Books : The Good Fight: Declare Your Independence and Close the Democracy Gap
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 324
EAN: 9780060779559
ISBN: 0060779551
Label: Harper Paperbacks
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 304
Publication Date: July 01, 2005
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Release Date: July 05, 2005
Sales Rank: 539035
Studio: Harper Paperbacks
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Straight talk about George W. Bush,corporate government, and the whole charade of presidential campaigning -- from the last honest man in American politics
Ralph Nader -- brilliant visionary, relentless activist -- may be the most honest man left in politics. And yet his presidential campaigns have faced consistent opposition -- mainly from Democrats afraid that competition from an inspiring independent could dent their voting block.
Now, in The Good Fight, Nader swings back harder than ever at those who "want to block the American people from having more voices and choices" and have lost touch with the concept that votes must be earned, not inherited or entitled. While taking on corporate-occupied Washington and the government's daily abuse of ordinary citizens, he urges a speedy return to stronger civic motivation. If fed-up citizens don't actively join the fight for better leadership, then ultimately we have no one to blame but ourselves for the inadequate checks on the erosion of our civil liberties.
In an era when politicians sell us rhetoric and then sell out our principles, Nader stands as a crucial voice of candor. The Good Fight is a stirring response to politics as usual, one that will captivate readers of all political stripes and help us define what we must do to shape the brightest future for our nation.
Amazon.com Review:
The old analogy of apples and oranges, long used to describe things that are completely different, has been rejected by some due to the fact that apples and oranges are, scientifically speaking, extremely similar. For longtime activist, author, and occasional political candidate Ralph Nader, the Democratic and Republican parties, like apples and oranges, may offer different packaging, but are the same on the inside. In The Good Fight, Nader attacks both for their complicity in corporate America's attempts to solidify their power and wealth at the expense of the average citizen's health, job, food, environment and economic future. Still, Nader says, the biggest threat facing regular people comes from inside. "Our lack of civic motivation," he writes, "is the biggest problem facing our country today." And with that in mind, he offers a guide to the powerful institutions at work in the world as well as some advice on how to affect change. Having worked as a civic crusader for so long, Nader is able to present his indictments clearly and is especially compelling when telling the stories of common people who lose their livelihoods and sometimes their lives to corporate profiteering and who then often lose again when they or their families seek redress from a corrupt system where the politicians are in bed with the executives. Some Democrats have accused Nader of taking votes away from their candidates and handing the 2000 election to George W. Bush. Political junkies looking for counter-arguments are mostly out of luck here (John Kerry is mentioned once, Al Gore not at all, and no mention is made of any ambition to elected office) but it becomes clear in reading The Good Fight that Ralph Nader's political career is all about clearly communicating his message. And on that front, he is highly successful. --John Moe
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
In The Good Fight, Ralph Nader, long-time consumer rights crusader, presents startling figures about the corporate-dominated United States. There is an essential difference between what the people want for the U.S. and what multinational corporations are currently doing. This book not only highlights those differences, it inspires the reader to take action. Peaceful protest and determined activism can (and will) change the country. Mr. Nader has been doing it for decades, and this book will help every reader to join him in "The Good Fight."
If every person in the country reads this, we will be one step closer to overcoming the 'manufactured consent' into which we have fallen. By restoring citizen activism and honesty to politics, democracy can eventually return to the U.S.
Rating:  -
Mr. Nader provides an idealistic and sensible approach and criticism to how things are done today.
He offers solutions, which is refreshing and is not afraid to say unpopular things. This was a good book.
Rating: -
Many people have mixed emotions when it comes to the tenacious Ralph Nader, but truth be told, Ralph Nader proves time and time again what an amazing intellect he really is. After reading this book I'm thoroughly convinced that this man should be president of the United States, and that we should start considering third party alternatives. I've come to the conclusion that the Republicans and the Democrats don't have our best interest at heart and they can't be trusted with our well-being. With that said, most Americans feel the same way since many of us don't participate in these farcical elections.
If we had a real democracy we'd be exposed to many alternative viewpoints, and candidates such as Nader would have been permitted to participate in the presidential debates. Many Green Party candidates weren't allowed to debate in the 2006 elections. Michael Berg (who ran for congress in Delaware) wasn't allowed to debate; when he tried he was escorted off of the stage. Senator Hillary Clinton refused to debate Howie Hawkins in New York, and in Seattle Washington Aaron Dixon was arrested for trying to participate in the senatorial debate. For this reason alone this book is an important read. We as Americans need to ascertain that our constitutional rights are in jeopardy.
The "Good Fight" is a true magnum opus of bona fide leftwing opinion backed up with facts, facts that should scare the heck out of us.
Fact 1: HIV/AIDS infects forty million people worldwide ... Read More
Rating:  -
Nader is nothing more than a sanctimonious accomplice fore everything that has happened over the past five years. The blood of nearly 2,500 American soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians is on his hands. This cannot be ignored when discussing this book. A book that will get absolutely no attention from the goons he actively helped put in the White House.
Rating: -
What to make of Ralph Nader?
For the record, his main arguments - that on non-hot button issues, the two parties are so close together as to be inseparable, that corporations are subtly perverting every facet of our lives, and that civic apathy is the main problem our country faces politically - are absolutely on target.
I might not agree with some of his ideas on reforming government - a 100% tax on incomes over $100,000 is a ludicrous idea, for example - but I have no argument with his fervent wish to see it reformed.
Therefore, in an abstract sense, this is a useful book, even if you don't agree with Nader's ideas. But the problem with Nader is that his ideas and actions have not been abstract; indeed, they've caused our government to be taken over by ideologues who line their pockets, and say "liberal" ten times a sentence to excuse their actions. Worse yet, these ideologues have made the problems Nader mentions far more serious.
Any thoughtful discussion of Nader and his ideas has to take this into account.
There is an argument that in order to truly reform government, it has to crash and burn first. By running in 2000, Nader ensured just that. Whether that was his intent or not is unclear (I suspect it might have been), but the outcome was not in question. Putting Bush in the White House and the GOP in charge of Congress has been an unabashed disaster for this country, in ways obvious and subtle...and worse ... Read More
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