georgephillip
Diamond Member
Ralph Nader is echoing Cicero's declaration that freedom is participation in power in his new book, Unstoppable: The Emerging Left/Right Alliance to Dismantle the Corporate State; Bill Freeza writing at Forbes interviews Ralph and Cato scholar Brink Lindsey trying to determine if progressives and libertarians can find enough common ground to challenge the corporate status quo.
"Nader describes our current political system as a duopoly that brooks no competition. 'I don’t think there is any other Western country that has so many obstacles to third party or independent candidate challenges,' he says. 'And given the way they gerrymander the districts, in 90 percent of the House of Representatives districts are essentially one party.'
"Libertarians certainly sympathize.
"But can Nader convince them to set aside their fundamental philosophical differences with progressives to tackle a specific and limited set of issues where there is agreement?
"In his book, Ralph lists 24 such areas, including civil liberties and subsidies to big business.
"Brink Lindsey is not so sure.
"But he notes that 'libertarians are a pretty small minority in American politics, so when anybody reaches out to us, I think we ought to be hospitable.'”
Can Ralph Nader Get Progressives and Libertarians to Make Common Cause - Forbes
"Nader describes our current political system as a duopoly that brooks no competition. 'I don’t think there is any other Western country that has so many obstacles to third party or independent candidate challenges,' he says. 'And given the way they gerrymander the districts, in 90 percent of the House of Representatives districts are essentially one party.'
"Libertarians certainly sympathize.
"But can Nader convince them to set aside their fundamental philosophical differences with progressives to tackle a specific and limited set of issues where there is agreement?
"In his book, Ralph lists 24 such areas, including civil liberties and subsidies to big business.
"Brink Lindsey is not so sure.
"But he notes that 'libertarians are a pretty small minority in American politics, so when anybody reaches out to us, I think we ought to be hospitable.'”
Can Ralph Nader Get Progressives and Libertarians to Make Common Cause - Forbes