Movie --YES MEN Fix the World

(1) THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD

In my estimation Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonnano are low-key brilliant and this is a brilliant movie.
Not only that, I couldn’t help myself from laughing out loud in some parts.
I left the theatre feeling happy inside because the people in this world are awesome. /Sandra
http://theyesmenfixtheworld.com/


If you’re from Saskatoon, the movie is playing at the Broadway Theatre:
THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD

Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonnano engage in a series of stunts to underscore the crimes and misdemeanors of contemporary corporations.

Even if the Yes Men don’t fix the world, they certainly give it something to think about. (Mike Scott, Times-Picayune)

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(2) A HUFFY CANADA SHUTS DOWN ‘YES MEN’
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/189467.asp


A huffy Canada shuts down 'Yes Men'

Stung by a satire at the Copenhagen climate conference, Canada's government has shut down two parody Web sites criticizing the Great White North's glacial policy on global warming.

In the process, however, it has taken down 4,500 other Web sites that had nothing to do with the prank played two weeks ago at the global climate summit.

The two "offending" sites, developed by "Yes Men" pranksters, announced that Canada would reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 40 percent from 1990 levels, and 80 percent by the year 2050.

The "announcement" came as Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government was privately circulating a plan to permit a 165 percent INCREASE in emissions from Alberta's huge, dirty oil sands project.

The two Web sites, "enviro-canada.ca" and "ec-gc.ca" are "directly connected to a hoax which misleads people into believing that the Government of Canada will take certain actions in relation to environmental matters," Mike Landreville from Environment Canada wrote in an e-mail to the German Internet Service Provider (ISP) Serveloft.

"We trust you appreciate the importance of avoiding confusion among the public concerning Canadian governmental affairs and that you will assist us in preventing this hoax from spreading further."

Going further, Landreville asked the ISP to "make every effort to prevent any further attempts concerning other environment-related domains (enviro, ec-gc, etc.) originating from your servers."

The Great White North carries weight with ISP.

Serverloft immediately turned off a wide block of provider addresses, knocking out 4,500 websites that had nothing to do with "Yes Men" or the parody that raises such hackles among Harper's minions.

"We are sorry to see that the Canadian government will not 'take certain actions' that could help stave off catastrophic climate change," said Mike Bonanno of "Yes Men," "and we are sorry to see that they don't care so much for free speech."

The "Yes Men" made international headlines with the parody. The hoax emission target was announced on official-looking Environment Canada stationary. A replica of the United Nations conference center podium to show "delegate" from Uganda praising the plan.

It was the second successful parody this year for the loosely knit group. "Yes Men" had staged a fake news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. A "spokesman" for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced that the chamber was ending its years-long lobbying campaign against climate legislation.

The hoax was revealed when an official from the real U.S. Chamber of Commerce showed up and got into a shouting match with the imposter.

The Canadian government reacted to the parody in Copenhagen by throwing a public
tantrum.

An aide to Harper sent Canadian newspapers a furious denunciation of what he called "a childish prank," and was filmed furiously (and falsely) accusing a leading Quebec environmentalist of being behind it.

On the same night, however, CBC News revealed a paper circulating in Harper's cabinet. It listed a much lower emissions reduction target, and plans to go easy on Canada's oil and gas industry.

A trio of Canadian provincial premiers - most notably Quebec Premier Jean Charest - excoriated the federal government for its weak environmental politicies.

The Climate Action Network, a global coalition of "green" groups, awarded Canada its "Colossal Fossil" prize for worst behavior in the Copenhagen negotiations.

M. Elahi, Letter- Boston Tea Party was about representation, not taxation per se

To: "Letters to the Editor"
Cc: bhepburn@thestar.ca

Subject: Boston Tea Party was about representation, not taxation per se


The EditorThe Toronto Star

Boston Tea Party was about representation, not taxation per se Re "Sarah Palin and Tea Party anger in Canada," by Bob Hepburn (April 8).

While Sarah Palin and the so-called Tea Party group are railing agaist taxation, they fail to realize that the rallying cry of the American Revolution was: "Taxation without representation is tyranny," not taxation is tyranny.

This is why the Boston Tea Party took place after the repeal of the Stamp Duty. It may be recalled that when on April 12, 1770 British Parliament repealed the Stamp Duty, many Americans were not happy.

In many leading urban areas of America, obscure political hacks such as Sam Adams of Boston had achieved public renown for the first time in their lives by denouncing the threat of British tyranny from the moment of the Stamp Act. No new dish of outrage from Britain meant lean days or bad home-cooking. As time passed, the stature of politicians whose popularity depended upon British tyranny diminsihed progressively. They despaired for their future.

Then in 1773, Parliament passed a legislation with American implications. In the course of regulating the affairs of the East India Comany, the House of Commons legislated some provisions that would make British tea, legitimately imported, cheaper and therefore competitive with that smuggled into the colonies from Holland. It lowered the duties on British tea.

So-called Patriots like Sam Adams interpreted cheap tea as a means to seduce the Sons of Liberty (as they called themselves) into subjugation. They saw in it a British design to undermine American liberty. Adams and his followers decided to "venture upon a desperate remedy" to prevent the tea from being landed.

On December 16, 1773, one hundred and fifty Sons of Liberty disguised as Indians boarded three ships in Boston harbor and "in very little time," according to Sam Adams, "every one of the teas was immersed in the bay, without the least injury to private property."

Of course, the East India Company regarded their tea as private property of some value. In fact, by their accounting, 10,000 pound worth of private property had been wantonly and publicly destroyed, leading to a chain of events triggering the so-called American War of Independence.

If Britain allowed the colonies to raise their own taxes, no revolution would have taken place and America, like Canada, would have peacefully evolved as an independent nation. In fact, if the Americans didn't revolt, the British colonies in North America would have formed one continental federation within the British Commonwealth. By not addressing the issue of representation, Britain missed the point.

The rabid anti-tax groups both in the U.S. and Canada need to be reminded that the Boston Tea Party was about represntation and not about taxation per se. In fact, the Boston Tea Party took place after the Stamp Duty was revoked and the duty on tea reduced.

They may also be reminded that U.S. President Barack Obama has been elected by a majority of American voters while Sarah Palin has been rejected in the last presidential race. As such, she doesn't represent the majority of Americans.

MAHMOOD ELAHI
Ottawa.

"Hung" Parliament's All-Political Leader should consult re: Recommendation of New Gov Gen

"Hung" Parliament's All-Political Leader should consult re: Recommendation of New Govenor General

Sat, Apr 10, 2010 at 9:00 AM
To: globe &mail letters
Cc: Rt Hon Stephen Harper , Governor General , Privy Council Office info@pco-bcp.gc.ca

Dear Editors,

Your Apr 8/10 editorial on consultation by the PM before he makes a recommendation to Canada's Sovereign regarding our future Governor General is truly wise.

Notwithstanding my opinion on your use of the phrase "his exercise of royal prerogative powers", I agree that our Minority-PM's next recommendation is vitally important.

The Office of Governor General, our country's Chief Executive Officer (& Commander in Chief of Canada since 1947) should be held by someone who is the embodiment of the soul & spirit of Canada, the essence of the ideals and potential of our 'Dominion' and more than anything else be a person truly worthy to be entrusted with the mandate to exercise the constitutionally-entrenched, un-appealable, Legislative veto (as well as the Disallowance & Reservation powers BNA 1867 ss55-57 +90) possessed by the Vice-Regal representative of the Monarch-of-Canada.

Without appropriate consultation, the PM's recommendation will only be a reflection of the short-term, political aspirations of a "Hung" Parliament's, Leader-of-the-Largest-Bunch-of-Yes-Persons within the lowest element of our constitutional hierarchy of Legislative & Executive powers.

I rejoice that you have abandoned your paper's Consult with the Members of the Order of Canada campaign and hope you'll consider championing one of these two alternatives:

1) Consult with the whole 'sworn to loyalty for life' Privy Council -- all of them, going back to it's 'Dean' The Hon Paul Hellyer. Surely there is no greater pool of institutional memory and at least a modicum of wisdom-beyond-next-election to be found within this not-oft gathered assembly of Stewards of the Crown's Assets and Treasury.

2) Consult with Canadians - elect the Governor General. Let us vote, at-Large, every-other General Election, with a single-transferable ballot (until a 3/5ths-2/3rds threshold is met) and have the Term of Office commence 365 days after the Return of the Writs (phase-in period).

I trust you'll consider this carefully.

Rce