AIBU Greta Thunberg?

[onalongsabbatical]

AIBU to ask everyone who can to get behind Greta Thunberg, even if only online, as she's now getting a lot a lot a lot of hate. She clearly threatens people - especially her polar opposites, men, rich old men, powerful men (did I mention men?). Let's all give her the lurve and support she needs.
So on FB I challenged one just now - Why are you attacking a young woman? - and he disappeared. Funny, that.

Why is she vulnerable? She’s 16,can stand up and make impassioned speeches in front of crowds, sailed across the ocean in a small yacht,sat in front of the Swedish parliament alone protesting....

Not sure I’d have the strength for half of that.

Maybe she’s strong and knows her own mind.

There is a big societal investment in empowering young people by encouraging participation in civic life, both at home and abroad.

That’s great I guess when young people can give speeches on work experience - I.e. something they know about. Good experience for them.

It’s less great when they are preaching and panicking about climate change which is an unbelievably complex issue with no straightforward solution. But we seem to be in the grip of a kind of mass hysteria in which (particularly) middle class people have lost any kind of perspective.

Have all the Greta-lovers on these marches cleaned up their own act at home? Because as far as I can see the streets are more packed with massive cars than ever, the airports as full of families going away on holiday and people are still happily guzzling takeaway coffees from Costa. All of which is fine as far as I’m concerned but I wonder how committed. all these wonderful young people and their supportive parents are about taking the kind of action they think is needed in their own lives. Or is it good enough just to take a day off school to shout at the government to sort everything out?

It’s not as if people need to be forced to go on a strike considering the seriousness of what we’re facing.

As I said dh’s company closed and went on Friday and judging by SM so did many others in London. No one is paying them, or any other type of influence to make them do that other than the good old snowball effect.

What’s more bizarre that people on here post as they do given that their own children are the ones who’ll have it worse.

But no better to not do anything especially if it’s a 16 year old upstart girl - with autism don’t forget that.

I'm not looking for global conspiracy at all. I am a 100% climate change believer.
Its more around the promotions of a child and wondering where THAT is coming from

Because she started the strikes

The pp who claimed she didn’t didn’t provide an alternative name

She didn't start the strikes.

The media did by promoting a single child standing outside of a school.

Why is she vulnerable?

A child who has suffered from debilitating depression, anxiety, selective mutism, anorexia, diagnosed with Asperger’s, now front and centre of an international mass protest movement, fawned over by leaders politicians, equally adored and reviled by the public, in the age of social media?

What could possibly go wrong?

She started it by sitting outside Swedish parliament not a school.

Where was the first one? Who was there?

Parliament, apologies.

Still the media.

Because she started the strikes

Indeed. This is a picture of her striking outside the Swedish Parliament long before anyone else joined her. I think she knows her own mind.

Indeed. This is a picture of her striking outside the Swedish Parliament

once again, media or whoever crafted this artful photo

A child who has suffered from debilitating depression, anxiety, selective mutism, anorexia,

Yes all that brought on by the realisation that no one was paying attention to the humanitarian crisis that will soon unfold.

I’d say that was a pretty appropriate response.

Opalinski you still haven’t said who did start them don’t you think they’d have said something? No, because as any article on her says she was the first one to do it.

Then her friends joined her.

Of course the photo is done at a later time. She was alone on the first strike that’s the point.

*Yes all that brought on by the realisation that no one was paying attention to the humanitarian crisis that will soon unfold.

I’d say that was a pretty appropriate response.*

Would that have been your reaction to her if she was your 11 year old? That this was an “appropriate response”?

Opalinski you still haven’t said who did start them don’t you think they’d have said something?

er, the media. Again.

Ok so what happened?

Someone in the media said we need to find a girl and put her in front of the steps on a Friday - lets choose Greta she sounds good

I'll just pop my rose coloured glasses back on and head off to work. Sorry, I'm in a particularly media cynical mood this morning.

Come on with your ers how does the media do this - auditions?

Just explain how it works rather than the media

Ok so not ‘the media’ then. Not someone else. But Greta - so that’s why she is interviewed and in the press.

Just shows what people will rail against you can see it in this thread let alone what prompted the op to start it

Would that have been your reaction to her if she was your 11 year old?
The same as her parents, get involved, do something. Social activism has been shown to be good for mental health.

once again, media or whoever crafted this artful photo

It’s been credited to a photographer named Adam Johansson.

I’m really not sure how that takes away from her argument? I’m sure Greta wanted all the publicity she could get.

If she hadn’t courted publicity there wouldn’t have been millions marching to save the planet. But when she does court it she’s accused of attention seeking.

Of course she’s attention seeking. The issue needs attention!

Seriously, the arguments people come out with to oppose change are incredible. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t!

It’s a bizarre human trait to rail against your a movement highlighting a crisis you face, or worse your children. Petty human emotions win over.

Against a movement etc

One thing going for young people they don’t cringe and shy away from everything to do with the environment - their future after all they should start shouting about it.