Randa Abdel-Fattah

That's a young Ralph Nader talking about car safety.

That's a young Ralph Nader talking about car safety.

That's a young Ralph Nader talking about car safety.

Yes, that Ralph Nader. He's made four runs for the presidency as a third-party candidate, most infamously in the year 2000, when some people felt that his run led to Democratic candidate Al Gore losing to Republican candidate George W. Bush.

Yes, that Ralph Nader. He's made four runs for the presidency as a third-party candidate, most infamously in the year 2000, when some people felt that his run led to Democratic candidate Al Gore losing to Republican candidate George W. Bush.

Yes, that Ralph Nader. He's made four runs for the presidency as a third-party candidate, most infamously in the year 2000, when some people felt that his run led to Democratic candidate Al Gore losing to Republican candidate George W. Bush.

OK, so that's definitely an exaggeration. But he's right that for a long time, he was one of the most trusted people in America. Some people even called him St. Ralph. He's the reason any new car that gets sold today has to comply with a set of federal safety standards.

OK, so that's definitely an exaggeration. But he's right that for a long time, he was one of the most trusted people in America. Some people even called him St. Ralph. He's the reason any new car that gets sold today has to comply with a set of federal safety standards.

OK, so that's definitely an exaggeration. But he's right that for a long time, he was one of the most trusted people in America. Some people even called him St. Ralph. He's the reason any new car that gets sold today has to comply with a set of federal safety standards.

And car safety was only the beginning. Because Nader felt that in a country increasingly dominated by corporations controlling our access to basic goods, the people who use those goods, the consumers, had rights. He fought to guarantee them. And in many cases, he won.

And car safety was only the beginning. Because Nader felt that in a country increasingly dominated by corporations controlling our access to basic goods, the people who use those goods, the consumers, had rights. He fought to guarantee them. And in many cases, he won.

And car safety was only the beginning. Because Nader felt that in a country increasingly dominated by corporations controlling our access to basic goods, the people who use those goods, the consumers, had rights. He fought to guarantee them. And in many cases, he won.

And today, when product recalls are at the highest level since before the pandemic, when our own expectations of safety and government trust are eroding, we're going to revisit a time where a generation of people felt activated and empowered to take matters into their own hands, to demand the government back them up so they could stand up to corporations and say, enough is enough.

And today, when product recalls are at the highest level since before the pandemic, when our own expectations of safety and government trust are eroding, we're going to revisit a time where a generation of people felt activated and empowered to take matters into their own hands, to demand the government back them up so they could stand up to corporations and say, enough is enough.

And today, when product recalls are at the highest level since before the pandemic, when our own expectations of safety and government trust are eroding, we're going to revisit a time where a generation of people felt activated and empowered to take matters into their own hands, to demand the government back them up so they could stand up to corporations and say, enough is enough.

I'm Randa Abdel-Fattah.

I'm Randa Abdel-Fattah.

I'm Randa Abdel-Fattah.

Coming up, Nader opens up the dream of the American car and takes a look under the hood.

Coming up, Nader opens up the dream of the American car and takes a look under the hood.