Nader Charges Citizens to Tackle Politics Head On, No Seatbelts Required

"How do you satire a satire?" Nader asks in this hour long video address (which starts about half way through the clip), before an applauding crowd at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on April 5. Suffering a little campaign fatigue but showing no intent to let up his opposition to this "Whitehouse marininated in oil" or this Congress, the orator eloquently rises and delivers his impassioned and concerned appeal for greater citizen participation in politics.

"Are we a serious people requiring our members of Congress, 535 members who put their shoes on every monring like we do, to stand tall for the major framework of law and justice in our country, the US Constitution?”

His begins with a call for the impeachment of President George W Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney; Nader has long called for their impeachment. However, he trains his eyes on the Democratic Congress and assails it for abdicating its responsibility to impeach “the most impeachable President.” He remarks, “There’s something deficient in the DNA character of the Democratic Party.”

He then talks about the media, whom he finds to be derelict, more fascinated with interpreting the latest gaff between candidates and manufacturing gossip than in pressing for greater depth.

He also has a word for lawyers, some 800,000 of whom he would like to see out there in droves defending the Constitution, but for one reason or another have excused themselves. “We give lawyers the privilege of monopolizing access to the courts, that privilege comes with a responsibility to defend the public interest, especially in such dire times.”

Finally, Nader calls upon individuals to awaken our civic mindedness and get involved. “Unless we develop the civic personality that gets us really upset to break with our routines, to connect with our neighbors and communities, to do what we didn't think we were capable of doing, to develop our civic talents, we will simply watch this country of ours continue to slide into the abyss under the domination of a two party duopoly that excludes competition and turns our government over to giant corporations. These giant corporations are now THE government.”

He likened the spirit of citizen watchdogs to that of birdwatchers. He hopes that we all turn an eye to our legislators and learn what they are doing and set high expectations on their conduct. If someone in one part of the country sees something, then a whole flock of activists can look at it. And if that bird should land on the Capitol Dome, the watchers will follow.

In conclusion, he quotes the philosopher Cicero, "Freedom is participation in power." As always, go forward.