Tom Harris, Free Speech and Disinformation

WUWT is in the doldrums still. For want of anything better, Anthony Watts has published a puff piece by someone called Russell Cook, who is moaning about Tom Harris' free speech being "prohibited" at DailyKos (archived here). This is exactly in line with what the DailyKos article stated was a PR strategy of Tom Harris:

The clever ploy in this PR strategy is a claim that climate change deniers are being frightened into silence.

Russell's article isn't very clear at all. The gist of it can be summarised as follows:

1. Daily Kos published an article by Judah Freed about a chap called Tom Harris trying to get lots of papers to publish a denier op-ed he wrote.
2. When Tom Harris attempted to get DailyKos to publish an article he wrote about the DailyKos article, he couldn't, so he asked Russell Cook to comment instead.
3. Russell Cook couldn't get DailyKos to publish Tom's article either.
4. Russell posted an article at WUWT describing 1 to 3 above, in a very roundabout manner, and claiming that DailyKos "prohibited free speech".

You might remember Tom Harris. He's the bloke in charge of one of those tiny denier offshoot organisations that have an "office" in several nations, but who share the same "advisers" as the Heartland Institute, like Bob Carter. They go by the name of the Climate Science Coalition. They are shop fronts with no substance, and operate out of a web address. Tom Harris' shop front has nothing but a phone number and a PO Box.

Tom Harris on Bible Science and the most expensive hoax in history

Tom opts for bible science rather than physical scientific evidence of past climate. That is, he draws on passages which were written in the Old Testament several centuries after the events took place, to claim whatever it is he claims about climate.

Then he denies doing so, even though his words are there in black and white.

Tom also denies saying climate science is a hoax, despite his own words: "In the long run, the climate scare will be revealed as the most expensive hoax in the history of science. "

Frightening deniers into silence?

Russell Cook and WUWT are arguing that DailyKos' refusal to publish their denial and outright lies means it is "prohibiting free speech". While the DailyKos article states:

The clever ploy in this PR strategy is a claim that climate change deniers are being frightened into silence.

So are Russell Cook and WUWT and Tom Harris being "frightened into silence"? It doesn't look like it to me. All that's happened is that they've found that more and more publications are refusing to publish nonsense. There are still plenty of outlets for them, like anti-science blogs such as WUWT, and newspapers that don't have any standards.

What does "free speech" mean anyway? Does it mean that, for example, I cannot delete comments that are false and misleading? Does it mean Anthony Watts can't ban a "clueless female eco-nut" from commenting on his blog, because she sent a mildly sarcastic tweet? Does it mean that a nation cannot refuse entry to a person known for inciting violence?

In deniersville, all except one of the above would constitute an infringement of "free speech" (you can guess which one would be acceptable). In the normal world it wouldn't. Most people accept that there are limits to "free speech". That with the right to speak your mind comes responsibility. Those limits include curtailing defamatory remarks, curtailing the spreading of disinformation, and curtailing incitement to violence or hatred of sectors of society on the basis of a person's race, ethnic origin or faith.

In addition, newspapers and media outlets have the right to set their own policies. If they choose not to publish disinformation, that is their right.

Tom Harris, PR and Communications Consulting, denies being involved in public relations

Back to Tom Harris' article that he claims the DailyKos refused to publish. It was full of contradictions. For example, Tom Harris claims:

I am not now, nor have I ever been involved in a “public relations campaign,” paid or otherwise. (link) 

Which is contradicted by a sentence just above it in the very same article:

ICSC averages more than one significant media hit a day now (link)

And by this plea for donations to promote denial, prominently displayed on his home page:

***HELP ICSC PROMOTE CLIMATE AND ENERGY REALISM!*** (link).

And by his directory listing as "Harris Tom, PR and Communication Consulting" which has the same phone number in the same city as Tom Harris, Executive Director, International Climate Science Coalition (archived here) (I've also archived the directory listing for posterity - here.)

Tom "climate scare" Harris denies his denial of science

In his supposed "rebuttal" to DailyKos, Tom Harris claims:

We are not climate change deniers. (link)

Yet on the same page he refers to "climate alarmist science", a "highly dubious cause" and a "climate scare". And on previous occasions he has alleged that

"the climate scare will be revealed as the most expensive hoax in the history of science".

When the DailyKos article stated "at least part of ICSC’s funding and most of its key staff members come directly from the Heartland Institute", Tom's rebuttal is: "ICSC funding has been 100% confidential" - ha! What is he hiding? (See also this article in the Sydney Morning Herald on their Australian "operation" and its funding. That article also shows how these organisations all share the same few people. A tiny number of deniers making a lot of noise.

From the WUWT comments

Most, but not all, of the commenters are oblivious to the number of people Anthony has banned over the years, on the grounds they supported science:

Gandhi draws on Denial101 MOOC's denier tactics, dismissing the DailyKos as promoting fascism therefore it's not to be taken notice of, writing:

May 18, 2015 at 5:37 pm
The Daily Kos only believes in freedom of speech if they agree with it politically. So instead of liberty, they promote fascism. The Huffinton Post and Yahool News seem to be of the same “Speech Police” ilk. A little U.S. Constitution anyone? 

ossqss wails about being oppressed - and it looks as if he lives in the USA! He ought to try living in Egypt today.

May 18, 2015 at 6:13 pm
When the POTUS condones the same behavior, “fair” is no longer in the equation. Oppression is.
Just sayin, bullies, blowhards, and lies, right before your eyes.

MarkW rationalises all the ridiculous reasons for a person being banned from WUWT, saying it's because they are offensive and have nothing to offer (except science). Offence is in the eye of the beholder.

May 18, 2015 at 8:11 pm
WUWT only bans people who are offensive and offer nothing to the conversation.
DailyKos bans anyone who disagrees with them.
Only a total nincompoop would declare that there is no difference between the two positions.

Alan Robertson points out that there is one person who hasn't been banned from WUWT (yet). Anthony needs to keep one or two people for his fans to dump on. Otherwise the comments peter out too quickly. Having 98.4% of fake sceptics is about the right ratio for WUWT, in his mind.

May 18, 2015 at 8:32 pm
warrenlb- you attempt to justify the censorship at such sites as that reprehensible KOS, by equating them with actions at WUWT. The fact that you are still here after all this time, disproves your claim.