Popcorn please
Eli will have video later, but the show has already begun. Christopher Monckton tried and failed to get an injunction against the airing of a BBC documentary tracing his perambulations around the world, spreading good cheer and bad information. The interesting part is a statement from the BBC lawyer
an injunction should not be granted as, though "dressed up" as a claim in contract, the real complaint was one of defamation.Eli senses a David Irving moment in the offing and people willing to help Chis step off the cliff.
If anyone needs an introduction to Monckton Land, John Cook and Skeptical Science have provided the illustrated guide to Monckton Myths.
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15 comments:
I suspect you'll like it. Aunty Beeb's gonna come under fire from a lot of angles, but judging by her [essentially] "So sue us" response, she's not particularly bovvered. The Prophet will no doubt be beavering through the night to come up with more interpretations of interpretations for his flock at the Tellytubbygraph.
Even more popcorn please to watch this (H/T SheWonk):
http://shewonk.wordpress.com/2011/01/29/a-cadre-of-dogmatic-scientists-trampling/
"ETA: This post is in honour of Judith Curry being declared “Climate Scientist of the Year” at the Post-Normal Conference in Lisbon – h/t to Bishop Hill. Tallbloke gave her a commemorative t-shirt with a Josh cartoon on it — the cartoon depicts a trash can labelled “Climate Science”. Curry quips “My reaction to climate change”. Say no more…"
MapleLeaf
The hare gonna have to get bootlegs, since the Beeb.4 say:
"Not available in your area."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00y5j3v
The BBC doc was excellent and pretty much gave the deniers almost enough rope.
One nasty moment happened when Monckton claimed that John Abraham would be financially investigated, was already under surveillance and was not an honest man.
Of course, it is most likely his Lordship's usual bluster and projection but it's been said in public with malicious intent.
Hopefully, in Monckton's case, that's exactly enough rope.
Note no lawsuit against Abraham so far, and it's been plenty long enough (and of course under U.S. law not only would there be no chance of success, any lawyer who chose to get involved would be risking sanctions from the court). As we knew, Monckton is all bluster.
Steve: I think Chek means that John might have a legitimate case under UK law, not that Monckton might. Monckton has threatened several of us at one time or another.
That, of course, is the point. Monckton has always used this as a threat, but it is getting old. It is a problem when you are standing alone. Who needs the aggro. But John Abraham was backed by the University of St. Thomas and the Beeb just threw down a challenge.
FWIW Monckton did win a libel action in the early 90s(?) against one of the British papers before he got into the climate business.
@Eli: It was against Private Eye though. They attract libel cases like flies on...
I have posted this in a few places today, and may be worth a look and a laugh. A few moments of concentrated Monckton when he is callenged by a feisty Irishwoman. "Withdraw, Madam, withdraw!" is now a popular catchphrase around here, though most people have lost track of the reason why.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOb4s3ETUQc
Nice to see the egregious lord being publicly challenged.
Toby
Cross-posted from Deltoid. List of recipients of an email sent (accidentally?) to Jo Abyss, see Deltoid for details.
"A list of Monckton's allies (and enemies):
"To: Hans Schreuder, Rupert Wyndham, John Gahan Cc: Climate Science Google Group, Brice Bosnich, Christopher Booker, James Delingpole, John Christy, Nigel Lawson, Paul Reiter, Richard S. Lindzen, S. Fred Singer, BBC Radio Times Editor, Benny Peiser, Gabriel (Gabe) Rychert, Sally Allix, Angela Kelly, jo abbess, Mark Thompson (BBC), Caroline Thompson (BBC), Anthony Bright-Paul, Tony Nicholls, Andrew Montford, Humphrey Morison, David Bellamy, Sonja A. Boehmer-Christiansen, Charles Wyndham, Colin Bradshaw, Piers Corbyn, Peter Sissons, Philip Stott, David Evans, Fred Pearce, CWS, James Naughtie (BBC), John Humphrys (BBC), John Brignall, Kenneth Haapala, Rodney Leach, Physics Services, Melanie Phillips, Andrew Revkin, The Tablet, Andrew Tyrie (UK Parliament), Masters Secretary Trinity College Cambridge, Anthony Watts (Watts Up With That)"
ML
Verbatim, Monckton on Abrahams
"we will be making him put his denial to the court, we will be examining all his financial records, we will be, and there are already, people watching him to see where he goes to see if he takes any interesting holidays somewhere, in case he's got money stashed. But this is not an honest man"
Delingpole and Watts are a-twitter about how the piece is creatively edited and all the bits of DelingFool and Monckton where they were being brialliant and pursuasive were left on the cutting room floor, but just exactly WHAT missing context could make that sentence seem anything other than defamatory and borderline psychotic?
I'm stealing the BBC's tasty carrots here.
Apologies, those were apparently parsnips.
Anyone got the good stuff?
Get the popcorn!
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=XCXK3Z8N
Heh.
Hot off the press...
"Climate sceptic Lord Monckton told he's not member of House of Lords
Clerk of parliaments publishes letter on Lords' site saying peer is not and has 'never been a member of the House of Lords'"
Can't wait to hear of Monckton's response.
Bernard J. Hyphen-Anonymous XVII (but not a Lord)
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