A professional climate denier replies

I have received a nice comment from Geoff Brown of the Climate Skeptic Party (TCS) astroturfing outfit in my comments section of my piece about their covert astroturfing campaign:

Geoff Brown said...

To the misguided individual who unfortunately does not seem to feel a need to put her/his name to this blog.

I invoke the time-honoured WWW (Woof Woof Woof) defence: On the Internet, know one knows you are a dog. It seems you are not up with the protocol, Geoff. What cave have you been living in?

So, what is your defence for siccing your winged monkeys onto websites and newspaper letters pages, and radio shows and telling them what to say? Do you think it's ethical?

Are you aware that to post some-one's private e-mail without permission of the author is an offence.

So, rather than name you as a criminal for this offence, I belatedly give you permission to reproduce the private e-mail that you have already published.

In future, if you receive and want to publish one of my private e-mails, please ask permission first.

1:36 PM EST

Pffft. Soft. So soft you would think it's double-ply.

I'm not sure that a broadcast email to your network of agitating winged monkeys, on behalf of the "political party", TCS, can be considered private, Geoff, when the intent is that the winged monkeys get your emails published multiple times.

Even if so, I am not worried about my legal position here.

I claim 'truth' and 'public interest' in my publishing the emails you sent on behalf of TCS, and all the ones from your organisation that I have been promised by my source. (Readers, please keep coming back).

Yep, all emails that you mass-broadcast in order to inspire (what I believe are activist winged monkeys) to republish in letters to the editors of newspapers.

I believe that all voting Australians should know that there is an organised, orchestrated attempt by AGW deniers to mislead the public into thinking there is a big support for anthropogenic climate denial. Particularly when the misleaders are entering state politics. That is, the beneficiaries of this campaign are not the grass-roots, but... well... you... and the other nine candidates of TSC. Tut, tut.

Talking about offence though, I do take offence at what I regard as cheap duplicity, hence my going public. Do you know that your behaviour is proscribed by every reputable public relations company and PR industry association? Do you realise the murky practice of Astroturfing has a been long-tarred with the pro-smoking brush, for example? You know, those proto-deniers whose actions you mimic.

So, thank you for your kind permission to publish your emails (and the long bow it came with) but I don't need it for the future.

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