h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The new series of Real Time with Bill Maher started this week on HBO, and it was a good one Michael Moore, David Dreier (Republican from CA), Kim Campbell (former Canadian PM), and Ralph Nader. At one point Bill and Michael Moore got down on their knees and *begged* Ralph Nader with all their hearts to not run for President

I don't think it worked

Real Time is one of the few quality political discussion programmes on TV right now. Ok, so it's usually a 'gang up on the Republican guest' kind of show, but hell, they deserve it, right? And at least they do have a Republican guest every week... like Ann Coulter

I want HBO!

There's a transcript here abbi
http://www.safesearching.com/billmaher/print/transcripts.shtml

Yippee! Thanks Gosho

Oh, and Bill Maher and Colin Quinn are on Fresh Air today on our local NPR station - do you get that show on your one? I know that NPR archives most if not all Fresh Airs, so you might be able to listen to it online if you've already missed it today or your station doesn't carry it

This is it! This is the post that started me listening to radio again while I am on the computer

You listen to a radio embedded in a post?



And what's with Ralph Nader anyway? Who really knows much about him?

I do!

Ralph Nader is a political activist who has fought for forty years to protect the environment, increase public safety, and end corporate influence over our government. In 1996 and 2000 he ran for president as an independant candidate in order to bring attention to issues he felt were not being addressed by either major political party. This year he is running again, and his platform includes the following;

Stop Illegal Iraq Occupation - get peace with justice by accelerating true Iraqi sovereignty.

Demacrotize Trade Rules - environmental advocates, workers and consumers must have their own international agreements on level playing fields.

Enact Fair Taxation - end the joy ride of the wealthiest corporations and super-rich.

Fight Corporate Crime and Abuse - exact personal responsibility from all corporate wrongdoers.

Repeal Patriot Act - restore civil liberties that give you a say.

Reform the failed Justice and Prison Systems - savings should go to ecucation.

Redesign War on Drugs - rehabilitation is non-violent and reduces demand.

Enforce Civil Rights and Economic Rights for Minorities - discrimination is not the American way.

Implement Universal Health Care - the U.S. is still the only Western democracy without it.

Fund Human Needs - over militarism and corporate greed.

Invest in America - repair decaying infrastructure and provide good jobs.

Fund Civic Education - millions of children are left behind every year.

Develop Clean Energy - hydrocarbon-based economies are increasingly inefficient and harmful.

Ralph Nader is a fine, fine American who deserves a great deal of respect for what he's done in the past, particularly standing up to the big auto companies with his report 'Unsafe at Any Speed'. And it's not at all certain that all of the votes he got last time nor all of the votes he'll get this time will come from prospective Democrat voters. Is it worth taking that chance though if it means four more years of Dubya

Unless you live in Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, New Mexico, or West Virginia, it probably doesn't matter anyway. #&@$% electoral college.

Hi, DonQuixotic.

There's more to being President than having the *right* ideals. Effectiveness at implementing them (which includes changing the minds of as many voters as possible so that they will support the legislators who will vote the right changes into law) should be part of the package.

The conservative bloc in the U.S. spends an estimated $300 billion a year to promote their agenda. Who is committing that kind of cash to an effort to counter it? Does anybody even care? An avalanche of negative campaign ads is descending on John Kerry. The only reason a similar barrage isn't destined for the potential Nader voters is that he is not taken seriously as a threat to the conservatibe juggernaut.

For the record, I see George W Bush as the result of a genetic experiment gone horribly wrong: Trying to put the best aspects of George Bush Senior and his running mate Dan Quayle together in one person; i.e. Bush's intelligence and Quayle's physical attractiveness. Instead, they got Bush's physical attractiveness and Quayle's brains.

Still, I respect anyone's right to vote for a candidate based on a conviction that that candidate would do a great job. Too many people don't vote at all.

I think we can all agree that Ralph Nader is not going to be elected president, which allows me speculate as much as I want about a hypothetical Nader administration without the risk of ever being proven wrong. But the U.S. does have a strong tradition of independent and third party candidates who have recieved plenty of financial support and worked across party lines effectively when elected to office. This hasn't happened at the presidential level since Theodore Rosevelt, but I'd like to think it's still possible.

However, an independant or third party candidate doesn't need to win in order to effect political change. If they can get a large enough percentage of the vote to become a factor, it forces the major political parties to address thier issues. Women's sufferage, social security, unemployment insurance, workers compensation, and the elimination of child labor were all issues first introduced by third parties.

I'd like to see Kerry beat Bush, by moving to the left, not the right.

It's a annudder nader nutter
Sounds musical!
Nice post up on Nader