At first, activists mobilizing to support the very issue they oppose seems counterintuitive. But, as Andrew Boyd demonstrated, it can be an effective form of art. I was intregued by the discussion of “Billionaires for Bush,” a campaign to highlight George W. Bush’s policies supporting the super-wealthy and large corporations. After hearing about this in the video lecture, I conducted some of my own research to learn more. I found a slogan used was “Two Million Jobs Lost – Its a start.” Billionaires for Bush sought to highlight the Republican Party’s support of the elite at the expense of everyday Americans. However, rather than criticizing the policies, the “Billionaires” advocated for “their cause” to show comedic irony instead. Rather than expliciting stating their point, the group engaged people who may not be keen on traditional political advocacy, conveying their message in an even more compelling manner.
Applying this philosophy to the realm of environmental policy, I wonder if it would be effective to mobilize as those destroying the environment, rather than pointing out their destructive actions. For example, rather than opposing logging forests, we could act as loggers chanting “down with the trees” or “log now, live later.” Or, to criticize fossil fuel companies, we could hold signs reading “Saving the Planet, One Oil Spill at a Time,” or “Down with Renewable Energy, Coal is Clean.” People would still understand the message, but instead of a familiar call for climate action or habitat conservation, they might be entertained and refreshed by the new method.