Why do old white men hate Greta Thunberg so much?

[MotherOfDragonite]

My 65 year old uncle and friends of a similar age (and also white, though not necessarily all British -- others are American, German and Australian) seem to talk about her an awful lot with great vitriol and hatred.

They seem to have shared views about climate change, but I still can't understand why they hate Greta so much. Not only do they comment on her, but they post unpleasant memes about her. While I understand that they fundamentally disagree with the concept of climate change, I don't really understand why a 16 year old girl with Aspergers, who does not live in the UK and who clearly has good intentions even if they disagree with them, is the focus of so much of their ire.

What is it about Greta that older men find so very "triggering"?

She needs to shut up and sit down or DO something rather than just talking

I have no idea why GT makes some people froth like they are on this thread - I guess it can only be guilt.

IMO lots of men, even those who aren’t overtly misogynistic and would claim they’re all for equality, become actually quite angry about women who don’t fit into a stereotype. They can cope with strong women as long as they fit the strong and sexy stereotype because they can imagine shagging them.

They can cope with intelligent women as long as those women also display traditionally “feminine” traits or demonstrate their intelligence in a way that also considers the ego of the male.

What they can’t deal with is a young, confident, ordinary looking young women who speaks bluntly and doesn’t spend time flattering their egos. That results in anger and resentment and the need to put her in her place with belittling and derogatory comments.

I do agree with this 100%.

Also, like a few other posters, I think it's pretty disgusting to say why do all 'old white men' hate Greta?

As a number of posters have said, replace the word 'White' with 'Black' or 'Asian,' and the thread would have been deleted. It's also ageist.

Struggling to get why it's not been deleted actually.

FYI I do like Greta!

Could there also be a level of ageism and sexism in the reaction to her?

Ooof the irony!

OP in your narrow-minded view you seem to think that posters are only calling 'racism" because you've said 'white' which isn't the case. You can't fathom that the very language you've used is racist (sexist and ageist too) and that perpetuating the use of language in this way affects everyone whatever colour they may be.

koshkat

I have no idea why GT makes some people froth like they are on this thread

This is why it is never discussed and why people "hate" her.

the use of language to describe anyone that doesn't automatically agree to what she says is ridiculous.
And look at where that attitude has got us so far, Trump, Brexit, another conservative government.

FFS it really is about time that people learnt that talking and not instantly dismissing people's POV actually gets us somewhere.

The bar for an older white wealthy man to be attacked is set extremely high. They do get attacked but the circumstances almost have to be extreme for it to happen.

Boris Johnson and Donald Trump have the kind of sketchy histories that would have the Daily Mail and Sun writing hourly attacking articles and Twitter going into meltdown if a poorer person or person of colour dared to become Mayor of a large town let alone PM or president. Even Trump said he could shoot someone on stage and he’d still be made President. All Hillary had to do was have a shrill voice and not use her emails properly. When Diane Abbott, shadow Home Secretary got figures wrong she was destroyed. When the actual Chancellor of the Exchequer got his figures wrong, we barely heard a word about it.

@EJ96 absolutely agree. It's absolute madness that racism is fine towards white people but you've got to tread on eggshells the other way round. Total double standards. If the post said old black men people would be going out of their mind and would be removed straight away.

Women are seen as a soft touch an easy target, predators gonna predate, they can't help themselves, see a weakness, put the boot in

Racism is about power structures in society though isn't it?

Tellmetruth4

and you ignore my point about not being allowed to say anything against the narrative that greta puts forward without being shouted down.

koshkat
Racism is about power structures in society though isn't it?

Only if you put forward that definition as the only one.

It’s pure identity politics. IMO.

Trump’s most popular fanbase is old white men.

Black people were more likely to vote Obama.

It’s not absolute of course but a tendency. People are more likely to vote for/identify with people who look like themselves, probably because they are more likely to reflect their interests.

And Greta is pretty much opposed to the interests of old conservative white men who are also more likely to be in climate change denial. And even when they’re not they still criticise her style. Look at our beloved Piers “I believe Climate Change needs to addressed but not in such an angry way” Morgan.

On a meta level I think there is a certain subconscious pride amongst white men that their group invented all the stuff that drove the industrial revolution. Look how all those MRAs like to bang on about having invented civilisation. And the Industrial Revolution was essentially what started us on this path to self-destruction.

And what Tellmetruth4 said also

Absolutely about different standards being applied to us - Boris can leave a trail of babies behind him, Trump can ogle his older daughter but if a woman gets her maths wrong or dresses for comfort and utility its wolfpack time!

I got this shit at university. Was a strange coincidence despite being the only person in the group who ever communicated with anyone via email and shared their written work or showed any accountability I got the worst mark in the group when the project was revealed to be the shitshow I warned staff that it was I happened to be the only woman and the youngest as well!

She's obviously not very popular in Australia:

'Greta Thunberg is 'a miserable child manipulated by adults' 03/12/19

www.skynews.com.au/details/_6111894394001

'People are tired' of the 'Greta Thunberg show' 17/12/19

www.skynews.com.au/details/_6116356666001

Those Australian articles are from Sky News owned by Murdoch so I would 100% expect them to come at her.

For some reason they haven’t got so much to say about Gina Rinehart the Australian mining billionaire.

(Trump) Absolutely about different standards being applied to us...if a woman gets her maths wrong or dresses for comfort and utility its wolfpack time!

Your comparison doesn't work - Donald Trump must be the most ridiculed man in history - for his looks, what he says...

I would say the 'wolves' are after him.

Trump still has a large fanbase as does Boris. Thing is people gravitate to charismatic bullies because they (a) might get rich if they act like them and (b) if you brown-tongue them you might not get picked on.

He still has a remarkably high approval rating in much of the US.

Trying to frame critiscm in an IDPOL stack way, is precisely the reason she was pushed by her parents initially and the media afterwards.

I really like her. I like her forthright manner and the tone. It gets people’s backs up- that’s OK in this case as she not discriminatory etc. It’s good to get people talking and thinking. If she was a quiet little mouse, all softly softly, sweetly cajoling no one would have taken any nonsense.

Trump still has a large fan base as does Boris.

Yes, but that doesn't mean the media let them off the hook.

Thing is people gravitate to charismatic bullies

Personally I don't find Donald Trump charismatic at all - I tend to cringe when I hear him speak - on the other hand I don't think Boris Johnson is a bully. Even his critics say this about him:

"brilliant, warm, funny"...
"Coupled with his self-deprecating personal style, he disarms and charms"...
"every time I felt I was in a rage with him about something, he disarms me"...

Winning someone over with charm isn't bullying.

Greta's uncompromising and has highlighted climate change like no other individual. Her abrasive personality won't endear her - not sure she cares. Her message is of FAR greater importance. Following generations may revere her as a 21st century saviour who spread the word..

I don't think her personality is abrasive, she apologizes when she is wrong about something and when a phrase she used 'up against a wall' caused a stir, she explained it means something different in her native Swedish - it means to make someone accountable for their actions not to execute them.

It is possible to be charming and a bully - isn't that what grooming is?

I can’t stand her, I’m 55 and White. My DD cant bear her either, she’s 30 and White.

Old, white, rich (small c) conservative men are an unusual demographic when it comes to their attitude to risk, taking it less seriously than other groups. They are also less likely to 'believe' in anthropogenic climate change or to think it will affect them. That's according to research done at Yale on American men. Perhaps this is part of the reason for what you notice about attitudes to Greta. Personally, I think she is great and has made a huge difference. It will take all of us to fight this and she is doing more than her fair share and more than I would want a child to have to do. Anyone spreading vitriol about her needs to take a look at themselves.