How the Rats Re-formed the Congress

Ralph Nader’s new book is a Fable about rats that invade Congress and astonishingly trigger a peoples’ political revolt. It starts when a Congressional reporter breaks a strange and shocking story: “Rats have invaded the toilet bowls” of both the Speaker of the House and the Minority Leader. The mighty rat invasions spark a national news frenzy.Activists seize on the burgeoning story to organize for a populist agenda. Spontaneous rallies break out everywhere. The activists see the rats upending “business as usual” routines on Capitol Hill as a powerful symbol against the lobbyists and their corporate Congress.The civic energy builds as millions of people begin flooding into Washington in a move to take back Congress from Wall Street. Congressional offices back home are overwhelmed with wave after wave of citizen rallies and meetings. Members are being challenged in primaries. Some incumbents join the movement.Wall Street and its lobbyists warn about “economic collapse” and “mass layoffs” if the citizenry’s agenda passes Congress. Corporate front groups are created to disrupt the peaceful crowds. But the corporate lobbyists and think tanks can’t overcome the organized will of the determined people.There is much realism, serendipity, and galvanizing motivation throughout this engrossing Fable.