Ralph sits down with three guests straight out of the latest edition of the Capitol Hill Citizen. First, world-renowned food politics expert and public health advocate Marion Nestle joins Ralph to discuss America's voracious junk food lobby. Then, Ralph speaks to legal expert Bruce Fein about Congressional staffers and the part they can play in making Congress stronger. Finally, Ralph welcomes Vishal Shankar from the Revolving Door Project to explain why President Biden is letting Postmaster General Louis DeJoy continue wrecking the Post Office.
Lots of imortant information on the Radio Hour. As a vegan for many years, Marion Nestle’s presentation on the eating habits in the US is a topic with which I am well acquainted. A trip to any supermarket, or a walk on many streets, are examples of how conditioned and accepting millions of those in the US have come to consuming food that is injurious to health. Particularly upsetting are the effects of lousy foods on kids who are defenseless against the power of the food industry.
Bruce Fein’s discussion of how Congress has shed its role as equal among the three branches of government and turned to lobbyists and contributions as a way of maintaining power and influence. The issue of war is the greatest example of how Congress has given away its role in declaring war and funding war. The executive, in regard to war powers, has been given a blank check to declare war and receive the funding for war it wants. Brown University’s Costs of War project documents the trillions of dollars the executive, acting unilaterally, lavishes on endless and useless wars to the detriment of social programs.
Vishal Shankar does an excellent job covering the attempts to gut the postal service through privatization.
Excellent program as usual. I do a lot of shipping with usps and it is still my go to option for shipping, better than UPS and FedEx.
On diet, I've never understood people's addiction to junk food; I like all healthy and nutritious food, always have. I eat generally an organically grown diet, with lots of culinary herbs and teas.
Vishal commented later on this past Saturday's podcast about 2 Post Office nominees that would be on the US Postal Board to fire DeJoy. What are the names of the 2 Democrats that Vishal recommended that President Biden appoint as soon as possible? And should I sent this to my 2 Senators in Maryland along with House Representative Jaime Raskin (my district rep) asking them to nominate these 2 for the Postal Board? Thanks.
Regarding the deterioraton of usps services, I've done a lot with express, sometimes with substantial value in parcels, usually the very efficient overnight express flat rate where you get the tyvek and other packaging at the post office. They used to have a 10:30 and a noon guarantee for most destinations but during the pandemic they ended the time frame deadlines, as long as it gets there by end of day there is a guarantee. Also there was a time many years ago when mail was delivered 2x a day up until around 1950! They also got rid of their district diagram where priority and most first class mail would be delivered the next day.
I've done a fair amount of business in Winsted down the road from the tort museum at "Laurel City coin" who with his parents has been running it since the early 60s. Every coin and currency dealer know a lot about safe shipping and how to maintain secure valuables.
Now you are proposing legislation that government contracts include a provision that the corporations do not make campaign contributions to get big money out of politics?
I am not holding my breath waiting for any legislation to get the big money out of politics to be passed by the big money legislators.
I (we) do not have six hundred years to wait for that to happen in a best case scenario.
The big money legislators only pass legislation that primarily benefits the big money interests that have no interest in getting the big money out of politics.
The only way legislation to get the big money out of politics can be passed is to first replace the big money legislators with small donor legislators.
The problem has to be solved before legislation to solve the problem can be passed.
We could make real progress if you would stop talking about organizing the 1% to try to get the big money legislators to pass legislation that the big money legislators are paid with campaign contributions to not pass and organized the 1% to demand small donor candidates and enforce that demand with our votes.
Democracy dies when citizens do not use the power of our votes.
If a picture is worth a thousand words a vote is worth a million letters.
Ralph, I can't find your feature for "Ask Ralph Nader a Question". Do you still have this feature available, and where do I find it?
I've been studying a contract today from a dental office I contacted. My dentist recently retired. I've been feeling under the weather for some time. I think it is a dental problem, since my tooth has been intermittently hurting. I'm starting over after many years to look for a new dentist. I don't remember signing my life away when I last did this, but this time I feel very concerned.
It might interest you to know that the contract stipulates that I am giving up my constitutional right to have dental malpractice issues under this contract decided in a court of law. All claims must be arbitrated, and this agreement shall include all claims or controversies whether in tort, contract, or otherwise. It looks like this is what you have been mentioning about how contract law has been subverted, and that to get the help I need, I have to agree to sign away my constitutional right to redress against wrongful injury. I am feeling very uncomfortable about this.
No less alarming is the provision that I must sign to agree that I voluntary and knowingly request and consent to services, treatments, and procedures recommended by this dentist and to all diagnostic methods deemed appropriate by the dentist, and that I authorize the dentist to perform and/or utilize them. I am feeling very uneasy about this because I think it means that I am preauthorizing the dentist to perform any future services without knowing anything about them.
Normally, my dentist would tell me what he believes needs to be done and how much it will cost, and then we would agree (or not) to proceed. If I sign this, I fear that it means that even if I do not agree to proceed, or perhaps if I want a second opinion, the dentist could do procedures without mentioning them beforehand to me, and then he could charge me for them, even if I would not want to have them done, had I been informed about them.
I report this to you because this is what We the People are experiencing. It is very hard to know how to protect oneself, especially when not feeling well. I wonder if all dentists are requiring contracts like this now, and I will find that everywhere, or if this is unusual. I'm feeling torn between my healthcare needs and my safety.
Congress's kids should have to be the first ones into battle. Let's see how fast they would beat the drums for another war/police action. Of course, with drones, there are fewer on-the-ground soldiers.
and this is also the reason why even though the consensus of studies amd data show the 100% plant based diet is far healthier than an animal product based diet. The facts have been available but are fanatically, repeatedly denied with mental gymnastics and absurd anecdotes..but follow the money, Cargill the largest global animal product producer is the third largest corporation in the world..not new.... the Vatican changed the facts in the Bible regarding the original Christian vegan diet, the Essenes, Nazarenes and i think the Ebonites were vegan for moral and health reasons but ofcourse in order to protect the massive profits the Vatican made from selling cows for meat the lies are simply repeated and any opposition is mischaracterized as extreme and crazy. Soon they'll call vegans anti-semitic and pro putin..its worked for everything else.
Thank you for having me on the program, Ralph!
Here are some useful links/resources for listeners who want to learn more about DeJoy's ongoing sabotage of USPS and what must be done to stop him:
https://www.savethepostoffice.com/
https://takeonwallst.com/tag/usps/
https://www.therevolvingdoorproject.org/search?issue=usps
https://cinemalibrestudio.com/the-great-postal-heist/
Lots of imortant information on the Radio Hour. As a vegan for many years, Marion Nestle’s presentation on the eating habits in the US is a topic with which I am well acquainted. A trip to any supermarket, or a walk on many streets, are examples of how conditioned and accepting millions of those in the US have come to consuming food that is injurious to health. Particularly upsetting are the effects of lousy foods on kids who are defenseless against the power of the food industry.
Bruce Fein’s discussion of how Congress has shed its role as equal among the three branches of government and turned to lobbyists and contributions as a way of maintaining power and influence. The issue of war is the greatest example of how Congress has given away its role in declaring war and funding war. The executive, in regard to war powers, has been given a blank check to declare war and receive the funding for war it wants. Brown University’s Costs of War project documents the trillions of dollars the executive, acting unilaterally, lavishes on endless and useless wars to the detriment of social programs.
Vishal Shankar does an excellent job covering the attempts to gut the postal service through privatization.
Hey Ralph - Could you please interview Craig Mokhiber?
Excellent program as usual. I do a lot of shipping with usps and it is still my go to option for shipping, better than UPS and FedEx.
On diet, I've never understood people's addiction to junk food; I like all healthy and nutritious food, always have. I eat generally an organically grown diet, with lots of culinary herbs and teas.
It's always such a pleasure to hear from Bruce Fein!
I just received the new Public Citizen book
The corporate sabotage of America's future
And they paid $10 to mail it to me
I would think media mail would be sub $5
Vishal commented later on this past Saturday's podcast about 2 Post Office nominees that would be on the US Postal Board to fire DeJoy. What are the names of the 2 Democrats that Vishal recommended that President Biden appoint as soon as possible? And should I sent this to my 2 Senators in Maryland along with House Representative Jaime Raskin (my district rep) asking them to nominate these 2 for the Postal Board? Thanks.
Regarding the deterioraton of usps services, I've done a lot with express, sometimes with substantial value in parcels, usually the very efficient overnight express flat rate where you get the tyvek and other packaging at the post office. They used to have a 10:30 and a noon guarantee for most destinations but during the pandemic they ended the time frame deadlines, as long as it gets there by end of day there is a guarantee. Also there was a time many years ago when mail was delivered 2x a day up until around 1950! They also got rid of their district diagram where priority and most first class mail would be delivered the next day.
I've done a fair amount of business in Winsted down the road from the tort museum at "Laurel City coin" who with his parents has been running it since the early 60s. Every coin and currency dealer know a lot about safe shipping and how to maintain secure valuables.
Ralph,
Now you are proposing legislation that government contracts include a provision that the corporations do not make campaign contributions to get big money out of politics?
I am not holding my breath waiting for any legislation to get the big money out of politics to be passed by the big money legislators.
I (we) do not have six hundred years to wait for that to happen in a best case scenario.
The big money legislators only pass legislation that primarily benefits the big money interests that have no interest in getting the big money out of politics.
The only way legislation to get the big money out of politics can be passed is to first replace the big money legislators with small donor legislators.
The problem has to be solved before legislation to solve the problem can be passed.
We could make real progress if you would stop talking about organizing the 1% to try to get the big money legislators to pass legislation that the big money legislators are paid with campaign contributions to not pass and organized the 1% to demand small donor candidates and enforce that demand with our votes.
Democracy dies when citizens do not use the power of our votes.
If a picture is worth a thousand words a vote is worth a million letters.
Ralph, I can't find your feature for "Ask Ralph Nader a Question". Do you still have this feature available, and where do I find it?
I've been studying a contract today from a dental office I contacted. My dentist recently retired. I've been feeling under the weather for some time. I think it is a dental problem, since my tooth has been intermittently hurting. I'm starting over after many years to look for a new dentist. I don't remember signing my life away when I last did this, but this time I feel very concerned.
It might interest you to know that the contract stipulates that I am giving up my constitutional right to have dental malpractice issues under this contract decided in a court of law. All claims must be arbitrated, and this agreement shall include all claims or controversies whether in tort, contract, or otherwise. It looks like this is what you have been mentioning about how contract law has been subverted, and that to get the help I need, I have to agree to sign away my constitutional right to redress against wrongful injury. I am feeling very uncomfortable about this.
No less alarming is the provision that I must sign to agree that I voluntary and knowingly request and consent to services, treatments, and procedures recommended by this dentist and to all diagnostic methods deemed appropriate by the dentist, and that I authorize the dentist to perform and/or utilize them. I am feeling very uneasy about this because I think it means that I am preauthorizing the dentist to perform any future services without knowing anything about them.
Normally, my dentist would tell me what he believes needs to be done and how much it will cost, and then we would agree (or not) to proceed. If I sign this, I fear that it means that even if I do not agree to proceed, or perhaps if I want a second opinion, the dentist could do procedures without mentioning them beforehand to me, and then he could charge me for them, even if I would not want to have them done, had I been informed about them.
I report this to you because this is what We the People are experiencing. It is very hard to know how to protect oneself, especially when not feeling well. I wonder if all dentists are requiring contracts like this now, and I will find that everywhere, or if this is unusual. I'm feeling torn between my healthcare needs and my safety.
Congress's kids should have to be the first ones into battle. Let's see how fast they would beat the drums for another war/police action. Of course, with drones, there are fewer on-the-ground soldiers.
and this is also the reason why even though the consensus of studies amd data show the 100% plant based diet is far healthier than an animal product based diet. The facts have been available but are fanatically, repeatedly denied with mental gymnastics and absurd anecdotes..but follow the money, Cargill the largest global animal product producer is the third largest corporation in the world..not new.... the Vatican changed the facts in the Bible regarding the original Christian vegan diet, the Essenes, Nazarenes and i think the Ebonites were vegan for moral and health reasons but ofcourse in order to protect the massive profits the Vatican made from selling cows for meat the lies are simply repeated and any opposition is mischaracterized as extreme and crazy. Soon they'll call vegans anti-semitic and pro putin..its worked for everything else.