Here’s a video about the Heartland Institute’s recent conference, which happened shortly after those despicable billboards comparing those who accept global warming to serial killers and terrorists caused them to lose about half their funding. You’ll notice that it brings all manner of right wing kooks together — global warming denialists, creationists and birthers. And you’ll have a good laugh seeing Lord Monckton dressed like David Barton.
Jun 13 2012
Heartland Institute Brings Wingnuts Together
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tacitus
June 13, 2012 at 1:36 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
At least Lord Monckton serves to illustrate the hypocrisy of the “freedom movement” that has welcomed him with open arms.
The unrepentant beneficiary of the ultimate system of power through privilege (the thousand year-old British aristocracy), he once advocated the mandatory, indefinite quarantine of all people who were found to be HIV positive–for the rest of their lives, if necessary.
As far as I can tell, he has never rescinded his statements on the matter, except for admitting that they would be unworkable today.
slc1
June 13, 2012 at 1:38 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Mr. Monckton has also lied about being a member of the House of Lords in Great Britain. It is my information that he is not a member of that body.
felix
June 13, 2012 at 2:55 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Here’s the proof that Monckton is not a member of the House of Lords:
http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2011/july/letter-to-viscount-monckton/
hinschelwood
June 13, 2012 at 5:41 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
#2
I think “lie” is a bit strong. By all appearances, Monckton really does appear to believe that he is a member of the House of Lords.
Up until 1999, all hereditary lords (including Monckton’s father) were members of the House of Lords. Tony Blair wanted to stop this, then agreed to a fudge where 92 could remain, but (typically) didn’t do the real work of deciding how the upper house would actually work in future. (The 92 hereditary peers elect a new member when a place becomes available, thereby bizarrely demonstrating the only democratic component in the House of Lords. Monckton has stood for election in this way and received no votes.)
The point is that without Blair’s half-arsed reforms, Monckon really would be a member of the upper house. He obviously disagrees with the reform and has constructed a kind of alternative reality in order to reconcile his insignificance against what he considers to be his birthright. Thus he, Lord Monckton, Viscount Brenchley, is a member of the House of Lords. It’s just that they won’t let him in.
He’s persisted with this up to the point where the House of Lords has publicly announced that he is not a member and that they’ll take legal action if he continues with his claims. He has responded by getting a legal opinion from a quack lawyer that says he really is still a member. Nevertheless, he doesn’t seem too keen to test this in court and has stayed quiet on the subject recently.
It’s not a lie on his part – it’s a delusion. It’s the same about climate science, AIDS, winning the Nobel prize… For some reason, he is the science spokesman of UKIP, a Eurosceptic political party in the UK, and he has some very interesting views.
He would be very entertaining as a top order crank. Scarily, quite a few people take him seriously.
Doug Little
June 13, 2012 at 11:16 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Monckton just seems like a lonely old man willing to say anything for attention.