New York Times Special Edition Video News Release – Nov. 12, 2008 from H Schweppes on Vimeo.

Ach, ne, doch nicht, war nur ein Fake der Yes Men, die eine “alte Beatnik-Aktion von Allen Ginsberg wiederholt haben. Auch wenn der Krieg noch nicht zu Ende ist, kann man ja trotzdem schon einmal testen, was passiert, wenn man es einfach behauptet. Der Wahlsieg Obamas bot dazu eine gute Gelegenheit.” (*) Die Yes Men haben heute, am 12. November, eine gefälschte Ausgabe der “New York Times” (hier als PDF) verteilt – angeblich in einer Auflage von 1,2 Millionen Exemplaren:

“In an elaborate operation six months in the planning, 1.2 million papers were printed at six different presses and driven to prearranged pickup locations, where thousands of volunteers stood ready to pass them out on the street. Articles in the paper announce dozens of new initiatives including the establishment of national health care, the abolition of corporate lobbying, a maximum wage for C.E.O.s, and, of course, the end of the war. The paper, an exact replica of The New York Times, includes International, National, New York, and Business sections, as well as editorials, corrections, and a number of advertisements, including a recall notice for all cars that run on gasoline. There is also a timeline describing the gains brought about by eight months of progressive support and pressure, culminating in President Obama’s “Yes we REALLY can” speech. (The paper is post-dated July 4, 2009.) “It’s all about how at this point, we need to push harder than ever,” said Bertha Suttner, one of the newspaper’s writers. “We’ve got to make sure Obama and all the other Democrats do what we elected them to do. After eight, or maybe twenty-eight years of hell, we need to start imagining heaven.” Not all readers reacted favorably. “The thing I disagree with is how they did it,” said Stuart Carlyle, who received a paper in Grand Central Station while commuting to his Wall Street brokerage. “I’m all for freedom of speech, but they should have started their own paper.” In diesem Sinne: “War is over, if you want it” (John & Yoko). Via