WTO - paranoia before Quatar by The Yesman 5:34pm Wed Oct 31 '01 (Modified on 1:43am Thu Nov 1 '01)

In addition to global protests, the WTO has been subject to attacs of the Yesman. The renowned communication guerillero explains why the WTO is getting nervous 10 days before Quatar. Hi there! We run http://www.gatt.org/. Here's what the WTO--that's the World Trade Organization, of course--has been saying about us on their front page at http://www.wto.org/: "Warning: Fake WTO website - http://www.gatt.org - deceitful and a nuisance to serious users" They go on to describe how gatt.org interferes with "serious users" looking for "genuine information" (http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news01_e/gattdotorg_e.htm): We think the WTO is acting just a little bit paranoid, don't you? After all, this is less than TEN DAYS before the start of the WTO's big hooplah in Doha, Qatar. Maybe they're nervous--in Qatar, any form of protest is strictly illegal, and VERY heavily punishable (depending on the King's mood). How will people react when the first hundred protesters get their heads chopped clean off? Morocco doesn't like that sort of extremism, and neither do France or Nepal. Lots of beheaded peaceniks is likely to annoy almost everyone! Funny thing, the WTO acted this way just before Seattle as well: http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres99_e/pr151_e.htm . It probably is just a bad case of nerves. See you on the chopping block! Your friends at http://theyesmen.org/ p.s. Here is the text of the WTO's Halloween news item: WTO NEWS: 2001 NEWS ITEMS 30 October 2001 Warning: fake WTO website A fake WTO website - http://www.gatt.org - has been created to deceive Internet users by copying the entire official WTO website. While the design is identical, the texts have been distorted. The fake site also uses the email address enquiries@gatt.org The use of WTO designs, logos and materials is strictly unauthorized. Worse, some pages on the fake website could cause unsuspecting visitors to reveal their email addresses and other information to the site's operators. The fake site could also be picked up by search engines, a nuisance for serious users looking for genuine information. The only official WTO site is www.wto.org. (In an e-mail sent today to subscribers, they went even further, claiming "it uses a form which will reveal your e-mail address to the fake site's operators, who may then make use of it to send you misinformation in the name of the WTO.") http://www.gatt.org/ add your own comments