Charles Derber, Professor of Sociology at Boston College, has written for Newsday, Newsweek, Business Week, Time, the Christian Science Monitor, and other magazines. He speaks frequently on National Public Radio, talk radio, and television. His most recent book is Capitalism: Should You Buy It? An Invitation to Political Economy (Paradigm 2014).
Ralph Nader, February 27, 1934 - For the past forty-five years, Ralph Nader has challenged corporations, government agencies, and institutions to be more accountable to the public. In 1965, "Unsafe at Any Speed" changed the face of the automobile industry and made Ralph Nader a household name. As a result of his efforts, cars have more safety features. His lobbying and writing on the food industry insured that the food we buy is required to pass strict guidelines before reaching the consumer. One of his greatest achievements was the 1974 amendment to the Freedom of Information Act that gave increased public access to government documents. This brought freedom of press to a new level,… resulting in increased access for journalists. Nader has co-founded numerous public interest groups including Public Citizen, Critical Mass, Commercial Alert, and the Center for Study of Responsive Law. In 2000 Nader is mounting his second bid for president of the United States as a candidate for the Green Party, and today continues to be a relentless force for grassroots activism and democratic change in the United States.