Give Em Hell 3-Pack
3 CDs
Includes:
Corporatism’s Threat to Democracy
Milton Friedman is the godfather of modern conservative economics. A Nobel-prize winner, his ideas informed what is called the Chicago School. He laid the groundwork for Reagan-era neoliberalism with his landmark essay, “The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits.” That’s pretty straightforward. Make as much money as you can. Society? It can take care of itself. In the decades since Friedman’s influential essay, concentrated monopoly corporate power has evolved into corporatism. What is it? Ralph Nader describes it as “the commercialization of just about everything at the expense of our civilization’s civic, spiritual, health, and safety values. It is crushing our democracy and corrupting our elections.” Interviewed by David Barsamian
Land of the Lawless
Politicians and pundits love to go on and on about "the rule of law." The concept that no one is above the law is laudatory and central to a functioning democracy. But we can easily see the grotesque disparities in the application of law and the prosecution of those who commit crimes in the streets vs. those who commit crimes in the suites. From invading and bombing countries to suborning perjury, to witness tampering, to tax evasion, to bribery, the big boys and girls are not brought to justice, They are not held accountable for their crimes. Instead, they are rewarded by fat book contracts and lecture fees. No wonder some people are cynical. The hypocrisy is hard to miss. How can we move from being the land of the lawless to a society where the rule of law prevails?
Sovereignty of the People
Sovereignty: the preeminence of the people, self-rule. The framers of the Constitution, having lived under the tyranny of King George the Third, were fully aware of the corrupting nature of absolute power. And the need for the citizenry to exercise independence and control. But under the contemporary doctrine of neoliberalism, there has been a steady erosion of sovereignty, a transfer from popular control to powerful and largely unaccountable transnational institutions. So-called free trade agreements, negotiated behind closed doors, have fast-track provisions and special panels and tribunals that do an end-run around sovereignty. Most of our putative representatives, wooed by corporations, do their bidding. The people are marginalized and rendered to the sidelines. Well, not entirely. You can turn out and vote then you can go home and watch a Law & Order rerun or something truly profound like Keeping up with the Kardashians. Keynote address of the Breaking Through Power Conference. Recorded at Constitution Hall.
Speaker

Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader, a legendary figure, has spent a lifetime fighting on behalf of ordinary people. Life magazine ranked him as one of the most influential Americans of the twentieth century. The Atlantic named him one of the hundred most influential figures in U.S. history. Founder of Public Citizen, he is a long-time advocate for consumer safety and workers’ rights. He rose to fame in the 1960s when he took on General Motors and its unsafe Corvair car. His 1965 book Unsafe At Any Speed not only created a sensation but also was instrumental in the enactment of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. His efforts helped create the Environmental Protection Agency. He has exposed the misdeeds of the corporate sector as well as of the political system. In recent years he has led the struggles around NAFTA, the WTO, corporate welfare, and single-payer health care. He is the author of numerous books including Return to Sender, Unstoppable, To the Ramparts, Breaking Through Power, The Rebellious CEO and Let’s Start the Revolution. At 90, Citizen Nader is as active as ever.
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