Ralph Nader in 2008. The activist says now is the time for the Democrats to focus on the 2026 midterm elections, where the Republicans will have more seats to defend. Jessica Hill for The National
Ralph Nader in 2008. The activist says now is the time for the Democrats to focus on the 2026 midterm elections, where the Republicans will have more seats to defend. Jessica Hill for The National
Ralph Nader in 2008. The activist says now is the time for the Democrats to focus on the 2026 midterm elections, where the Republicans will have more seats to defend. Jessica Hill for The National
Ralph Nader in 2008. The activist says now is the time for the Democrats to focus on the 2026 midterm elections, where the Republicans will have more seats to defend. Jessica Hill for The National

Ralph Nader criticises Democratic Party after Donald Trump's victory


Cody Combs
  • English
  • Arabic

Latest updates: Follow our full coverage on the US election

US politician and consumer advocate Ralph Nader has said that Donald Trump's return to the White House is the result of major problems with the Democratic Party that have been festering for years.

“This is a collapse of the Democratic Party,” the 90-year-old of Lebanese descent, who ran several times for the American presidency, told progressive radio show Democracy Now.

“They were several million votes below what they expected and of course that made the difference, but the problem is much more serious than that,” he said, reciting a litany of what he described as bad decisions that brought the Democratic Party to this point.

“It all started when the Democrats abandoned half the country in the red [Republican] states. That's devastating. Then they started getting corporate cash in 1979, dialling for the same commercial values which blurred the difference from the New Deal Democrats to the corporate Democrats. Then they contracted out the election to these corporate conflicted consulting firms."

Ralph Nader's push for car safety standards from the 1960s to the 1980s made him a household name and hero to many in the progressive movement, but those sentiments have largely been forgotten over the past few decades. AP
Ralph Nader's push for car safety standards from the 1960s to the 1980s made him a household name and hero to many in the progressive movement, but those sentiments have largely been forgotten over the past few decades. AP

Mr Nader was considered a major ally of Democrats from the mid-1960s to the 1980s with his push for car safety standards, consumer rights and environmental causes. He was at one point one of the most recognisable names in public service throughout the US.

In the late 1980s and throughout the 90s, however, amid a changed world, Mr Nader's brand of politics and issue advocacy fell out of the mainstream, and he became particularly critical of the Clinton administration for what he perceived as a shift to the right and an abandonment of liberal values.

In 2000, he ran for president as the Green Party nominee amid criticism from Democrats who worried he would split votes from Al Gore. When Mr Gore lost Florida and ultimately, the election, many blamed Mr Nader, and he became persona non grata in Democrat circles.

“They spent tonnes of money attacking the Green Party,” he said, referring to Democrat efforts to challenge the presence of Green Party presidential candidates trying to appear on ballots in various states.

Democratic senator Sherrod Brown, who lost his seat in Ohio to Republican Bernie Moreno, was also the target of Mr Nader's blistering criticism.

“Sherrod Brown pulled in his horns and lost,” he said of the politician who was considered one of the more liberal members of the US Senate.

Mr Nader then went on to compare Mr Brown's defeat to independent Senator Bernie Sanders' re-election in Vermont, which he attributed to a long-term progressive strategy of campaigning against concentrated corporate power and pushing for universal healthcare and living wages.

Although he didn't mention Mr Nader, Senator Sanders also recently took Democrats to task several hours after Mr Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris.

“It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them,” he said.

“While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And they’re right.”

In the days and weeks ahead, the liberal and conservative wings within the Democratic party are likely to trade blame, as they try to figure out how they lost to Mr Trump and ceded control of the Senate.

Judging from Mr Nader's comments and long-time history of critiques, it's clear he believes that the centre and moderate wings are the problem, yet he said now is the time for the Democrats to focus on the 2026 midterm elections, where the Republicans will have more seats to defend.

“They have to have a massive focus on Congress, which is the main constitutionally authorised lever to hold the executive branch accountable,” he said.

In the immediate aftermath of Ms Harris's defeat, the postmortem has focused on the Democratic Party's loss of working-class support, coupled with declining support from Latino voters.

Some have suggested that Democrats have taken those groups for granted in recent years, while others have said the overall economic uncertainty has caused those particular demographics to look elsewhere for solutions.

Regardless of the shift's cause, the end result is that, with this seismic 2024 electoral defeat, President-elect Trump will have almost unchecked power and the wind at his back, with experts pointing to his ability to rally the Republican grass roots.

“There was talk about a red wave that would happen in the 2022 mid-terms but it didn't happen,” said Timothy Kneeland, a political science and history professor at Nazareth College. “But the red-wave factors we expected 2022 came full force in 2024.”

While Mr Nader isn't mincing words about his feelings towards the Democratic leadership, he also shared his opinion on Mr Trump's return to the White House, and those who will work at his request.

“They want to destroy the civil service, bring it back to the spoils system, we’re in for huge turmoil,” he said, expressing concern for the Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission and the environmental protection agency, among others.

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi

  

 

 

 

Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.

 
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
While you're here

Michael Young: Where is Lebanon headed?

Kareem Shaheen: I owe everything to Beirut

Raghida Dergham: We have to bounce back

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Draw:

Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe

Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi

Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania

Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia

Group E: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Angola

Group F: Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau

SPECS

Nissan 370z Nismo

Engine: 3.7-litre V6

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Power: 363hp

Torque: 560Nm

Price: Dh184,500

Asia Cup Qualifier

Venue: Kuala Lumpur

Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September

Fixtures:

Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore

Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman

Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal

Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore

Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong

Thu Sep 6: Final

 

Asia Cup

Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Schedule: Sep 15-28

Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier

Schedule
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ENovember%2013-14%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%20World%20Youth%20Jiu-Jitsu%20Championship%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENovember%2015-16%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbu%20Dhabi%20World%20Masters%20Jiu-Jitsu%20Championship%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENovember%2017-19%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%20World%20Professional%20Jiu-Jitsu%20Championship%20followed%20by%20the%20Abu%20Dhabi%20World%20Jiu-Jitsu%20Awards%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Liverpool's all-time goalscorers

Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228

The specs

Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Power: 300hp

Torque: 420Nm

Price: Dh189,900

On sale: now

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Gulf Under 19s final

Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B

Fast%20X
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Louis%20Leterrier%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Vin%20Diesel%2C%20Michelle%20Rodriguez%2C%20Jason%20Statham%2C%20Tyrese%20Gibson%2C%20Ludacris%2C%20Jason%20Momoa%2C%20John%20Cena%2C%20Jordana%20Brewster%2C%20Nathalie%20Emmanuel%2C%20Sung%20Kang%2C%20Brie%20Larson%2C%20Helen%20Mirren%20and%20Charlize%20Theron%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km

Price: from Dh94,900

On sale: now

How it works

Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.

Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.

As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.

A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.

Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.

ZIMBABWE V UAE, ODI SERIES

All matches at the Harare Sports Club:

1st ODI, Wednesday - Zimbabwe won by 7 wickets

2nd ODI, Friday, April 12

3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14

4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16

UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed

Who was Alfred Nobel?

The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.

  • In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
  • Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
  • Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.

Babumoshai Bandookbaaz

Director: Kushan Nandy

Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami

Three stars

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

GIANT REVIEW

Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan

Director: Athale

Rating: 4/5

Results:

6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer).

7.05pm: Handicap (rated 72-87) Dh 165,000 1,600m.
Winner: Syncopation, George Buckell, Doug Watson.

7.40pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Big Brown Bear, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

8.15pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,200m.
Winner: Stunned, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

8.50pm: Handicap (85-105) Dh 210,000 2,000m.
Winner: New Trails, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash.

9.25pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,600m.
Winner: Pillar Of Society, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENomad%20Homes%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHelen%20Chen%2C%20Damien%20Drap%2C%20and%20Dan%20Piehler%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20and%20Europe%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20PropTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2444m%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Acrew%20Capital%2C%2001%20Advisors%2C%20HighSage%20Ventures%2C%20Abstract%20Ventures%2C%20Partech%2C%20Precursor%20Ventures%2C%20Potluck%20Ventures%2C%20Knollwood%20and%20several%20undisclosed%20hedge%20funds%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Silent Hill f

Publisher: Konami

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Rating: 4.5/5

While you're here
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures

Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)

Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy

Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy

Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy

Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium

UAE squad

Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia

 

 

Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 
What is graphene?

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.

It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.

Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.

By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.

At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.

It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.

But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.

In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties. 

 

Updated: November 08, 2024, 7:36 PM