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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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An Unreasonable Man
Wednesday 28 March @ 15:07:04 |
  by PHIL WILLKIE
"An Unreasonable Man," the new film about Ralph Nader, opens at the Lagoon Cinema Friday, March 30. Half of the film chronicles Nader's role in initiating the 1960s investigation that led to seat belts and airbags in automobiles.
General Motors sent spies to follow Nader and tried to set him up in embarrassing sexual situations. Later, General Motors admitted they harassed Nader and settled for $400,000, out of court. Nader used the settlement to create a citizens' movement that led to the Clean Air Act, the Freedom of Information Act and many other reforms of that era.
Nader inspired a whole generation to take up the cause of consumer activism. The legion of activists became known as "Nader's Raiders."
Many of them, including Mark Green--the Democratic candidate for Mayor of New York in 2001--speak of him reverently. Others feel he has tarnished his record by spoiling the election for Al Gore in 2000.
The other half of the film focuses on the 2000 election, the Nader campaign and the bitter aftermath that gave Bush a disputed victory.
The film covers the super rallies, including the one attended by 14,000 paying attendees at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
At the rallies, Nader was accompanied by the filmmaker Michael Moore, rock star Patti Smith, author Studs Terkel, television host Phil Donahue and African-American activist/professor Cornel West, among others. The Democrats and the liberal media (most notably the New York Times) called for Nader to withdraw. After the election, they blamed him for Bush's victory despite Gore's popular vote victory. The Democrats are more interested in destroying all third party movements than reforming laws that would ensure fair elections.
The film also shows how the Congressional Black Caucus wanted to challenge the Florida 2000 election based on violations of the Federal Voting Rights Act. They could not find one Democratic senator, including Paul Wellstone, to back their challenge.
Unfortunately many of Nader's former supporters, including Michael Moore, have turned their back on him. In 2004, the Green Party denied him their support despite all he had done to build their movement. They made that decision in July 2004 when Democratic candidate John Kerry refused to cmpaign against the war.
"An Unreasonable Man" is also about an anti-corporate movement that is much larger than one man. ||
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