2010-05-11 Yes Men, University

The Yes Men:  Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno,   theyesmen.org

See  2010-04-09 THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD,  a brilliant movie. Plus “A Huffy Canada shuts down ‘Yes Men'”

I contacted them because I am thinking it would be great to do one of their style events at the College of Agriculture re biotechnology (Monsanto, Bayer Crop Science).

UPDATE:  this became one of those good ideas that I did not have the time to implement.

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EMAIL THREAD

(From me):

This would be terrific, Mike –  a brainstorming session with follow-up.  Thanks for your response.

I understand “owned and produced wholly by” us.

Before we do a phone call, let me get a few key people together who would participate in the phone call.

I will get back to you before the end of this week.

This is very exciting!

Sandra

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From: mike bonanno

Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 4:59 AM

To: Sandra Finley

Cc: (deleted)

Subject: Re: Yes Lab. Monsanto. Corporate University. Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada.

Hiya Sandra-

This looks really interesting – but it might make more sense to skype than meet in person. Andy and I are out of town. There is an outside chance that Joseph will be in DC, since he is from there and returns occasionally… he is cc’d just in case.

But better to arrange a skype or phone call. Just to be clear: what we offer would be to (for a fee dependent on the ability to pay) do a brainstorming session and then follow up with you as you carry out the project. But the project is owned and produced wholly by you guys… (there are lots of people who don’t get this from the description, they think that we will be able to carry it all out ourselves, which is of course impossible.) But it seems like you totally understand and have some eager people who would be ready to pull something off…

So if this still sounds like what you are after, lets skype or phone.

Mike

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On May 11, 2010, at 5:46 AM, Sandra Finley wrote:

Dear Yes Men,  Andy and Mike

I am wondering whether there might be Yes Men in Washington in second week June with whom I might have a short meeting?  I think you operate out of New York, but the Conference I am attending in Washington would attract Yes Men – type people, so maybe “yes” I could meet with someone?

The Tikkun Conference in Washington, June 11 – 14th.  Stop the Corporate Takeover of our Society. http://www.spiritualprogressives.org/ with participation by people like David Korten, Bill McKibbon, Michael Lerner, etc..   I will be in Washington until 15^th June inclusive.

Before addressing a possible Yes Lab or campaign here in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan:

I can’t thank-you enough for challenging Canada’s role in climate change at Copenhagen.  And for your other great campaigns.  Your work is fun, instructive, brilliant and very effective. I have run an activist email network for 10 years – we circulate info on your campaigns and have promoted your movie.

(no name for the network. And no website because I am on trial: I did not submit a census form in 2006  because Canadian census work was out-sourced to Lockheed Martin Corporation (IBM a sub-contractor).  I don’t want to wave red flags in the judge’s face. Final arguments in the case will be heard in provincial court on Sept 9^th.)

From your web-site,

RE:  If you’re an organization interested in signing up for the Yes Lab, please email us and tell us about your campaign.

THE ORGANIZATION THROUGH WHICH THE CAMPAIGN WOULD BE ORGANIZED: (Proposed) A coalition called “Clean Green Saskatchewan” working with the Sierra Club of Canada, Greenpeace, the Council of Canadians, KAIROS (inter-denominational church activists), local community organizations in Saskatchewan, the democracy movement sparked by Stephen Harper’s prorogation of Parliament, and email networks in Saskatoon that tried to get George Bush arrested when he visited Saskatoon in October 2009.

CAMPAIGN DIRECTED AT:  The University of Saskatchewan, College of Agriculture and its chem-biotech driver Monsanto.

CONTEXT, THE CORPORATE AGENDA IN SASKATCHEWAN:

Saskatchewan is a battleground for corporate development of

• the Tar Sands (an extension of the Alberta Tar sands) and
• the world’s richest uranium deposits.

Nuclear development is critical to expansion of the Tar Sands.  The industry requires huge amounts of electricity in order to heat the tar to the point where it will flow.  The nuclear industry is desperate to build new nuclear reactors.

Extensive agricultural lands attracted Monsanto and the biotech corporations decades ago.

The University Administration and the (Conservative) Sask Party Government are collaborators in the corporatocracy that is running the province and the University.

Monsanto and other of the biotech corps run the College of Agriculture.  Which produces the agrologists for the Govt Department of Agriculture.

The uranium/nuclear industry is taking over other parts of the University, in concert with the Government’s corporate agenda.  The Government has signed cooperation agreements with the Idaho National Laboratory.

The University of Saskatchewan is Monsanto University, Nuclear University, Pharmaceuticals University, Biotech University.

The other University in Saskatchewan, the University of Regina, is the Petroleum Corporate University.

The Universities are the vehicle through which to by-pass the democratically-expressed wish of the people of Saskatchewan, whether over the tar sands, nuclear or the GMO agenda.  The Government ducks “responsibility” and accountability because it is not them, but the respectable University carrying  the corporate ball.  The Government funnels the money to the University.

The “Canadian Light Source Synchrotron” at the University is a magnet.  The operating budget for the synchrotron is not fully-funded, so comes partially out of money from the University’s operating budget (as I understand).   The research is for corporate clients in the biotech (agriculture and pharmaceuticals), mining and nuclear industries.

First Nations

• land entitlement settlements
• rights related to water, and
• traditional lands in the North

make First Nations development partnerships a target of American and Chinese corporations.

And now we have Lockheed Martin working with a First Nations Development Corp, setting up in an industrial park south of the city.  The University will assist with research capability.  We’ve got the American military-industrial-congressional complex establishing itself here in Saskatchewan, working with quislings from Canada.

Mainstream media in Saskatchewan tends to be corporate-friendly, not nearly as critical as it should be, not even the CBC.

It is a never-ending nightmare.  We make gains (like winning the public consultation process in summer 2009 on nuclear) but then lose ground to the corporate forces that are invisible behind-the-scenes.

Have gone after the Government(s) with lobbying, rallies, etc.;  now we need an “outing” at the University.

Working with others across Canada we have successfully (but temporarily) stopped some developments such as “terminator technology” in seeds and the introduction of GMO wheat.  We won the public fight on the nuclear issue, but that is not stopping the Government and Corporate interests from proceeding – with the University  as the “front”.

We are being hammered by a dismantling of the regulatory machinery, opening the door wide to expansion of the Tar Sands, nuclear, the GMO agenda and so on.

You will know all this very well because it is the same battle as you are fighting in the U.S.

As I see it, the University is the fortress and the “conditioning centre” for the “brave new world”.

UNIVERSITY SENATE

The University Senate is changing.  Senators have been from the suits-and-cocktails crowd.  More people are now running for Senate because of concerns over what the University is becoming.

MONSANTO, THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE SEPTEMBER REGISTRATION ?

I thought I’d get this email off, in case I could meet with a Yes Men in Washington while I’m there.  Some of our people have done great street theatre.  But we’ve done nothing like a “Yes Men” act.

I will get more conversations underway here.  As with you, the difficulty of course is too few people trying to do too many things.

Best wishes,

I love your spirit and work.

Sandra Finley

Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada