en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/263570 Comments by beedee9 http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/11/07/rn-statement-on-tru/#IDComment10657610 not so much paternal as paternalistic..."scolding his wayward son" what for... for talking white? gimme a break Uncle Ralph... Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:03:40 +0000 http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/11/07/rn-statement-on-tru/#IDComment10657610 http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/11/07/rn-statement-on-tru/#IDComment10657546 Sorry I cant answer your questions shirtster...I sense your pain and I've posted 4 answers to all of your heartfelt questions none of which havs been published. Like most of these posters I'm a long time admirer of Ralph Nader(his work is well known, influential and respected in Australia) since the days of Unsafe at any Speed. He inspires globally and I guess all I'm trying to say is he should have chosen his words more carefully on this occasion. (and I wish he hadn't spoiled Gore in 2000 but that's another whole argument) Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:45:27 +0000 http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/11/07/rn-statement-on-tru/#IDComment10657546 http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/11/07/rn-statement-on-tru/#IDComment10545017 Agreed csho...I was expecting some Democrats (Howard Dean,Bill/Hillary,Joe Biden,or at least someone's chief of staff, or someone who actually had some leadership position...my original question still stands Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:27:58 +0000 http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/11/07/rn-statement-on-tru/#IDComment10545017 http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/11/07/rn-statement-on-tru/#IDComment10536168 I must have missed this...was it on Fox News? or CNN? or on You Tube? Just where and when and who said it? Name these Democrats please....I doubt it happened in such a high profile way as Ralph's incident. Was it a Democrat leader or spokesperson? Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:07:43 +0000 http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/11/07/rn-statement-on-tru/#IDComment10536168 http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/11/07/rn-statement-on-tru/#IDComment10534198 Not so Rollie..Australians have used and still do use almost every racist term in the American lexicon. Call it globalisation or cultural imperialism but we are more American than British in our cultural and media consumptions these days. You would feel at home here and as outraged by the same US corporations that steal our health, wealth and well being too. Your financial meltdown ruins our pension plans, your wars take our soldiers too, your agriculture gives us cancer so we do pay attention to the home of the brave. Only this year did we have a Parliamentary apology to our indigenous population for our own home grown 200+ years of genocidal policies so maybe I am hyper sensitive right now to terms like Uncle Tom, but I do see a lot of comments on this website which tell me that some (if not all) of your countrymen are, like me, offended by Ralph's insensitive and calculated use of the term. Tue, 11 Nov 2008 01:04:06 +0000 http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/11/07/rn-statement-on-tru/#IDComment10534198 http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/11/07/rn-statement-on-tru/#IDComment10533811 No one's asking Ralph to retract the truth, just his offensive expression of it, and sure if 700,000 folks turned up to my house that would be a nuisance, but even here in Australia (pop 20mil) 700,000 votes nationwide in a general election would be regarded as a bad joke. I actually agree with Nader's basic point about corporate control but I watched him make that Fox news guy look reasonable because his ego wouldn't let him say that "Uncle Tom" is an offensive term...like "macaca" or "faggot" or the "n" word that dare not speak it's name. Of course words are important (see G Orwell) and should be used with care by public leaders and Ralph has misspoken badly on this occasion despite what his fan club thinks. Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:52:21 +0000 http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/11/07/rn-statement-on-tru/#IDComment10533811 http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/11/07/rn-statement-on-tru/#IDComment10527269 That's beside the point...this is about Ralph's ego being unable to back down when given a chance to retract the racially charged comments which HE (no one else) uttered and then re-inforced...not much of a leader, but I guess that's evidenced by the low number of people who voted for him Mon, 10 Nov 2008 02:56:02 +0000 http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/11/07/rn-statement-on-tru/#IDComment10527269 http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/11/07/rn-statement-on-tru/#IDComment10527076 Uncle Ralph certainly caused a splash here in Australia where 75% of the electorate wanted an Obama presidency. Why not make your point w/o using racially charged words to hurt and to inflame. Ralph assisted Bush via his spoiling efforts in 2000. Thousands of lives later he seems unfazed and recklessly indifferent to the effect of his incendiary language. A leader should rise above the level of a Palin rally redneck and forget nasty sensationalism. Fox treated you quite fairly and gave you a chance to re-phrase but your ego, no doubt bruised by the tiny number of votes you garnered on election day, could not back away from the publicity you were getting. Shame on you Ralph Nader!!! beedee9 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 01:51:48 +0000 http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/11/07/rn-statement-on-tru/#IDComment10527076