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Okay, maybe you’re one who still stews about Ralph Nader’s presidential campaigns – but give the guy credit for his lifetime of confronting corporate arrogance, his inventive thinking to produce effective reforms, and his tireless advocacy for economic fairness and social justice.
Nader’s great strength is that he has always been a big thinker, willing to propose solutions that at first blush seem to be impossible. He’s at it again. This time with, of all things, a novel bearing the un-Naderesque title of, “Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!”
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Using such real-life characters as Warren Buffett, Bill Cosby, George Soros, and Yoko Ono, Nader imagines a meeting in Maui at which seventeen of these older, unconventional, super-rich philanthropists realize that their individual charitable donations to various “good-guy” causes are not making any widespread difference in how things work. So they decide to pool their mega-billions into a unified agenda for structural economic and political change that can transform America into a true egalitarian society.
Nader’s novel is the tale of the titanic power struggle that ensues, including dramatic moments of intrigue and (who would believe it?) romping humor!
The significance of this work is that Nader sees it not as a novel, but “a fictional vision” that might come true. For example, what if such a group put $50 or $100 billion behind the single-payer, “Medicare-for-all” health care idea? That would alter the political dynamic, rally the grassroots, and make true reform possible.
Nader is already having conversations with a few of his super-rich “characters” who are at least intrigued by his audacious vision. To connect with the real-life effort behind the novel, go to www.onlythesuperrich.org. Imagine if life were to imitate fiction.
“The Rich are Revolting,” The Texas Observer, December 11, 2009.
“Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!” Ralph Nader, 2009.