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Original poster

Why do old white men hate Greta Thunberg so much?

705 replies

MotherOfDragonite · 21/12/2019 15:57

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"?

OP posts:
malylis · 27/12/2019 11:30

Um have you not seen her on every news channel? In every paper (even the Mail!).

I don't think the youth protests and lots of other protests would have got as much response.

You aren't offering any data, only supposition.

Be objective, you have already said that the movement was going on before Greta (well the youth movement wasn't in the same way) did it get as much attention?

You just like denying it because it proves your points wrong.

BoneyBackJefferson · 27/12/2019 11:35

malylis
Um have you not seen her on every news channel? In every paper (even the Mail!).

As I don't every news channel etc. no

I don't think the youth protests and lots of other protests would have got as much response.

You think! so not a fact.

You aren't offering any data, only supposition.

The same as you then.

Be objective,

Pot, kettle

you have already said that the movement was going on before Greta (well the youth movement wasn't in the same way) did it get as much attention?

Except for when greta is at the UN, etc. I would say that it is about the same.

You just like denying it because it proves your points wrong.

You have yet to prove any of your points right or even as facts.

malylis · 27/12/2019 11:49

She has been on everything from the BBC to fox and back.

My facts are correct, there was in no way such a mass number of people protesting and engaging in the climate change debate prior to Greta. Tell me when millions of young people protested on different continents at the same time before her? Were those events inspired by her or not? They were, that's a fact. No supposition, not anecdote.

You have yet to come up with a decent rebuttal, just waffle and credulous arguments.

In no way was climate change as much on the agenda before, as I said a good comparison is to compare the run up to the elections in 15 and 17 where it didn't attract any attention. This time we had a whole leaders debate on it.

BoneyBackJefferson · 27/12/2019 12:02

malylis
She has been on everything from the BBC to fox and back.

Wouldn't know but then I'm not a fangirl.

My facts are correct, there was in no way such a mass number of people protesting and engaging in the climate change debate prior to Greta.

How do you know? Do you have the corresponding data to hand? Have you been tracking the numbers of those that protested before and those that protest now?

The only protests that greta has inspired are the school strike protests. How do we know this? because she started them.
Do we know how many took part in them? No we don't.

You have yet to come up with a decent rebuttal, just waffle and credulous arguments.

You have yet to come up with a decent argument,just waffle and credulous arguments.

This time we had a whole leaders debate on it.

And you think that this was entirely down to greta, and had nothing to do with protesters shutting down the middle of London? It is supposition to think that it was entirely down to greta and supposition to think that ER protests are linked to her.

malylis · 27/12/2019 12:20

"wouldn't know am not a fangirl"

Its general news, on every channel.

We have estimates of how many people took part in the school strike protests, it runs into millions, and you can only estimate how many people take part in protests as they don't do headcounts.

We can compare these protests and the numbers estimated with previous ones, and yes they are larger.

I think the movement inspired by Greta has a hige amount to do with climate change being a much more important part of the political agenda. Campaigners like E.R have pulled similar stunts for years and it hasn't caused as much attention

malylis · 27/12/2019 12:24

You also realise Greta has inolvement with E.R right? Just one thing they did was to project her speech onto the House of Commons.

But no, they exist in a vacuum completely separately.

Aaarrgghhh · 27/12/2019 12:35

How is your mental health impacted by trying to consume less or to be more eco friendly? We all need to change our consumption habits in order to make a difference.

You didn’t read what you replied to.

malylis · 27/12/2019 12:40

I did read what I replied to, mostly a jumble of words that didn't actually explain how trying to be more eco friendly was detrimental to her mental health.

BoneyBackJefferson · 27/12/2019 13:24

malylis

Its general news, on every channel.

When was the last time she was one, would that be the lie from the German train?

We have estimates ...

We can compare these protests and the numbers estimated with previous ones, and yes they are larger.

So no facts, just an estimate.

I think the movement inspired by Greta has a hige amount to do with climate change being a much more important part of the political agenda. Campaigners like E.R have pulled similar stunts for years and it hasn't caused as much attention

Again opinion put forth as a fact. At least own it as such.

But no, they exist in a vacuum completely separately.

At least one thing that we agree on.

larrygrylls · 27/12/2019 13:48

The problem is that inchoate protests that don’t recognise any hard decisions or sacrifices that need to be made are just ‘all sound and fury, signifying nothing’.

When I see the young people giving up their phones, choosing to turn the heating down and walking more and using (parents’) cars less, I might be prepared to listen.

Being adult is about learning to compromise. There are so many threads on here where people justify their Range Rovers (in cities) and multiple foreign holidays every year. Look at the howls of anguish about Erasmus going when Brexit happens, a scheme to increase travel for students, and the middle classes helping to plan their children’s gap years. And we want to tell the Chinese to eat less meat!

Real progress using regulations and incentives to align people’s innate selfishness to achieve long term altruistic goals, something the UK is doing remarkably well at.

Greta is just symptomatic of our selfish age, wanting to scream and scream until somebody else does something...

malylis · 27/12/2019 13:53

They obviously don't exist in a vacuum as evidenced by Greta speaking to E.R rallies and them projecting one of her speeches onto the HoC.

Millions did come out in protest. Fact. As part of the movement Greta started. No accurate rebuttal again

Who sets regulations? Oh yes that would be the people in power whom Greta is putting.pressure on.

The frankly pathetic attacks on her, and young people here are laughable.

malylis · 27/12/2019 13:56

I hate this "when I see young people" thing too, all the young people I know who are into climate change activism are walkers, who use public transport and don't drive. Who use recyclable everything, avoid plastics, eat little if any meat and many other positive things.

Its simply a crap tu quoque argument that doesn't address the points they are making.

larrygrylls · 27/12/2019 14:00

Malyis,

So how has Greta changed your family’s behaviour? Honestly?

How many cars do you have? Do you all have phones? Have you flown for leisure in the past 12 months? What temp is your house right now?

It is so easy to hit a ‘like’ box on social media but much harder to make real change happen. Look at the Green Party in this country, 1 seat.

larrygrylls · 27/12/2019 14:02

And what actual points are they making, then, apart from demanding impossible dates for the UK to be carbon neutral?

Aaarrgghhh · 27/12/2019 14:44

malylis If you actually read it and still don’t understand the point made then unfortunately, you’re stupid.

malylis · 27/12/2019 15:08

Yeah am stupid.

Compliment from any of the anti Greta lot on this page.

malylis · 27/12/2019 15:12

wah my house is a cluttered mess because I can't find ways to adequately dispose of stuff (fucking easy).

MarshaBradyo · 27/12/2019 15:14

I don’t mind her she gets a lot of ire not just from white older males. I’m surprised they spend time in putting her down actually.

malylis · 27/12/2019 15:18

Tu quoque Larry.

Great debate skills. I've already said lots of people I know have made significant life changes since the campaigns started, others on this thread have noticed this too

Aaarrgghhh · 27/12/2019 15:38

I’m not anti Greta lol. You are clearly a huge fan though.

BoneyBackJefferson · 27/12/2019 15:50

malylis
They obviously don't exist in a vacuum as evidenced by Greta speaking to E.R rallies and them projecting one of her speeches onto the HoC.

We have agreed on this point move on.

Millions did come out in protest. Fact.

Estimation not fact

As part of the movement Greta started. No accurate rebuttal again

As part of the school strikes? Or as part of the whole green movement which you seem to be crediting her with starting?

Who sets regulations? Oh yes that would be the people in power whom Greta is putting.pressure on.

She is trying to put pressure on but what are the results of this pressure?

The frankly pathetic attacks on her, and young people here are laughable.

I haven't attacked her, I am trying to get you to think and prove your point, which you are failing to do.

larrygrylls · 27/12/2019 16:16

‘Tu quoque’ just seems an excuse for errant hypocrisy. Sure, if you had an affair years ago, you could (semi legitimately) tell someone they were wrong to have an affair but if you are still shagging around behind your spouse’s back, you really cannot lecture others on faithfulness!

It is not a school debate, if you want to tell others to be greener, you have to lead by example.

malylis · 27/12/2019 18:06

It is a fine point to make because it addresses the fact than rather than dealing with the debate you are attacking me.

Millions did come out in protest, the estimate is simply a question of how many. Have you seen estimates that it was significantly less?

The results of the pressure are that climate change is higher on the agenda than it was, Macron and others are pledging funding, others are making plans for being carbon neutral by x date, many of these things said in response to protests directly.

I have proved my point repeatedlym

BoneyBackJefferson · 27/12/2019 18:29

malylis

You haven't proved your point repeatedly because alot of this was on the cards before greta came on the scene.

I haven't attacked you I am questioning your points.

malylis · 27/12/2019 18:44

The youth movement was not on the cards before Greta came on the scene. As I said within the last 4 years we have had 3 elections its only the one since the youth movement started that has had climate change near the top of the political agenda.

You keep stating that these things were happening before, give me examples of similar sized protests, Give me examples of other campaigners who attracted such publicity.