these are both excellent political documentaries that manage not to depress but to encourage and fuel. or at least they did me. the yes me is about two guys (with a few sidekicks) who decide to take on the WTO. they build a website that looks just like the WTO’s, choose a url that attracts traffic directed to the WTO (it’s still up: www.gatt.org — GATT was the WTO’s original name), and proceed to respond to all invitations to conferences, summits, tv shows, etc. directed to their nemesis. the documentary follows them in a couple of such clandestine excursions into the world of high finance and international manipulation. they are remarkably low tech, mostly i suppose because money is tight, but still manage to pull off incredibly believable performances. their approach is simple: expose the WTO’s inhumane and repressive practices by exaggerating them to the point of absurdity and repugnance. Continue reading the yes men and harlan county, usa