Grist Interviews The Yes Men

Grist interviews the high-minded pranksters, The Yes Men, about runaway climate change, getting arrested, civil disobedience and their film, The Yes Men Fix the World, which comes out on October 7th.

Fun Facts: The Yes Men launched 22 survivaballs into the East River to reach world leaders at the U.N. during climate talks last week. One was arrested and held in jail for 26 hours. They printed fake newspapers and distributed them across New York City with headlines screaming out the effects of climate change.

To learn more and about BeyondTalk and to sign up for what The Yes Men are hoping will be the largest international climate civil disobedience action of all time , click here - http://www.beyondtalk.net/

More about their film, The Yes Men Fix the World - http://theyesmenfixtheworld.com/

Category:

Comedy

Tags:

• Tags:
• Grist
• Yes
• Men
• Copenhagen
• Climate
• Change
• Environment

[GristTV]

Dear Viewers,

What do you think about what the Yes Men are doing? Would you be willing to commit prankery to protect the planet? And if so, what kinds of pranks are you cooking up?

[Agent1W]

@teddy5549 I don't think our President practices any religion. In fact, I think he worships himself. If you've seen the life he lives, that of luxury, the extravagant, and the excess thereof, there's no way to suggest he would take the time to practice a religion of a higher being. He IS the higher being, and he calls all Americans and the rest of the world to worship him.

I only wish I was joking.

[teddy5549]

@Agent1W I say this all because people are crazy. 18% of Americans believe Barack Obama is a Muslim. Fox News is as of January 2010 is the most trusted news channel. Second Amendment, gun toting conservatives, are storming the streets protesting the building of a mosque in a four block radius ground zero. Reason and logic aren't exactly priority number one in America. People need to understand that proper education is still important in America.

[teddy5549]

@Agent1W I'm sorry, I need to finish this. I'm going to add that you restated your original argument, only adding the precursor "by reason". The argument, "Because God created the Earth delineates that we (as God's creation) cannot destroy the Earth" is not a rational argument in itself. It CAN be made a rational argument, and is staunchly defended by proponents of the oil and coal industry; but it requires additional support beyond the verbal forerunner "by reason".

[teddy5549]

@Agent1W I'd also like to add that an inability to destroy God's creation would indicate an obstruction of the freewill that most non-Calvinian Christians subscribe too. Historically speaking, destruction of entire species of animals and unsuccessful attempts at genocide should attest to potential of man kind to destroy God's creation.

[teddy5549]

@Agent1W I don't see how you can make an absolute claim like that? Whether, or not Scripture can be used as grounds for evidence to back your claim would be a moot point within the moot point found in the question, "does a omnipotent God exist". All of that aside, there's not a lot of Scripture that can be taken out of context to back your claim. I myself grew up in the church and attended a Christian school, and I'm having trouble finding a biblical premise for your argument.

[Agent1W]

@teddy5549 Well, by reason, we didn't create this Earth. We didn't create the atmosphere, the rocks, the plants, the water, or the animals. Only things created by human hands can be destroyed by human hands. Mother frickin' Nature is completely out of our control. This is the best logic I can spew out.

I mean, we can TRY to damage some things, but we do not have the absolute potential to destroy. The Creator wouldn't be that foolish to give us that power.

[teddy5549]

@Agent1W You know that, that argument doesn't constitute reason, right? Because a person fails to create something doesn't suggest that he/she doesn't have the potential to destroy said object of creation. Therefor, "How can we destroy something (that) we never really created in the first place?" doesn't make a whole lot of sense. As for "Only God can destroy this Earth", well, I'm going to say that's a moot point; however "... go talk to Him about 'climate problems'." well, people are trying.

[Agent1W]

They are con artists, that's what.

No prankery can protect this planet. How can we destroy something we never really created in the first place?

Only God can destroy this Earth, so go talk to Him about "climate problems".

[grantchristy]

Well intentioned liberal suckers! These brainwashed zombie militants are a huge threat to freedom & democracy. Eco Fascists will steal your country, freedom &tax you into 3rd world poverty don't be fooled.

[luvemliam]

Oh I have to have a legal response to to a nut case who is stealing the voice and identity of a great American institution just because he doesn't think they should have the freedom to stand for what they want? What are we becoming? There will be a great amount of violence to this type of bs!