Ralph Nader talks of power to Harper crowd

Ralph Nader on Tuesday told the sold-out audience at Harper College they have two options: either organize and make change, or be prepared to tell your grandchildren why updating your profile on Facebook took precedence.

The 74-year-old Nader, who in February announced his fourth consecutive White House bid, spoke to nearly 500 people about health care reform as part of Harper's annual Wellness Week.

"There is too much power in too few hands," said Nader. "Corporations are now our government."

Talk of the November election was off-limits during the speech and following Q-and-A, which lasted nearly 2½ hours. But Nader took time beforehand to discuss not just health care, but also his presidential run and other hot-button issues.

Nader on health care

He supports a single-payer, government-funded health care system similar to Canada's. Think of it as full Medicare for all.

"We now spend $7,100 per capita on health care in the U.S. and still don't cover almost 50 million people. The $7,100 is double what the next highest figure is, which is Switzerland," he says. "Obviously there's something wrong."

The current system, Nader says, produces $350 billion in unnecessary administrative expenses and overhead and more than $200 billion in annual computerized billing fraud and abuse. That's half a trillion dollars available to fund a universal plan.

"You'd have not 1,500 jealous insurers, but one government insurer," he says.

On the differences between his health care plan and Obama's and Clinton's

"The key is their plans don't replace the health insurance industry," he explains. "You can't have a highly wasteful, highly rationed, highly inefficient health care system and then expect to reform it from the top."

Obama and Clinton don't favor a single-payer system, and their proposed plans wouldn't be funded solely by the government. Nader says a new poll shows 59 percent of the doctors favor a single-payer system "because doctors want to practice medicine rather than bookkeeping."

On the stimulus checks headed for mailboxes

"It's a desperate move from George W. Bush that's hardly going to make a ripple," Nader says. While people may benefit from an extra $400 or so, most will likely end up saving or paying bills, not buying new things. "Given the size of the economy, $160 billion is a drop in the bucket."

On ethanol subsidies

Nader believes corn ethanol subsidies are devouring huge acreage, shortening the supply of wheat, soy and other food, and resulting in the increased prices being seen in the U.S. and abroad.

"It also takes so much energy to produce bio-fuel from corn ethanol. It's nowhere as efficient as sugar cane or switchgrass," he says. "It also take a lot of water."

He predicts a "rumble" this year, because "historically food prices have been a source of consumer revolt. It's toppled governments in other countries."

On a timetable to withdraw from Iraq

Six months, Nader says.

He calls for negotiated withdrawal, bringing the sectarian groups together, continued humanitarian aid, U.N.-sponsored elections and peacekeeping forces from nearby Islamic countries who understand the culture.

"Our presence is simply fueling the insurgency as a recruitment tool for more and more men to learn the skills of sabotage," he says.

He says the U.S. can't wait for Iraq to stabilize before leaving, because "our very presence is the destabilization factor."

On playing spoiler in 2000

"You can't spoil a political system that's spoiled to the core. We all have an equal right to run, and I don't think the two parties own the voters," he says. "Plus, Gore won the election. This is the only country I know where you can come in first and lose the election."

On calls for both him and Clinton to drop out

"I don't think anybody should ask anybody to drop out. I sent her a note telling her, 'You better not drop out. You have every right to stay as long as you want.'" he says. "Running is an expression of free speech. You can oppose or support someone but you don't tell them to not engage in free speech."

On his chances, seriously ...

Nader says getting on the ballot in 40 states is likely. He pointed out a recent poll showing Nader getting 10 percent of the vote in Michigan should he be up in November against McCain and Clinton; 8 percent if Obama gets the nomination. "It's quite interesting since the national press isn't even covering our campaign yet," Nader says. "Just imagine if I had Bloomberg's money."