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January 16, 2004

The Yes Men

I just heard about a film, appearing at this years Sundance Film Festival, called The Yes Men. Before Andy and Mike had the idea for the film, they created a World Trade Organization satirical website. It was the type of website where it takes you a little to see it as a satire and some might never see it for what it is. At some point they started getting invited to speak WTO events around the world as representatives of the WTO. When they spoke at the first of these conferences they were invited too, they had a subtly subversive message. One they hoped would have the audience believing they were really a WTO organization for a while before the jig was up. It was their belief that at some point during the speech, people would begin to see through their gambit and they would be thrown out and probably arrested. That was, after-all, how most subversive activists demonstrations ended. What actually happened was that everything they said was accepted by their listeners who at no point doubted their authenticity. After this first demonstration of the ignorance of their enemies, they get more bold at subsequent conferences they were invited to. They even demonstrated a new workers suit that would allow executives to shock workers in third world countries from anywhere in the world. Even this obvious lampooning was accepted by their audience as a good idea.

What conclusions did they draw from this? First, that the idea of free trade is more like a religion among those that believe in it. They believe anything that is told to them by those who claim to know that religion. Second, that these people who have been entrusted with deciding the fates of millions due to their "expert knowledge" of the issues surrounding world trade, have, in fact, no more knowledge or right to make these decisions than anyone else.

The good news is that this film has already been picked up by United Artists and is expected to be released this summer. Keep your eyes open for this one.

If you want a good laugh, you gotta read the whole story about their antics.

Posted by wonko at January 16, 2004 10:39 PM

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Comments

Now that's fricken genius, genius I tell you.

Posted by: obigabu at January 17, 2004 10:19 PM

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