nader is a pitiful parody of the Ralph Nader that did so much in defense of democracy and ordinary citizens in years past.
winningamerica.net is not good for 2022 or 2024 as you claimed unless you want democracy to die.
winningamerica.net is part of the problem. Citizens need you to instead be part of the solution.
Chris Hedges failed in his "two minutes" when he provided only empty rhetoric and no plan of action. When are you going to provide me with the "two minutes" you promised on Washington Journal (10-24-2018) when you said you would have me on the Radio Hour to discuss a real plan of action provided by One Demand?
Better late than never to provide a plan of action using the basic principle of democracy that you often espouse that politicians want our votes more than they want big money.
Let's put that plan of action into action now to provide citizens with a better alternative to big money Republikillers than the false alternative that is the big money Deathocrats before it is TOO LATE.
@dbkny Why like my comment if you don't agree with it?
Even after Chris Hedges' impassioned explanation of why voting for either of the two war-mongering parties was an act of self-destruction, you still had Mark Green come on and present a way of fooling voters into electing officials whose pre-paid war-mongering will make any of their promises impossible to fulfill. Election Reform to allow Green Party access should have been the next segment, instead. There are no ballot access transgressions that Republicans won't commit against Democrats that, given the chance, Democrats won't commit against Greens.
Hedges is a putin loving neo fascist who repeats the dictators lies about Ukraine. No memtion by il duce Hedges of the ethnic cleansing being carried out by Putin the thug. Pathetic appeaser.
2020 election song parody
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBH-uwZiSqo
Although Klassik is unhappy with the RNRH switch to a corporate platform such as SubStack (SubStack requires arbitration for disputes…it seems odd and inappropriate for an official website related to Mr. Nader to have such a stipulation), Klassik has decided to join SubStack in order to participate here.
Regarding David’s question to Mr. Green about minimum wage: There is certainly reason and need for an increase in minimum wage, but this is where merely increasing minimum wage is not even minimally sufficient policy. The best example I can give of this is what happened when Britain enacted a minimum wage under neoliberal PM Tony Blair. This was discussed in a relatively new book, but I’ve forgotten which one. Sorry about that.
Anyway, the point is that while Blair’s minimum wage was necessary, it proved to be politically unhelpful for Blair’s (New) Labour Party in the long-term. Why? Blair was a neoliberal, like Thatcher, and the country under Blair continued Thatcher’s goals of globalism, corporate deregulation, and the subsequent destruction of labor in the country. A minimum wage is only so helpful when wage-paying jobs are not protected by the government.
Furthermore, while the minimum wage helped the poorest in the country raise from poverty to slightly less impoverished, it did little for those who were making more than the minimum wage, but who were still poor and suffering from degraded public services under neoliberalism. These citizens, along with those who saw their jobs evaporate in the name of short-term corporate profits, grew wary of the New Labour Party and the British Conservative Party has dominated the British political scene since. Does this sound familiar to us Americans? It should because the situation here is not too dissimilar.
Of course, the Conservatives push for the same neoliberalism so they are a bad answer, but their marketing works better. The bottom line, as it relates to those of us in the US, is that an increased minimum wage without increased corporate regulation, a push to increase actual jobs and not ‘gig’ jobs, and a push towards full employment will not lead to better results for the citizens or for anyone even pretending to be a progressive candidate. I’m sorry to say the Biden Administration is doing very little about any of this. Even if there is an increase in minimum wage, the other forms of neoliberalism will just lead citizens to believe right-wing propaganda that the increase in minimum wage leads to inflation, destruction of career-type jobs, and so forth. The only answer to this is comprehensive policy reform and it is that which any progressive candidate, which excludes most national Democrats, must advocate for in campaigns and when they get into office.
I certainly hope David does not take this as criticism. I merely see David’s point as an issue that needs further explanation. Those pushing for progressive policy on labor must understand how economics is on the side of full employment and how livable wages are achievable. A guest specializing in labor economics such as Bill Mitchell would help explain this further beyond what I can add. Most progressives, much less the general population, live in ignorance of this economic knowledge.
Regarding Mr. Hedges’ Book: Thanks for having Mr. Hedges on, he’s usually a good guest. I appreciate the important coverage of foreign policy. Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson is another good guest on the RNRH who should not be a stranger to the show. Is there any possibility Anatol Lieven could be scheduled? He’s another usually reliable foreign policy analyst.
Last time RMRH had Chris Hedges on you claimed that RT Russian Today is an independent news outlet when in fact it's a state funding of the Kremlin. In 2016, Putin invited Dr. Jill Stein, Julian Assaunge's father, Rocky Anderson (former mayor of SLC), and Michael Flynn to a 10 year anniversary dinner for RT at the Kremlin sponsor by Putin.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2017/12/21/that-infamous-moscow-dinner-where-michael-flynn-and-jill-stein-sat-with-putin-utahs-rocky-anderson-was-there-too/
Imperial conquest sucks life blood so we have to face up to it in the most effective and meaningful way. We have to resist it whenever it threatens any part of the world. By doing so In each new and terrifying instance, we have the responsibility to cite and condemn the recent atrocities no matter their origin and cause. Please take a look in the mirror if you condemn US imperial wars for oil but you still drive a car fly, and consume plastic etc.
Don Klepack - There is a Democrat that is anti-war, anti-corporate crime and that is Tulsi Gabbard. Her anti-war against Regime change is obvious. She is also Ant-Coorporate Crime. Gabbard has advocated for financial reform since first running for Congress, including such measures as restoring the Glass-Steagall Act, breaking up too-big-to-fail banks, strengthening protections against predatory lending practices, increasing capital requirements for the nation's largest banks, and banning naked credit default swaps. #TulsiGabbard2024.