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to the podium from which Forbes was speaking. However, each of their signs had another sign behind it. And behind their banner (which read "Forbes 2000: He wants YOU to win") was another banner, waiting. At the most dramatic moment of his announcement, the
Billionaires flipped their signs, and pulled away the large banner to reveal one which read: "Billionaires for Forbes: Because Inequality isn't Growing Fast Enough." The Billionaires started chanting "Let workers pay the tax so investors can relax!" and other slogans. Forbes and his handlers were completely thrown off, a little tussle ensued, and the Billionaires were pushed off to the side away from the cameras. Not wanting to miss the action, half the TV crews left the Forbes speech to cover the Billionaires. The action got lots of coverage.
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365:, February 16, 2008. Accessed August 20, 2008. "Outside an event in Manhattan where Karl Rove, the president's chief political strategist, was speaking, the Billionaires ran a faux counterdemonstration ('Leave No Billionaire Behind') to a real one mounted by the Sierra Club. ... In a report stamped "N.Y.P.D. Secret," the police wrote: 'Billionaires for Bush is an activist group forged as a mockery of the current president and political policies.'"
497:, July 30, 2004. Accessed August 18, 2008. "We therefore call upon all loyal People of Wealth to defy the Democratic National Convention and converge on the streets of Boston for a Million Billionaire March on July 27. And converge they did—150 of them, according to those who attended—to take back the streets for the silver-spoon set and present a symbolic check in the amount of “whatever it takes” to the local GOP headquarters."
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They wore conservative jackets and ties (but no bowler hats, etc.) and carried innocuous signs such as "Run, Steve, Run." Happy to have grass-roots support, the Forbes handlers (who believed the
Billionaires were students from a nearby business school) placed them in front of the cameras, very near
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the organization was led by Andrew Boyd and Jenny
Levison as "Billionaires for Bush (or Gore)," with the message that whichever candidate became president, corporations and the wealthy were guaranteed to benefit. The group spoke out under the motto "Because Economic Inequality Is Not Growing Fast
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515:, August 18, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008."The department later said that its actions were based on intelligence gathered by a special unit of undercover officers who had infiltrated dozens of protest groups, including innocuous ad hoc outfits like the comical Billionaires for Bush."
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The organization had first been founded by Andrew Boyd as "Billionaires for Forbes", but Forbes left the 2000 race for the
Republican Presidential nomination early due to a lack of adequate voter support. In 1999, Billionaires were present as
384:, March 17, 1999. Accessed August 18, 2008. "But as he stood with his back to the state capitol and promoted his proposal to eliminate the current federal tax code and institute a 17 percent flat tax, protesters from Boston began chanting
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include "Small
Government, Big Wars," "Because We're All In This Together, Sort Of," "Two Million Jobs Lost—It's a Start," "Leave No Billionaire Behind," "Make Social Security Neither," and "Corporations are People Too."
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after the 2004 Republican
Convention uncovered the fact that Billionaires for Bush had been among groups infiltrated by the NYPD by its undercover officers gathering intelligence in advance of the convention.
459:, July 27, 2000. Accessed August 18, 2008. "The Billionaires may be a hoax, but the events they’ve planned are very real, starting with a Million Billionaire March the day before the convention."
171:, attracted 150 marchers who presented a faux check made out for the amount of "whatever it takes" to the local offices of the Republican Party, as part of an effort to "defeat" Kerry.
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and the super-wealthy. The group would typically dress as parodies of wealthy "establishment" figures in tuxedos while proclaiming slogans such as "Two
Million Jobs Lost—It's a Start".
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attended by
President Bush, Billionaires for Bush came to show their "support", with men dressed in tuxedos with top hats and women in evening gowns and
407:, July 29, 2000. Accessed August 18, 2008. "THE WAY MILLIE O'Nair sees it, it doesn't matter whether George W. Bush or Al Gore wins the presidency. ...
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540:"The Art of Party Crashing: Artists and activists stockpile Dick Cheney jokes, Dubya drag, and phalluses in preparation for the Republican invasion"
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Billionaires for Bush holding a "Social
Security Auction" during Bush's 2005 inauguration to protest his planned privatization of Social Security
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Members also dressed in less stereotypical attire to perform more subtle pranks, as described in the Forbes example, above.
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and adopt names like "Mo
Bludfer Oyle" (more blood for oil, a reference to the Iraq war) and "Phil T. Rich" (filthy rich).
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153:. The group's laminated posters featured such slogans as "Leave No Billionaire Behind" and "Corporations Are People Too".
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160:. A separate group, however, continued on in the plague-on-both-your-houses style as "Billionaires For Bush Or Kerry".
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548:, July 27, 2004. Accessed August 19, 2008. "The use of Republican drag and the just-short-of-plausible
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intelligence report, based on undercover surveillance of the group in 2003 and 2004 in advance of the
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The group remained active after 2004, but was less prominent. It used its established
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sang songs skewering Republican economic policy, and held signs ranging from
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held the day before the convention. Other activities included a "Vigil for
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A "Million Billionaires March" on July 27, 2004, in conjunction with the
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631:, August 31, 2004. Accessed August 20, 2008. "They shouted slogans like
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596:, January 13, 2005. Accessed August 20, 2008. "Some of their slogans:
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Billionaires for Bush -- Because We're All in This Together, Sort of.
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Members typically dressed in stereotypically wealthy attire, such as
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announced his candidacy for President and jeered him as he signed a
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These events and message were designed to attract media coverage.
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The Billionaires planned a "Million Billionaires March" at the
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The group was led by a triumvirate of co-chairs Elissa Jiji,
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to raise awareness to a myriad of economic issues including
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said O'Nair, who co-chairs Billionaires for Bush (or Gore).
133:" and an auction of corporate advertising rights for the
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Their largest events to date took place as part of the
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2004 Republican National Convention protest activity
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27:organization that satirically purported to support
326:, an organization that attacked Kerry's 2004 bid.
1178:List of culture jamming organizations and people
284:A petition to allow oil drilling and logging of
604:Taking from Main Street, Giving To Wall Street!
76:. The Billionaire Manual describes the action:
926:Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping
565:Montgomerry, David; and Vargas, Jose Antonio.
271:Protesting protests of the Bush administration
694:
8:
601:Cashing In Your Children's Tomorrow...Today!
590:"Inauguration Guide for Pissed-Off Patriots"
489:"'Wealthy' Protesters Make Case Outside DNC"
478:, March 28, 2004. Accessed August 19, 2008.
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653:Outsource: Because Cheap Labor Costs Less.
421:"Nader tossed off grounds at debate site"
261:Musical entertainment at anti-Bush events
673:Billionaires for Bush Records, 2000-2013
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274:Taking a pro-war stance at peace rallies
257:Examples of Billionaire events include:
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860:Society for Indecency to Naked Animals
470:"The Birth of the Meta-Protest Rally?"
357:"Is Satire in a Slump? 'Yes' and 'No'"
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165:2004 Democratic National Convention
123:2000 Republican National Convention
100:2000 Democratic National Convention
44:2004 Republican National Convention
507:"Editorial: The Convention Papers"
268:on his birthday for their tax cuts
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855:Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
556:) also help generate interest."
176:New York City Police Department
92:2000 U.S. presidential election
40:New York City Police Department
795:Barbie Liberation Organization
607:No Brokerage Firm Left Behind!
145:At a March 2004 fundraiser on
1:
1116:Max Headroom signal hijacking
598:Make Social Security Neither!
431:Billionaires for Bush or Gore
645:Corporations Are People, Too
399:"FUNNY WAY TO RUN A PROTEST"
324:Swiftboat Veterans for Truth
1239:High society (social class)
554:Small Government. Big Wars.
404:The Philadelphia Daily News
335:Billionaires for Wealthcare
318:Don't Just Vote, Get Active
174:Lawsuits filed against the
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800:Billboard Liberation Front
734:Broadcast signal intrusion
98:The group appeared at the
1104:Saint Stupid's Day Parade
1067:Temporary Autonomous Zone
1046:Schrödinger's Cat Trilogy
1039:The Illuminatus! Trilogy
649:Widen the Healthcare Gap
487:Vozick-Levinson, Simon.
1140:Portland Urban Iditarod
911:Church of the SubGenius
870:Veterans of Future Wars
749:Guerrilla communication
623:"Satire in the streets"
526:"Billionaires for Bush"
456:Philadelphia City Paper
386:billionaires for Forbes
104:Los Angeles, California
1146:Pillow fight flash mob
1012:Kerry Wendell Thornley
982:Malaclypse the Younger
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116:Verizon Communications
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1060:Book of the SubGenius
805:Billionaires for Bush
409:Whoever wins, we win!
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169:Boston, Massachusetts
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17:Billionaires for Bush
641:Privatize Everything
628:St. Petersburg Times
610:Drain America First!
291:Bush League baseball
222:, and Melody Bates.
112:Fidelity Investments
1053:Principia Discordia
1022:Robert Anton Wilson
572:The Washington Post
494:The Harvard Crimson
203:privatization, the
86:Bush (or Gore) 2000
1203:Operation Mindfuck
810:The Bubble Project
769:Tactical frivolity
512:The New York Times
475:The New York Times
449:2007-06-21 at the
362:The New York Times
193:
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1098:Notre-Dame Affair
825:Improv Everywhere
815:Cacophony Society
729:Billboard hacking
621:Trigaux, Robert.
545:the Village Voice
397:DiFilippo, Dana.
305:political slogans
131:corporate welfare
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1173:Critique of work
1163:Anti-consumerism
957:Captain Midnight
835:Merry Pranksters
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1128:K Foundation
1122:Grunge speak
1106:(late 1970s)
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739:DĂ©tournement
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127:Philadelphia
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33:corporations
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1110:Burning Man
1002:Joey Skaggs
997:Jerry Rubin
967:Ron English
885:The Yes Men
845:Negativland
759:Media prank
538:Trav S. D.
330:The Yes Men
151:long gloves
147:Long Island
90:During the
59:Forbes 1999
1218:Categories
1193:Subculture
1188:Street art
1017:Bill Wasik
1007:Ivan Stang
875:Whirl-Mart
754:Hacktivism
588:Sycamore.
341:References
209:Estate Tax
108:Fleet Bank
72:pledge in
23:political
987:Ben Masel
942:Alan Abel
899:Movements
840:monochrom
790:Anonymous
785:Adbusters
744:Flash mob
594:Daily Kos
279:limousine
264:Thanking
141:Bush 2004
95:Enough".
38:A secret
1168:Artivist
1134:SantaCon
977:John Law
550:pro-Bush
447:Archived
312:See also
236:top hats
205:Iraq War
70:flat tax
1156:Related
1074:No Logo
890:Yippies
880:Wu Ming
299:Slogans
232:tuxedos
54:History
1148:(2008)
1142:(2001)
1136:(1994)
1130:(1993)
1124:(1992)
1118:(1987)
1112:(1986)
1100:(1950)
1091:Events
947:Banksy
935:People
850:RTMark
778:Groups
281:tours
253:Events
244:pearls
226:Attire
207:, the
19:was a
1031:Works
916:Provo
717:Forms
651:and
643:and
388:..."
242:and
234:and
211:and
197:meme
114:and
647:to
426:CNN
238:or
167:in
125:in
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46:in
1220::
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348:^
215:.
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579:"
528:.
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