- published: 02 May 2013
- views: 20912
Ralph Nader ( /ˈneɪdər/; born February 27, 1934) is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government.
Nader came to prominence in 1965 with the publication of his book Unsafe at Any Speed, a critique of the safety record of American automobile manufacturers in general, and most famously the Chevrolet Corvair. In 1999, an NYU panel of journalists ranked Unsafe at Any Speed 38th among the top 100 pieces of journalism of the 20th century.
Nader is a six-time candidate for President of the United States, having run as a write-in candidate in the 1992 New Hampshire Democratic primary, as the Green Party nominee in 1996 and 2000, and as an independent candidate in 2004 and 2008. Some people claim that Nader acted as a spoiler in the 2000 U.S. presidential election, while others, including Nader, dispute this claim.
Nader was born in Winsted, Connecticut. His parents, Nathra and Rose (née Bouziane) Nader, were immigrants from Lebanon and members of the Maronite Church. His family's native language is Arabic, and he has spoken it along with English since childhood. His sister, Laura Nader, is an anthropologist. His father worked in a textile mill and later owned a bakery and restaurant where he talked politics with his customers.
Everybody wants to want it
And everybody tries
But take a look at all their riches
My pile is twice the size
So forget the little people waiting in the wings
Cause now is everything
The only survivor is the driver
Look out look out now
The passenger's dead they can't revive her
Look out look out now
Gotta stop pretending that you know better
Cause I know what I need
I warned you once that I'm unsafe at any speed
Once upon a time I wondered
How to leave the ground
I learned you never make it anywhere
If you pussyfoot around
You gotta spit out the sour grapes
You're dying on the vine
And running out of time
The only survivor is the driver
Look out look out now
The passenger's dead they can't revive her
Look out look out now
You gotta stop pretending that you know better
Cause I know what I need
I warned you once that I'm unsafe at any speed
I could give it up
and try to play it down for a while
I'd rather live it up
I'm warning you now
I'm cruising out of town
The only survivor is the driver
Look out look out now
The passenger's dead they can't revive her
Look out look out now
You gotta stop pretending that you know better
Cause I know what I need