Bureaucrash

Infobox Organization
name = Bureaucrash


caption = Logo of the project
formation = 2001
purpose = Freedom activists
headquarters = Washington DC
region_served = International
leader_title = Crasher in Chief
leader_name = Pete Eyre
parent_organization = Competitive Enterprise Institute
website = http://bureaucrash.com/

Bureaucrash is a project of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a libertarian think tank based in Washington DC.

Bureaucrash is an international network of activists with the common goals of decreasing the scope of government and increasing individual freedom. [cite web|url=http://bureaucrash.com/node/1298 |title=About Bureaucrash | Bureaucrash |accessdate=2008-10-11] Bureaucrash itself is not only non-partisan but shows a certain amount of disdain for the political system through features on its website such as "Politricks" and "Mock the Vote."

Founding

Bureaucrash was founded in 2001 by businessman Al Rosenberg and the Henry Hazlitt Foundation in an attempt to use the Internet to spread pro-freedom ideals. [cite web|url=http://washingtontimes.com/news/2006/nov/27/20061127-105159-3650r/?page=3 |title=Washington Times - 'Freedom' goes digital |accessdate=2008-10-11] In March 2006 an article on CEI's website stated that "In March, Bureaucrash and CEI formed a new strategic partnership to combine the strengths of each organization to help spread the ideas of liberty." It is now funded by the CEI. [ [http://www.cei.org/gencon/005,05204.cfm "Q&A With Jason Talley: The Leader of the Bureaucrash Activist Network on Spreading the Ideas of [sic] "] , Competitive Enterprise Institute, March 17, 2006.]

Initially, Bureaucrash pitched itself as "a network of guerrilla activists who oppose the growing disease of the bureaucratic state" and emphasized that "we come from all backgrounds and ideologies, but share in common a conviction that the bloated administrative government is the greatest threat to our freedom, creativity and sense of choice." [http://web.archive.org/web/20001204185900/http://www.bureaucrash.com/ "Bureaucrash"] , "Bureaucrash", December 12, 2000. (This is a copy archived in the Internet Archive).] The following year the group's website was more explicit about its political slant stating that it "develops full scale campaigns and web resources for libertarian guerilla activism." cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20020804153037/www.bureaucrash.com/about/ |title=Bureaucrash: What is Bureaucrash? |accessdate=2008-10-11]

Activism

Recent actions have taken the form of holding counter-demonstrations at key progressive events and filming themselves either with provocative placards, or interacting with the attendees. Actions have included demonstrating at the premier of the movie Sicko to protest against socialized healthcare, [cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbpmSIa6hQQ|title=CRASH'D: Michael Moore's Sicko|date=June 25, 2007] picketing the World Health Organization conference with the message that capitalism saves lives, [cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-umgELSiQs|title=CRASH'D: German Velasquez|date=October 31, 2006] and painting The Yes Men on a failed attempt to target into the Cato Institute. [cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWohDRKfyh8|title=CRASH'D: The Yes Men|date=July 11, 2007]

Perception

Bureaucrash was described by "Radicals for Capitalism" as "a gang of libertarian college kids who prank leftists at major international events by taking the implications of their policies to absurd extremes, which the lefties tend not to even notice. Bureaucrash created a fake group it called 'Progressives Against Progress' whose symbol was a caveman with a club." [cite book|title=Radicals for Capitalism|pages=582|author=Doherty, Brian]

More recently, Bureaucrash has re-branded itself as a group working on "creative activism for freedom." On its website Bureaucrash stated that it was "dedicated to fighting the increase of government control over our lives. Our international network of pro-freedom activists works to change the political ideology of our generation through creative activism. While most youth politics supports the growth of the already bloated government bureaucracy, we fight for personal freedom, free trade and limited government."

Funding

Bureaucrash is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It was established in 2001 with funding from the now-defunct Henry Hazlitt Foundation. As of March, 2006 the group has been sponsored by the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

ee also

* Pete Eyre ("Crasher-in-Chief")
* Competitive Enterprise Institute

References

External links

* [http://www.bureaucrash.com Official website]
* [http://social.bureaucrash.com Bureaucrash social website]