Yes, we have no decent debate
THE YES MEN
Starring Mike Bonanno
80 mins, 15
**
The
World Trade Organisation has engendered an international guerrilla army
of protest. The protesters put it this way: "By promoting the 'free
trade' agenda of multinational corporations above the interests of
local communities, working families, and the environment, the WTO has
systematically undermined democracy throughout the world." Would that
this documentary were so lucid.
The Yes Men, a small group of
talented and engaging young Americans, are a part of that guerrilla
army. Their first step was to create a website, which people would
confuse with the WTO's. When a request arrives seeking a WTO speaker,
they accept and attend a conference or an interview pretending to be a
representative of the organisation. Usually they distort the
organisation's views by making them manifestly outrageous.
On
one occasion their representative wore a golden suit, from which a
giant golden phallus exploded "The better," he said, "to keep managers
in touch with a distant workforce," What a giggle! What high camp!
The
texts of some of the spoof speeches are beautifully written and
brilliantly delivered - in the Bird and Fortune class. One is entitled
The Future of Textiles, the Future of a Lifetime, and The Lifetime of
the Future.
But the few speeches are the highpoints of the film; most of it is genial, but trivial.
As
they travel from city to city and from country to country, there is a
lot of time to spare, but there is no analysis of the life and death
issues innate in the free trade debate.
Presumably it is
intended itself to be propaganda, but unless you are anti-WTO, or
likely to be captivated by bright young men having a giggle with a
giant golden phallus, it may not be for you.
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