Ralph Nader is one of the most important and successful activists in American political history. He played a key role in creating the consumer rights movement in the 1960s and ’70s, and his push for auto safety regulation led to measures that saved countless lives. He has also run multiple insurgent campaigns for president, challenging the two-party system and offering powerful criticisms of corporate power.

Nader joins Current Affairs to analyze Donald Trump’s authoritarianism, the Democratic Party’s failure to offer a compelling alternative, and the media’s role in narrowing public imagination. He also responds to Ezra Klein’s recent critique in Abundance, arguing that it shifts blame away from institutional failures and undermines genuine political accountability.

📣 Ralph's latest book, Civic Self Respect: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/718731/civic-self-respect-by-ralph-nader/

📣 Ralph's website: https://nader.org/

📣 Interview transcript: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/ralph-nader-on

0:00–5:36 Trump’s Authoritarian Rule

5:36–10:39 What Deserves Our Focus Now

10:39–15:43 Democratic Party Malpractice

15:43–21:19 Ezra Klein’s Attack on Nader

21:19–29:45 How Ordinary People Build Power

29:45–38:39 Proven Victories by Citizen Action

38:39–45:58 Pessimism as a Tool of Control

45:58–52:28 Nader Reflects on His Life's Work

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🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/