“We are at a moment in our nation’s history when great decisions can be made. The country is energized by the historic election of the first African-American president. But it is also a beleaguered nation whose people need help. President-elect Barack Obama … and the next Congress should focus on initiating long overdue reforms. After the Depression and during the period of prosperity following World War II, the federal government established a social contract with the American people. In exchange for hard work, productivity and taxes, Americans were promised their just social and economic deserts, with a safety net for hard times, and a guarantee of safe retirement without fear of spending their last days free-falling into Dickensian misery.” [editor’s note: A challenge to libertarians — sift through Nader’s list of ideas, endorsing the (several) good ones and debunking the (mostly) bad … offering concrete alternatives where possible - SAT] (11/18/08)