Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us! [Hardcover]

Ralph Nader (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 2009

"In the cozy den of the large but modest house in Omaha where he has lived since he started on his first billion, Warren Buffett watched the horrors of Hurricane Katrina unfold on television in early September 2005. . . . On the fourth day, he beheld in disbelief the paralysis of local, state, and federal authorities unable to commence basic operations of rescue and sustenance, not just in New Orleans, but in towns and villages all along the Gulf Coast. . . He knew exactly what he had to do. . ."

So begins the vivid fictional account by political activist and bestselling author Ralph Nader that answers the question, "What if?" What if a cadre of superrich individuals tried to become a driving force in America to organize and institutionalize the interests of the citizens of this troubled nation? What if some of America's most powerful individuals decided it was time to fix our government and return the power to the people? What if they focused their power on unionizing Wal-Mart? What if a national political party were formed with the sole purpose of advancing clean elections? What if these seventeen superrich individuals decided to galvanize a movement for alternative forms of energy that will effectively clean up the environment? What if together they took on corporate goliaths and Congress to provide the necessities of life and advance the solutions so long left on the shelf by an avaricious oligarchy? What could happen?

This extraordinary story, written by the author who knows the most about citizen action, returns us to the literature of American social movements—to Edward Bellamy, to Upton Sinclair, to John Steinbeck, to Stephen Crane—reminding us in the process that changing the body politic of America starts with imagination.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"... Clever, fanciful, thought-provoking."—New York Times

"With his new book, Ralph Nader—always the iconoclast and visionary—has created a new genre…What makes Nader remarkable is that he has refused to compromise utopian ideals while totally engaging the real world over the last five decades and delivering some of the most important changes from the Left in America in the last century…How many leftist books leave you feeling hopeful, even optimistic? How many offer you a picture of a new world that inspires you to act?…A genuine creative leap in genre and substance."—Tikkun Magazine

"Nader, at age 75, has just added one more literary accomplishment to his list."—Publishers Weekly

"For his progressive purposes Nader finds that the utopian novel allows one's imagination to forage freely in policy pastures for down-to-earth solutions. In the past Nader might have sat down and written an investigative book. Now he is presenting his ideas as fiction grounded in reality.. . . as the man says, it's a utopia. You gotta believe."—The Nation

"Nader has a sense of humor and irony—these are different, yet equally precious, commodities—and he puts them to amusing and instructive use in this imagination of the moment when Warren Buffett and a group of his billionaire compatriots decide to save capitalism from itself."— John Nichols,The Progressive

"Ralph Nader is an exemplary citizen and prophetic leader who tells the truth at great cost to himself on behalf of everyday people. This tale has a moral substance and political content that is quite relevant for our time!"—Cornel West, Princeton University

“Since the Progressive era, Ralph Nader has done more than anyone else to protect American consumers. With this utopian fantasy, he shows us how good he thinks things could be.”—Warren Beatty

“A high spirited visionary romp melding the wisdom, humor and imagination of Ralph Nader. May it inspire action.”—Patti Smith

“With apologies to Winston Churchill, never in the history of human suffering and economic conflict have so few been in a position to do so much for so many. In this eye-opening and mind-expanding work of “practical utopia,” Ralph Nader conjures up a world in which our richest and most powerful citizens deploy their wealth, fame, and brains on behalf of the powerless billions—and change the world in the process. For more than four decades, Ralph Nader has used his unrivaled talents as a lawyer, organizer, and teacher to make our cars safer, our environment cleaner, and our democracy stronger. Now he uses his unrivaled imagination to show all of us what a difference a few of us can make.”—William C. Taylor, Founding Editor, Fast Company, and coauthor, Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win

“With heart, passion, wit and humor, Ralph Nader’s stunning masterpiece provides both a sharp critique and measured remedy for our current world, in which ethically bankrupt financial leaders can devastate our economy, yet extort trillions of dollars of federal bailouts to keep destroying it. The characters in Nader’s brilliant opus are at once recognizable, sympathetic, and endowed with more influence than they realize, which he calls to action. Spiderman’s uncle may have said, ‘With great power comes great responsibility,’ but Nader shows us that for those with appropriate courage, ‘With great wealth comes great power,’ and that power can, and should, be harnessed for good. Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us! is THE book for our times.”—Nomi Prins, Former Goldman Sach’s Managing Director, and author of It Takes a Pillage

“Ralph Nader’s Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us! is a breakthrough book that sparks the imagination and inspires us to think about the political economy our country deserves. Using the storytelling conceit of leadership from the “Super-Rich,” Nader shows the power that we hold collectively, if we organize ourselves to demand and create a more equitable and just society.”—Rose Ann DeMoro, Executive Director, California Nurses Association, National Nurses Organizing Committee

About the Author

For over four decades RALPH NADER has challenged corporations, government agencies, and institutions to be more accountable to the public. From fighting for car safety in the 1960s, to opposing the policies of the World Trade Organization, to running for president, Nader continues to be a relentless force for grassroots activism and democratic change.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 736 pages
• Publisher: Seven Stories Press (September 22, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583229035
• ISBN-13: 978-1583229033
• Product Dimensions: 2.4 x 6.1 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #702,343 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Named by The Atlantic as one of the hundred most influential figures in American history, and by Time and Life magazines as one of the most influential Americans of the twentieth century, Ralph Nader has helped us drive safer cars, eat healthier food, breathe better air, drink cleaner water, and work in safer environments for more than four decades.

The crusading attorney first made headlines in 1965 with his book Unsafe at Any Speed, a scathing indictment that lambasted the auto industry for producing unsafe vehicles. The book led to congressional hearings and automobile safety laws passed in 1966, including the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. He was instrumental in the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC), and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). Many lives have been saved by Nader's involvement in the recall of millions of unsafe consumer products, including defective motor vehicles, and in the protection of laborers and the environment. By starting dozens of citizen groups, Ralph Nader has created an atmosphere of corporate and governmental accountability.

Ralph Nader's most popular books include, from Seven Stories, In Pursuit of Justice and The Ralph Nader Reader. His most recent bestselling books were The Good Fight (2004) and The Seventeen Traditions (2007), both published by HarperCollins. "Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!" is Nader's first work of imagination. It will be published by Seven Stories Press on September 22, 2009.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

117 of 138 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Super-Rich Entertainment/Hardcore Economic Warfare in, 'Oh My God' Detail September 19, 2009

By R. A. Barricklow VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Humphry Bogart's character in A Passage to Marseille says in effect/I Don't trust this Major Duvall. Claude Rains's charcter replies in effect/Yes. Why not? Bogart/He,ll radio the police. I've been fighting his kind all my life. I know what to expect. Rains/ There are many ways to serve your country, my friend. Bogart/I don't care about my country. The country you & I loved is dead Captain. She's been dying for a long time. I saw her die.
Like Rains's character Ralph Nader is a super-patriot who will never say die to the American way of life. When reality says the Republic is either dead or on it's last legs Nader will dig in and fight. He has always used truth as the weapon. Now he artfully uses fiction to speak these truths in a form that that simply had me smiling from ear to ear. His knowledge in so deep/intricate in the workings of this country's political/economical entanglements that he misses nothing in the telling of this story.
The story opens Sept/2005 with Hurricane Katrina. Warren Buffet is at home watching in disbelief the nonstop coverage of floating corpses, people on roof tops crying, seeing nothing but chaos & collapse personifying this reality of his country. How could this be happening in the world's wealthiest country? He hadn't a clue about the ineptitude or recklessness or rotteness of the people in power. Even the poorest of country's buried their dead quickly.
Warren then assembles 16 bilionaires and people of influence to turn this country back over to the people, return it to a Republic the world could once again admire, where the statue of liberty (w/o handcuffs) is again a shining beacon of librerty & justice for all. Crazy idea. Daunting task to say the least.
Ralph Nader uses his superb organizational talents with respect to political/economic changes to effect this fictional miracle. It is a virtual how to. This time there is beaucoup money/connected people with access to many needed platforms of attack, who are patriots in Nader tradition, raring to fight the good fight. It is going to get down & dirty. For instance, the American elections alone are breathtaking in scope and detail that the author has no bones about getting the real skinny on (devilishly humorous).
In this novel there is no mainsream press cuttings on the floor, no sound bites that cut to commercials. Want to know the REAL story? Ironically, your going to have to read fiction just to get away with it.
Worth more than its weight in gold.
The best book I've read in decades.
In reading this fine work I'am reminded of a quote from a young JFK, "If you can't help the many who are poor, you can't save the few who are rich".

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!!!!

P.S.

"All governments lie. But disaster lies in wait for the countries whose officials smoke the same hashish they give out."
- I. F. Stone

P.P.S.

When a powerful category-5 hurricane hit Cuba in 2004 neighborhood citizen committees and local Communist Party personnel evacuated some 1.5 million people, more than 10% of the country's population. The Cubans lost 20,000 homes - but not a single person died. Of course, they didn't have a free market working for them or a subsequent/requisite shock doctrine therapy to help them.

P.P.P.S. To hear more on economic warfare google Michael Hudson economist-click his website-Also recent appearance on Guns & Butter March 16, 2011 The View From Europe/ Also google Ellen Brown Blog Web of Debt/click on her website

NEW: Google: Understanding deep politics conference, revealing the driving forces benind world events and creating alternative solutions.
google Fall of the Republic

BRAND NEW! for 2011 Google: Guns and Butter Max Keiser Dec 29, 2010
also google: progressive news hour john mccurtry jan 08, 2010

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars MOVE OVER VONNEGUT, HELLER, CHAYEFSKY: RALPH NADER'S ROLLICKING SATIRICAL MASTERWORK September 27, 2009

By Bradford Snell

Format:Hardcover

In "Network," Paddy Chayefsky's 1976 Academy Award winning satirical screenplay, TV news-anchor Howard Beale electrifies and awakens a nation from lethargy shouting, repeatedly, "I'm as mad as hell,and I'm not going to take this anymore!"

In "OTSRCSU," Nader's rollicking satirical admixture of virtuosity, imagination, and mega counter-corporate strategy, Patriotic Polly, a resplendent scarlet parrot ("the trumpeter of truth") galvanizes millions of Americans into action squawking, repeatedly, in 15-second spots aired on thousands of TV stations, "Get up! Don't let America down!"

Nader's cinematic political novel describes in fascinating insider detail a titanic struggle between the "Meliorists," a team of 17 rebellious real-life retired (or elderly) super-rich billionaires/megamillionaires battling for the people, and the "corporatists," a formidable cabal of entrenched super-rich CEOs battling to retain their control of the federal government. The Meliorists (Ted Turner, Barry Diller George Soros, Paul Newman, Phil Donahue, Warren Beatty, Yoko Ono, and others) are led by Warren Buffett, the world's second richest person; the CEOs, by Jaspar Cumbersome III, head of Leviathan Corp., who hires Lancelot Lobo ("a beyond-the-pale corporate raider") and Brovar Dortwist (patterned after real-life conservative political strategist Grover Norquist) to defeat what he calls the SROs (Super-Rich-Oldsters). Lobo and Dortwist, in turn, enlist combat-hardened talk-radio veterans Bush Bimbaugh (Rush Limbaugh) and Pawn Vanity (Sean Hannity).

And the galactic battle for America is engaged.

The most innovative of Nader's organized civic initiatives are brought into play, including Citizens' Utility Boards, the People's Chamber of Commerce, the People's Court Society, the Clean Elections Party, Congress Watchdogs, Sub-Economy Leaders.

The pitched ten-month battle waged by the Meliorists and a reawakened citizenry to redirect America from corporate to patriotic populist objectives is richly instructive in the political intrigues hatched in corporate boardrooms and inside the Washington Beltway.

It is also fabulously entertaining. The whimsically named characters and, on occasion, their absurd behavior are reminiscent of Billy Pilgrim in Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five," and of Milo Minderbinder in Heller's "Catch-22." There is the supporting cast: including Senators Thurston Thinkalot and Fred Flagrant, lawyer Theresa Tieknots, organizers Luke Skyhi and Evan Evervescent, domestic CEOs Samuel Slick and Justin Jeremiad, and global CEOs Hugh Mongous, Sam Selitoff, Manny Tentacles, Sy Clopean. There are the antics: when stressed, Lancelot Lobo exchanges rapturous kisses with his pit bull and devours raw carrots to the point that his skin turns orange; dapper Brover Dortwist earnestly consults with his Doberman (Get'Em) during strolls around the Tidal Basin; after a rare Dartford warbler alights on the Capitol Dome, drawing crowds of activist bird watchers in too-close proximity to their elected representatives, an anxious Senator Thinkalot suggests calling in a naval sonar warfare team.

And there is Patriotic Polly, Woody Harrelson planting hemp seeds in front of the White House, Yoko Ono's Seventh-Generation Eye, Ted Turner's Sun-God festivals.

But, above all, in Nader's neo-utopian work, there is hope and passion and courage and optimism. Enabled by the Meliorists, the people prevail in the end, with reforms enacted, corporate power circumscribed, democracy revived. "There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why," Bobby Kennedy once remarked. "I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?"

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, informative, and Inspirational November 15, 2009

By Randy Mack

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My first knowledge of this book came in a Newsweek magazine review that devoted a whole page to slamming it, including an ugly picture of the author. That really perked my interest, because the reviewer called Ralph a "loser" and "pathetic," ostensibly for portraying scenarios in the book that would never happen in real life. Okay - without having read it, I knew that the book must have really pushed that guy's buttons to make such a flimsy case against a book, which is after all a work of fiction! So I bought it and am sooo glad I did. I have enjoyed reading it as much as anything I've ever read. I found the details of the machinations going on to be both hilarious and informational. I found so many instances, for example his portrayal of the meeting of the CEO of WalMart and his board, as their anti-American practices are being spotlighted in nationally released videos, to be hilarious. I wish it was non-ficition. Oh well.