Greenwash Guerrillas Pie Thomas Friedman on Earth Day

Thomas Friedman, the author and NY Times columnist, was invited to Brown University to give a keynote speech on Earth Day, before a packed auditorium. His talk, titled "Green is the new Red White and Blue" was about how corporate environmentalism (based on putting a price on the atmosphere, and investing in biofuels and techno-fixes) can restore America to its "natural place in the global order." Luckily, this outrageous neoliberal capitalist propaganda was interrupted with a suprise visit from the Greenwash Guerrillas. Leaflets were thrown to the crowd, stating:

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Thomas Friedman deserves a pie in the face...

* because of his sickeningly cheery applaud for free market capitalism's conquest of the planet

* for telling the world that the free market and techno fixes can save us from climate change. From carbon trading to biofuels, these distractions are dangerous in and of themselves, while encouraging inaction with respect to the true problems at hand.

* for helping turn environmentalism into a fake plastic consumer product for the privileged

* For his long-standing support for the US Occupation of Iraq and the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Such committed support to the US War Machine and its proxy states overseas cannot be masked behind any twisted mask of "green" - the US Military is the largest single emitter of greenhouse gases in the world.

* for his pure arrogance.
On behalf of the earth and all true environmentalists -- we, the Greenwash Guerrillas, declare Thomas Friedman's "Green" as fake and toxic to human and planetary health as the cool-whip covering his face.

Category:

Comedy

Tags:

• Greenwash
• Guerrillas
• pie
• thomas
• friedman
• earth
• day
• prank

[SAGEBOT500]

There's no upper lip behind Thomas Friedman's mustache... just another bizarre metaphor.

[garyowen4ever]

seeing this total jagoff get pied tells me there must be a christian islamic god somewhere.

[joebonsaipoland]

Bogus behavior. Fail. Leave Tom alone.

[clockworkscott]

this made my day. suck on that, you fucking neocon!

[catothewiser]

From Kissenger to Friedman - seems like this "tribe" is determined to push for some global hell-on-earth. Haven't they been described by many to the be spawn of Satan?

[catothewiser]

@BenkaiDebussy - that's been my impression plus he seems like someone just trying to sell a book.

[GLOKD]

You know you've lost the intellectual argument when...cue this video.

[Shnufkin]

@BenkaiDebussy I don't agree. Microfinance institutions need to build trust among communities in order to flourish. Trust is not gained through exploitation. Plus, trapping poor people in debt is not profitable, for obvious reasons.

I also disagree that microfinance is a way for the rich to profit from the work of the poor. Acumen is a not-for-profit foundation, and many poor benefit from its projects (water-pumps, etc.)

Globalisation is bad, but doing nothing to alleviate its effects is worse

[BenkaiDebussy]

@RioMadeira Oh, I never said pieing him was the right thing to do!

There's a reason he's rich. It's the same reason Ayn Rand's books became so popular (though the message is different); it tells a narrative that justifies most of what America/businesses do. He assumes all politicians/corporations have good intentions, even if he disagrees with what they do (and he rarely disagrees strongly). Assuming good will is one thing, but he's naive to the point of sheer stupidity.

[RioMadeira]

@BenkaiDebussy I'm aware that microfinance is no silver bullet and that further regulation may be in order, although I certainly don't endorse anything like the Bangladeshi government's moves to remove Muhammad Yunus. I still haven't heard a justification for pieing Friedman. If you have legitimate criticisms with his agenda, why not let him finish his speech and voice them in the Q&A?

[BenkaiDebussy]

@RioMadeira He frequently says that technology, like smart phones, ipads, etc, is bringing the world together, making the world flatter (I read the book in college, ugh). What he ignores is, as far as the world is concerned, only a tiny percent of people can afford that technology. He'll interview the CEO of some start-up in India and act like that's representative of the whole country. In reality, most countries/individuals have not benefited from globalization. He's very ignorantly optimistic.

[BenkaiDebussy]

@RioMadeira It *can* be beneficial. But for every person who succeeds in starting a business, there are more who fail (most people aren't able to hit even when starting a business). Because these people are poor, they are very often forced to take out another loan to pay off their microfinance debt, throwing them into perpetual debt and literally letting people in the West and wealthy lenders profit off of them.

This side isn't usually mentioned; rags to riches stories appeal to people more.