Yes Lab Gives US Trade Negotiators “Corporate Power Tool” Award

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The Yes Lab is a is brainstorming/training effort associated with the Yes Men to help activists subject people in positions of influence to well deserved ridicule. Aquifer highlighted their latest project, which was infiltrating an award ceremony for a trade group in Dallas and bestowing their own prize.

Unfortunately, it looks like the police intervention interfered with the best parts being captured on tape.

This part (from in the press release) describes the part not recorded (with some overlap for continuity):

The crowd of negotiators and corporate representatives applauded, and “Haversall” continued: “I’d like to personally thank the negotiators for their relentless efforts. The TPP agreement is shaping up to be a fantastic way for us to maximize profits, regardless of what the public of this nation—or any other nation—thinks is right.”

At that point, the host of the reception took the microphone back and announced that the evening’s formal programming had concluded. But Mr. Haversall confidently re-took the microphone and warmly invited Kirk to accept the award.

Kirk moved towards the stage, but federal agents blocked his path to protect him from further embarrassment. At that point, a dozen well-dressed “delegates” (local activists, some from Occupy Dallas) broke into ecstatic dance and chanted “TPP! TPP! TPP!” for several minutes until Dallas police arrived.

Fifteen minutes later, another dozen interlopers from Occupy Dallas interrupted the reception with a spirited “mic-check.” Outside, activists projected a message on the hotel, and throughout the night, delegates discovered that hundreds of rolls of custom toilet paper had been installed in the conference venue.

And this was the objective:

The activists disrupted the gala to protest the hijacking of trade negotiations by an extreme pro-corporate agenda. “The public and the media are locked out of these meetings,” said Kristi Lara from Occupy Dallas, one of the infiltrators. “We can’t let U.S. trade officials get away with secretly limiting Internet freedoms, restricting financial regulation, extending medicine patents, and giving corporations other a whole host of other powers allowing them to quash the rights of people and democracies, for example by offshoring jobs in ever new ways. Trade officials know the public won’t stand for this, which is why they try to keep their work secret—and that’s why we had to crash their party.”

Frankly, so many corporate events are boring, self-important, and in thrall to bad ideas or narrow interests that the more derision, the better. I hope we see a lot more of this sort of thing.

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25 comments

  1. Lambert Strether

    Peter G. Peterson Foundation’s annual event, The Fiscal Summit, is held on May 15.

    Perhaps they could be presented with a case of Grand Bargain™-brand cat food.*

    Heck, a case is too small. How about a whole shipping container?

    NOTE * I apologize for linking to The Moustache of Understanding.

    1. LucyLulu

      These stories are awesome, Yves!

      And another hilarious idea, LS! I’m in. Heck, I’m sure it’s too short of notice to do the Peterson gala, but it’d be fun if NC could sponsor their own little event sometime. With Yves permission, of course (hopefully she’d participate).

    2. Max424

      The Fiscal Summit. Where the wise few, do meet on high, to decide the affairs of the many.

      Some international pirate motherfuckers are working-out the most equitable split to OUR MONEY, is what’s going on there.

      Question: Does Congress get invited to the Monetary Summit?

      1. Bird Dog

        Serious agenda perhaps? The most expensive toilet paper was printed with the Gulf of Tonkin resolution. Everyone was invited to wipe, or clean up: Rockwell, Lockheed, Boeing, GE, Douglas, etc.

  2. Patrick

    I agree with the actions of the federal agents. Humor at the expense of corporations and trade representatives should be policed.

      1. Sufferin' Succotash

        And the beatings of those who would ridicule Our Leaders will continue until morale improves…

      1. Up the Ante

        Humor at the expense of the world’s population for the sake of corporations should be followed up on.

        Lucy, you made this statement in the Fukushima #4 SPF thread,

        “Initially they thought pool #4 had burned. They no longer believe the rods ever became uncovered. ”

        Interesting, Navy helicopter pilots took photos of #4 pool burning on March 13, 2011, and the smoke is slightly “discolored”,

        http://enformable.com/2012/01/fukushima-foia-docs-6-your-career-likely-over/

        Sorry to jump so far out of topic, just wanted to make sure corporations weren’t being covered for at world population’s expense.

        Care to correct your statement ?

        YY made this statement in that thread,

        “There are obviously multiple challenges at Fukushima, but SFP #4 is not a stand out. ”
        http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2012/04/fukushima-dai-ichi-no-4-an-earthquake-before-spent-fuel-rods-are-moved-to-safe-storage-would-be-the-end.html#comment-690981

        Based on that enformable link, would that be an accurate statement ?

        1. LucyLulu

          Check for response/explanation at end of referenced Fukushima thread by morning.

          1. LucyLulu

            Can no longer post there. See April 6 and then April 8 email to director of NRR at NRC, attributing fire to welding gas. Emails were almost a month after fire. Also, photo from March 13 whereas two fires (within 24 hrs/explosion at SFP #4 were on Mar 15 (and how can one tell which building fire is from?). Water was not added to SFP4 until Mar 17 with helicopter, largely ineffective, then with fire trucks following day. Subsequent photos showed no damage to fuel rods or pool.

            I originally thought it was a pool fire as well, but later info didn’t jive with that. My statement statements stand and yes, I agree with YY that SFP4 is not high on list of concerns at this time. Though less sensational sounding news, there are massive quantities of contaminated water, and more being produced every day. Don’t underestimate the magnitude of the engineering challenges, or even possibility will get worse, with corrosion from use of salt water for cooling during early days. We also don’t have good info on the long-term effects of the level exposures to radiation that many Japanese have been exposed to.

          2. Up the Ante

            “Water was not added to SFP4 until Mar 17 with helicopter, largely ineffective, then with fire trucks following day. ”

            Only plausible if you can explain why such a large fire from welding gases, and assuming you’re referring to a specific statement from TEPCO which building did TEPCO say the gases were burning in ?

            “Discern-able” link, please.

          3. LucyLulu

            Info about helicopter water drop and subsequent use of fire trucks documented many places (including youtube for helipcopter attempts). The info about the welding fire was from link found at link that YOU posted. I make no claim as to accuracy of welding gas as source of fire, not sure source is known yet or not, only pointed out what your source claimed. But a zirc fire WAS indeed ruled out by lack of damage to rods….. pics/videos of rods/pool also available, see cyptome.org site.

            http://enformable.com/2011/09/april-6th-2011-japan-just-said-ther-was-a-zirc-fire-in-unit-4-sfp-did-we-know-this-depends-what-is-meant-by-know/

            I will not continue posting off-topic here.

          4. Up the Ante

            “Well, this is good that you exhibit signs of beginning to explore enformable, but saying the link you provided is my “source” is inaccurate as my “source” can accurately be said to be the link w/the captioned Navy pilots observing #4 pool burning. ”

            I’ll match your ‘preparation’ with this,

            there’s even a page on enformable where the carrier Ronald Reagan began picking up elevated radiation levels in their reactor rooms [!] with their continuous monitoring equipment from the plume. That rather leads one to believe there wasn’t any compartment of that ship that wasn’t contaminated.

            It all comes down to this, Loosey, a credible cleanup effort would be Large, pools, coriums, radiated populations, contaminated waters/oceans .. All would be converged upon. Instead it’s scatter the efforts and when ‘observers’ light upon any of the parts it’s .. oh, some other component is more deserving of our efforts.

            Done with ‘pre-parations’, of course. [found out]

  3. JerryDenim

    Pure Awesome. Very inspirational. This could have been today’s antidote du jour.

  4. Yourbofa

    My bank shouldn’t work with security firms and PR agencies to develop despicable plans to publicly destroy the bank’s critics.

  5. Norman "Mother" Bates

    Dimon failed to discuss Corzine on GE Sunday Morning Theater featuring David Gregory. Nor did the princess of frump, Liz Warren, who asked for Jamie’s resignation from the NY Fed. Suddenly, it’s all about Dimon and Greek Communists. Keep ’em medicated, ‘Murica!

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