Faux New York Times Issue Inspires Hope, Declares Iraq War Over

Posted by Justin Krebs, Open Left at 3:42 PM on November 12, 2008.

This morning, a bunch of people got punked, receiving forwarded articles pronouncing: "Ex-Secretary Apologized for WMD Scare."

Following a day in which Bush expressed regret over "Mission Accomplished" and "Dead or Alive," it seemed plausible that Condi Rice was trying to protect her legacy too.

But when, on my way into the subway, I got handed a paper copy of the New York Times declaring "Iraq War Ends" [dated July 4th, 2009], I knew it was a prank.

A prank ... except that wasn't really tricking anybody (we generally knew the war wasn't over, universal healthcare hadn't yet happened and Bush wasn't standing trial for war crimes).

A satire...except it wasn't really funny.  The reactions on the subway weren't laughter.

It was a parody ... that elicited hope.

This project, which seemed to be dropped on the unsuspecting public by the Yes Men, got us thinking ... you know, the war could be over and troops could start coming home in 6 months ... CEO wages could be capped (especially as part of the bailout) ... NYC bike lanes could be widened ... and The Times editorial page could properly apologize for their complicity in the great Iraq deception.

Unlike the Onion which pokes at the truth with absurd headlines, this parody wasn't so far-fetched.  The articles suggest a world that hasn't come yet, and maybe isn't immediately within reach, but is a few steps away ... if we keep progressive pressure on this administration.

I saw people reading this fake paper -- not because they were tricked, nor entertained ... but because it invited them to dream of the world they would wanted to see.

And who doesn't like to imagine?

Tagged as: satire, iraq war, new york times, hoax, hope, hope hoax