The Yes Men Fix the World

A hoax email.

So we got a group known for perpetrating stunts.

And here we have our vaunted and respected

State-Controlled Media falling for it

without even checking it out!

The internet is just a sewer?

It seems to me they get most of their news from that sewer these days.

- We're here with this special filesharing edition

of 'The Yes Men Fix The World'

- Yeah, and this is a special edition, because we have another film

to show you first.

One that you won't see anywhere else

because we're being sued by

The United States Chamber of Commerce.

- And as part of their lawsuit, they have demanded that

every copy of this video that you're about to see

be impounded and destroyed.

So please do pass it around.

September, 2009.

Back in September,

we were working with a bunch of climate change activists

to plan an event in Washington D.C.

We wanted to make a political point about an organization

that's pulling off some of the world's biggest hoaxes...

No, not this organization.

The one across the street.

The one that looks like a US government office

but really is working against the government.

In reality the US Chamber of Commerce

is a large corporation

that is reported to lie to the public

on behalf of even bigger corporations.

They spend nearly half a million dollars a day

trying to convince the US government to do really stupid shit

like killing environmental regulations

and undermining workers' rights.

But since they spend so much money on their hoaxes

many people believe them.

- And as it says: "American Free Enterprise. Dream Big."

but their dreams are our nightmares,

because their plans are to prevent us from passing

climate change legislation, which means,

we're screwed.

Since The Chamber was hoaxing us all,

and threatening our survival,

we decided to fight fire

with fire.

We would reveal one of their biggest lies

by masquerading as them.

We would hold a press conference as The Chamber

at The National Press Club.

But first, we sent out a parody press release from them.

It was sort of like their normal ones,

except ours was saying:

How would the world react to The Chamber, suddenly

reversing it's position on the climate change?

- Bitter reversal on climate change from the US Chamber of Commerce.

- It will reverse it's position on the climate change bill

and wants a carbon tax, if you will.

Alright, so, the US Chamber's denying it now..

Alright, so...

Maybe not.

Apparently it was a hoax.

Either there is a group, or some people, or a person...

- Is there any involvement of the White House, whatsoever?

- I couldn't even begin to go there, Larry, on that one.

- Today the country's largest business lobby, The Chamber of Commerce

got punked.

It began early this morning, when a press release went out

reportedly from the United States Chamber of Commerce.

Amazingly, the release said that the Chamber would now support

this legislation, that it spent months fighting against.

Reporters were surprised, and probably confused

at this odd turn of events, but

that was nothing compared to what actually happened at

the press conference,

when it was held later on this morning.

Watch this tape.

Clean coal is a technology, that

has not only not been proven, it basically doesn't exist.

Ok, this is, umm.. I'm Eric Walsh.

I'm with the US Chamber of Commerce.

This is not an official US Chamber of Commerce event.

So I don't know what pretenses you're here.

I know some of you on the press world.

But this is a fraudulent press activity and a stunt.

Who are you really, sir?

- And do you have a business card? Are you with the US Chamber?

I do, we can discuss afterwards.

Ok, can I see your business card?

Can I see yours?

- Are you here representing the US Chamber of Commerce?

Yes I am.

- Ok, I work there and you did not look familiar to me at all.

Could I see your business card?

- Are you interrupting the person there?

Yes I am.

This guy does not represent the US Chamber of Commerce.

- Can we finish the speech? - No.

This is not an official Chamber of Commerce.

This is not...

What is your position at the Chamber of Commerce?

I just spoke my position.

What is your title?

Your official title at the US Chamber of Commerce?

I'm the assistant to Mr. Donahue.

This guy is a fraud, he's lying.

This is a stunt that I've never seen before.

So if you'd like to actually talk to the legitimate Chamber of Commerce,

I've got my business cards outside.

This gentleman, I will assure you, does not have any business cards

and he's not legitimate.

- Show me your business card, no, show me yours, no, show me yours..

They both look like impostors..

- Do you have a business card? - It's so weird, because..

Because you don't look familiar.

- The US Chamber of Commerce says it was victimized..

- Victims of a hoax by environmental activists..

- Public relations hoaxes undermine the genuine effort to find solutions

on the challenge of climate change.

- A hoax actually led to the Chamber admitting that there is a challenge

for climate change. Seems like a good

first step next step for a hoax is about

- poverty, violence, hunger.. - Education...

- The big education hoax, we'd better get a big education hoax..

So that's the story, folks.

Not entirely...

- Then they decided to use this opportunity to raise funds.

- They put out Google ads. - Click on that...

and it will take you to a page

from the US Chamber of Commerce, asking you to give them 250 dollars

to help defend themselves against us.

It gets even funnier..

They not only use this opportunity to fundraise..

But then, they decided to sue us.

- By the way, we're being defended by some of the best lawyers in the world.

We're being defended by the Electronic Frontier Foundation

There's another punchline.

- Not only did FOX pick up our release,

not only did Walshlagel come and interrupt our press conference,

not only did the Chamber of Commerce try to raise funds

of this event...

- And not only did.. - ..They sue us!

Not only did they sue us, but..

They actually changed their policy two weeks later.

- Just today, the Chamber Of Commerce changed positions,

not courtesy of the Yes Men with that stunt in Washington

a few weeks ago.

But they're now saying that, surprisingly to me,

and I'm glad about it,

that they want to get legislation and they're now working with the

sponsors of the bill.

- Gore saying it didn't happen because of the Yes Men is kind of

the highest compliment we've ever been paid, I think.

- So if you're interested in people maintaining their freedom of speech

and also, if you're interested in basically more mayhem of this sort

where you can find out about the Yes Lab.

The Yes Lab is a thing we've launched to try to make this happen a lot more.

- Pass this film around to other people, because

the US Chamber of Commerce wants people not to see it.

That's reason enough as far as we're concerned.

"The Chamber of Commerce needs the support of every"

"American who gives a damn about free markets, private property"

"and fears of creeping fascism."

"This country cannot afford for the insurance industry to cave."

"This country cannot afford for the Chamber of Commerce to cave."

"The Chamber Of Commerce has been screwed!"

Are you ready?

I'm extremely happy to be here,

because today is a very historic occasion for all of us at Dow,

and I am grateful—

let's walk that way.

I am grateful.

You're extremely pleased to be here.

- I'm extremely pleased to be here, yes.

Extremely pleased to be here, Steve.

This is my friend Andy.

- Hi. - Bonjour, monsieur.

And my name is Mike.

Today I'm holding the camera.

Is it okay if...?

Yes, sure.

It's a good thing to announce.

Exactly.

- Andy is about to go on live television

in front of 300 million people.

They're going to think that he represents

one of the largest companies in the world,

which he doesn't.

And that's why he looks so nervous.

- Should I typically just look right into the camera?

Okay.

- Andy's about to tell a really big lie,

which, unfortunately, is going to wipe $2 billion

off one company's stock price.

But before I tell you this story...

One minute.

- I guess I should tell you how we got ourselves into this situation.