The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
–George Bernard Shaw
Did you know that Ralph Nader is behind such significant acts like the
1970 Clean Air Act, the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, among many others? In addition to these monumental movements, Nader also helped establish PIRG (Public Interest Research Groups) and Public Citizen, the most well known of his efforts which aims to engage in consumer advocacy, government accountability, clean democracy and ethical government, access to the courts, global trade, and regulatory and science policy.
An Unreasonable Man is quite possibly the best documentary I have ever seen. First and foremost, you hardly realize that you’re watching a documentary! The story is compelling and surprising — I had little knowledge of Nader’s extensive background in political activism. I had heard the stories, like many others, but never the real facts. The documentary, in addition to providing a basis by which one can better understand the man behind the movement, also effortlessly convinces you that he is, indeed, the most forward thinking “politician” out there.
When Nader was a child, his father would give his three children an assignment at the breakfast table — Each morning, he chose a topic that would later be the dinner discussion. The kids arrived at the dinner table prepared to literally debate politics, even at a young age. This obviously instilled a very serious sense of awareness and responsibility in Nader and his siblings.
Since the 1950s, Nader has maintained an incomparable presence in the political realm, beginning with his automobile-safety activism. In fact, he is responsible for the things we now take for granted: seat belts, air bags, built-in safety precautions in our cars. Upon
the success of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Nader began to tackle issues across the board: the Federal Trade Commission (with the help of Nader’s Raiders), the National Air Pollution Control Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, in addition to many others.
I encourage any person who is interested in rights, of any kind (civil, environmental, etc.) to view this film. It will give you a look at who this man is, not who the media has made him out to be. It will, quite possibly, lead you to question the current state of our government, the limits imposed by a two-party system, and the truth behind the politicians we all support.
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