PROTESTERS AMBUSH CONSERVATIVE THINK TANK

[NightTrain]

May 5, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PROTESTERS AMBUSH CONSERVATIVE THINK TANK
Speaker applauded for lambasting Bush

At the Heritage Foundation's annual Resource Bank meeting in Chicago last Friday, protesters masquerading as a right-wing think tank took the stage and announced that in light of Bush's shortcomings, they were nominating former Reagan Attorney-General Ed Meese for president.

The audience applauded for nearly ten seconds. Meese, eating at a table just feet away from the podium where Andy Bichlbaum of The Yes Men made the announcement, grimaced and shook his head in surprise.

Heritage is the most influential think tank in Washington, spending over $25 million annually to influence policy. Just as the wildest anarchists aim to "smash the state," Heritage hopes that "the liberal welfare state can be brought to collapse," in the words of its current president.

The Yes Men registered for the Heritage event as "The Society for
Socioeconomic Stability" and spent two days mingling among the 650
participants before approaching the microphone during a lull in the
closing luncheon.

Echoing sentiments expressed by others throughout the event, Bichlbaum condemned Bush as an inadequate free-markets candidate. But while others had condemned Bush's "No Child Left Behind" program as "socialistic," Bichlbaum focussed on the administration's war in Iraq, calling it "crony corporate welfare" and "market distortion on a fairly gigantic scale."

"The Iraq war was history's biggest illegal trade subsidy," said Yes Man Mike Bonanno, who was also in attendance. "One thing we'll be trying to do in the months ahead is lodge an official complaint about this with the WTO in Geneva."

"In a free market, companies like Halliburton and Exxon should be funding their own market expansion projects instead of depending on the Federal government for it," said Louise Smith, another Yes Man attendee.

Please see http://www.theyesmen.org/hijinks/bush/heritage.shtml for
pictures and video.


The Yes Men are best known for having "represented" the World Trade
Organization in a number of venues; a movie about these adventures will be released by United Artists this coming August:
http://www.theyesmen.org/movie/

[pfitz59]

1. On On!

This is the way to stiff these MOFOs! Finagle tickets and then hijack the proceedings during a lull! Timing is everything. One well placed BOO is worth a thousand Stepford claps!

[fudge stripe cookays]

2. Hilarious!

More power to them!

I'm wondering how they managed to mingle so successfully for 2 days ahead of time. I would have been constantly nauseated by those f&^*s.

[kentuck]

3. That is fantastic !

Great !

[Just Me]

4. OMG! I am trying to chew and digest this.

I am,...still chewing,...

WOW!!!!

[Just Me]

20. Nevermind,...

,...a little confused about the "represented" the WTO language.

[Philostopher]

23. They also 'spoofed' a WTO meeting.

Exactly the same way -- represented themselves as scheduled speakers and started 'toying with the dominant paradigm' so to speak. This is the second, obviously very effective, attempt of theirs to do this.

Here's a link to the WTO 'hijinks':

http://www.theyesmen.org/hijinks/wto.shtml

[Coventina]

5. That makes my heart smile

kudos to them!

:toast:

[bluestateguy]

6. Ideas for the (R) National Convention?

Hmmmm....

[pinto]

7. Thanks, Night Train for the post. Whadda great performance piece, no?

[Skittles]

8. HA HA, HA HA HA HA

I LOVE IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Just Me]

9. Okay, now that I've digested: YEEEEE HAWWWWWW!!!

Amazing what a small, well-organized group of people can accomplish!!!

I LOVE IT!!!

I REALLY DO!!!

Ooooooo,...the "covertness" of it all *LOL*.

Let's do lot's more, yes?

:bounce:

[BeHereNow]

10. Quite simply...

BRILLIANT!
Thanks so much for the ray of sunshine
in an increasingly dark valley.
BHN :D

[number6]

11. <:)

;)

[Tellurian]

12. OMG! That was Shock and Awe!

I watched the video...*well worth watching*

those people were absolutely stunned when you spoke of the administration's war in Iraq, calling it "crony corporate
welfare" and "market distortion on a fairly gigantic scale."

They didn't know whether to Sh*t or go Blind?

hahahahahahahaha!

[Just Me]

16. Wouldn't ya' have loved having a piece of that action!!!!

Oh, yes,...love to watch those new progressives re-discover their talent in being innovative.

Man,...they really had some guts!!! Geez, everytime I do my "post-it note" thingy at the bookstore (attaching post-its with messages like "devious" or "watch out" or "beware" on the right-wing books),...I am hoping I don't get caught. These people really had some brass!!!

They make me so freakin' proud!!!

[icymist]

13. What a Hoot! Cheap thrills!

Way to go Yes Men!:evilgrin: :toast: :bounce: :kick: :yourock:

[KittyWampus]

14. I Like How The Link Provided Includes The Word "Hijinks"

and a MOVIE WILL BE RELEASED BY UA THIS AUGUST!

[glitch]

15. Perfection!

The perfect way to dissent. I can't wait for the movie either!

[DemoTex]

17. What!? Meese is still alive?

Oh, I forgot. Only the good die young.

[Arugula Latte]

34. How much do you want to bet

that old Ed spends most of his time with a big ol' mountain o' porno.

(Remember that commission?) :eyes:

[DemoTex]

18. delete dupe

.

[moof]

19. moof salutes true greatness

May the force always be with them.

Don't worry. Chewie and I have gotten into a lot of underpants more heavily guarded than this.

[xray s]

21. It's about time we engage in some hijinks and shenanigans!

Let the fun begin. Creative civil disobedence, with a heavy dash of humor. That's the ticket!

[diamond14]

22. yes, these stink tanks ALWAYS have good food....lots of brown

skin staff serving up the food AND it's tons of fun to sign up for their free lectures, book events, and conferences and just go over an mess with them....

I do it all the time on a less spectacular level, for example, never have I been up on stage or walked in a gorilla outfit or circulated petitions...

but because of the great free food and staff in slavery-type atmosphere...you can really feel arrogantly superior at these events...often events are filmed, and broadcast on C-span and other TV stations (which is part of the bush* media spin, because NO LONGER does the media ask a UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR for any comment...they have entirely switched to asking think-tank idiots for their comments...)

the reTHUGlican-funded think tanks are one step above freeperville in that they have TONS OF MONEY, and some minimal university education in useless obsolete degrees, like soviet union studies or things like that...the 'experts' are full-blown whores and traitors, both to their professions and the USA....

I listened to a so-called 'expert on Cuba' last year, and then raised my hand and asked whether he had ever visited Cuba...when he said no, I slammed him BIG TIME for all to listen on C-span....because he was just an idiot whore...

another time at Cato....I listened to a panel discussion on how America should just SELL all our National Park and Forests and other lands to the highest bidder...and they were very serious...they handed out books, papers, videos about the whole insane plan....put up Powerpoint slides and graphs, the whole works and a GREAT LUNCH served by brown people.....I asked several pointed questions for the TV viewers....

and even if you're not up for asking questions, you can always mingle with the bizarre audience during lunches and coffee breaks and stuff...and spread all kinds of REAL intelligence into their insane world of reTHUGlican politics....a lot of times, their brains explode, once in while, you can actually convert someone, or at least get them to think....it's a great way to get some sanity into the reTHUGs insanity....and it's all FREE....wear your best business suite...

in March 2004, there was an 'Iraq war panel' event (now obsolete due to increasing violence, etc.)...sort of a business event on who was going to get which 'plums' as the booty was distributed, and I sat right next to two young note-takers in uniform, who told me that rumsfeld sent them over to take notes...during the panel, I was able to influence their notes a LOT, and I also was able to send my message over the rumsfeld himself.....the young spiffy looking uniformed note-takers were certain that I was a very important person on Capital Hill and the rumsfeld need to know my opinion...hehehe....


so, I encourage everyone to sign up for the FREE reTHUGlican radical stink-tank events...look up their web pages and join their events to wreak havok....Heritage Foundation, PNAC (Project for the New American Institute), Brookings Institute, Cato Institute, American Interprise Institute, Hudson Institute, Hoover Institute, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Economic Policy Institute, RAND Corporation, and more....

have fun...create havoc...FREE FOOD served by brown skinned servants...KNOW THY ENEMY !!!!


on edit: there's stink tank events in Indianapolis, California and other cities across America...so you need to book-mark their web pages and look at their events every once in a while to see where events are at....not all are in DC, but most are...

[Just Me]

27. Geez, I must have completely MISSED all this fun!!!

WOW!!! Where have I or you been? How did I miss this fabulous trip?

:yourock:

[GordonOKC]

29. Don't feel like the only one.

First time for me to learn of this. I am so grateful. :toast: This is the funniest thing I've read in days. Someone like Al Franken MUST interview someone with this group. (unless it will have a chilling effect-but I doubt it-theYesMen are very clever)

[Nlighten1]

24. This is what I am on about.

Take the battle to them.

[dave29]

25. Absolute Genius

:)

[JohnOneillsMemory]

26. Are these the ones who told a trade meeting how to introduce slavery into

their countries as a performance art gag and were well received and applauded to their amazement?

This sounds like them. I heard an interview with one of them on the radio and he said that they were actually invited to other events because of their ideas about promoting slavery. Honest to gawd.

[Dirk39]

28. These petrified relations must be forced to dance....

....by singing their own tune to them!



"In the struggle against that state of affairs, criticism is no passion of the head, it is the head of passion. It is not a lancet, it is a weapon. Its object is its enemy, which it wants not to refute but to exterminate. For the spirit of that state of affairs is refuted. In itself, it is no object worthy of thought, it is an existence which is as despicable as it is despised.
Criticism does not need to make things clear to itself as regards this
object, for it has already settled accounts with it. It no longer
assumes the quality of an end-in-itself, but only of a means. Its
essential pathos is _indignation_, its essential work is _denunciation_ (...).

Criticism dealing with this content is criticism in a hand-to-hand
fight, and in such a fight the point is not whether the opponent is a
noble, equal, interesting opponent, the point is to _strike_ him. The
point is not to let the Germans have a minute for self-deception and
resignation. The actual pressure must be made more pressing by adding
to it consciousness of pressure, the shame must be made more shameful by
publicizing it. Every sphere of German society must be shown as the
partie honteuse of German society: these petrified relations must be
forced to dance by singing their own tune to them! The people must be
taught to be _terrified_ at itself in order to give it _courage_. This
will be fulfilling an imperative need of the German nation, and the
needs of the nations are in themselves the ultimate reason for their
satisfaction."

Karl Marx, A CONTRIBUTION TO THE CRITIQUE OF HEGEL'S PHILOSOPHY OF RIGHT, February, 1844

Hello from Germany,
Dirk

[Just Me]

30. Now, THAT is inspiring!!!

And, if ever there is hope for a "democracy", Karl's words certainly ring true,...right now.

Ya' know,...he also anticipated that pure capitalism would eat itself up. I was pretty impressed by his vision. I am certainly acknowledging that he was far more correct in his vision of, let's say, "elements" than people have ever given him credit for.

[Tellurian]

33. I Like Hegel's Philosophy..

Actually, he is the antithesis of the (Bush) Fundamentalist Philosophy.

[TroubleMan]

31. "Zinger Accomplished"

(Daily Show reference)

[PfcHammer]

32. rock on, protesters !

[physioex]

35. HAHAHAHAHAA!!!

I can't stop laughing.....hahahahah this is sooooo funny!!!!!!

[Hekate]

36. Coyote the Trickster dresses up in a suit and tie

This is absolutely wonderful. It has everything protest usually lacks: the subtlety of an oh-so-slender dagger -- absolutely perfect for the occasion.

They actually proposed replacing Bush on the ticket and *got applause*? How delicious.

Hekate