Another World Is Possible

The Yes Men pulled off another great prank today, handing out over a million copies of a fake New York Times dated July 4, 2009, imagining a Bizarro world where the US takes responsibility for its actions and doesn't start unnecessary wars without provocation. Here's their statement.

Early this morning, commuters nationwide were delighted to find out that while they were sleeping, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan had come to an end.

If, that is, they happened to read a "special edition" of today's New York Times.

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.

They're being modest because they didn't even mention the best article in the paper, the Tom Friedman column, where he muses if experts like him who got the Iraq War completely wrong should be allowed to keep writing.

If only.

The paper has a companion website (which is down at the moment) with links to all of the stories, including this indicia explaining how the project is aspirational, seeking to present what's possible if the world works to create rather than destroy. Dozens of progressive organizations are linked on that page. Find one of them, join it, and help make this more than an amusing parody.