Greta Thunberg - brave campaigner or deeply disturbed?

[crescent]

No..

No more than: " Hey all you adults out there. You need to save my planet for me. "

That's a pretty reasonable request for a child to make. It's like a kid in a car asking the adult driver to not drive so recklessly.

Someday, her generation will be in the driver's seat. But for now, our generations are driving the world, not her generation. So asking us to not recklessly cause so much damage is pretty reasonable.

 

[Minoosh]

Evidence of what?

That the human species is doomed?

Seems so to me..

Why should we be an exception?

Evidence?

Actually that is a fairly honest response. Only one issue. When you're 70, you can look at all this more dispassionately than it might be to, say, a 10-year-old. I do a lot of work with kids; "don't bother humanity is *******" isn't a very helpful stance. We owe it to the kids to presume there's a future ... because what is the alternative? Just telling them they're ******? I don't think that's very constructive behavior. Do you have kids? What do you tell them?

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Strange how a teenage girl scares so many people.

And it's strange how many people on the internet know her so intimately.

 

[Skeptical Greg]

oops.. Double post..

 

[Skeptical Greg]

... Just telling them they're ******? I don't think that's very constructive behavior. Do you have kids? What do you tell them?

I hear you.. I'm 70 and a teacher's assistant in an elementary school..

I'm working on the assumption that this is an older audience..

 

[Ziggurat]

Like she really could do this all by herself.

Who said anything about doing it all herself?

Also: it's not unusual for prodigies to end formal schooling for whatever reason. I graduated HS at age 15 with more than a semester of college coursework. It's not all that unusual.

What field do you imagine she's a prodigy in? Fame?

Provide evidence for your claim and I'll do the same. Short version, I'm basing my opinion on how she comports herself. And you? What do you base your opinion on?

Same thing, strangely enough.

 

[Skeptical Greg]

That's a pretty reasonable request for a child to make. It's like a kid in a car asking the adult driver to not drive so recklessly.

Someday, her generation will be in the driver's seat. But for now, our generations are driving the world, not her generation. So asking us to not recklessly cause so much damage is pretty reasonable.

I don't disagree with you..


Reasonable, but unrealistic requests are not confined to any particular age group, but they tend to diminish with age..

 

[Arcade22]

And this presumption some have that a 16-year-old can't have reached her state without parental manipulation is very odd to me.

She's at the typical age where youth become engaged in political and social issues. Dismissing her as a "kid" is at the height of arrogance and a sign of a lack of respect.

 

[applecorped]

She should stop Hogging the limelight

 

[Ziggurat]

She's at the typical age where youth become engaged in political and social issues. Dismissing her as a "kid" is at the height of arrogance and a sign of a lack of respect.

This doesn't actually make any sense. Yes, she's still a kid. That's not disrespectful, that's normal. Yes, kids can be "engaged" in political and social issues. But why does "engagement" qualify anyone to speak at the UN? Why does "engagement" get you on international news?

She's a prop. The people pushing her into the limelight are doing so for their own reasons, not hers. And the fact that she's just a kid is not only not an impediment from their perspective, it's the entire point. And it's unhealthy.

 

[a_unique_person]

This doesn't actually make any sense. Yes, she's still a kid. That's not disrespectful, that's normal. Yes, kids can be "engaged" in political and social issues. But why does "engagement" qualify anyone to speak at the UN? Why does "engagement" get you on international news?



She's a prop. The people pushing her into the limelight are doing so for their own reasons, not hers. And the fact that she's just a kid is not only not an impediment from their perspective, it's the entire point. And it's unhealthy.

Listening to her speech to the UN she seems to know exactly what she wants to do and why.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

All your self- righteous grown-ups: you've borrowed trillions from your kids, and you pretend that they have no right to complain?
Pathetic.

 

[Minoosh]

I hear you.. I'm 70 and a teacher's assistant in an elementary school..

I'm working on the assumption that this is an older audience..

I'm not that great at projecting a reality I don't believe in. I have to have some world view between "everything's fine" and "we're *******" that I can authentically buy into.

 

[Checkmite]

" Hey all you adults out there. You need to save my planet for me. "

That's not self-important, that's just an objective read of the climate situation.

 

[Minoosh]

Who said anything about doing it all herself?

You concluded she wants other people to change the world for her. As if a lone teenager could do it on her own.

What field do you imagine she's a prodigy in? Fame?

Advocacy.

Same thing, strangely enough.

At what age do you think it's appropriate to launch an effort to change public opinion?

Eighteen? 21? 47?

What do you base this on?

 

[BobTheCoward]

At what age do you think it's appropriate to launch an effort to change public opinion?

Eighteen? 21? 47?

What do you base this on?

Never. Experts can provide positive models for people to form their own opinion.

Basis: my general rejection of normative economics while studying econ and math.

 

[Minoosh]

Never. Experts can provide positive models for people to form their own opinion.

Basis: my general rejection of normative economics while studying econ and math.

I'm not even sure what that means.

ETA: Expertise is looked upon with grave suspicion in some circles. Why would we listen to experts? They think they know so much with their fancy models and university degrees. Meanwhile today was unseasonably cool, which proves ... uh, nothing.

 

[a_unique_person]

Never. Experts can provide positive models for people to form their own opinion.

Basis: my general rejection of normative economics while studying econ and math.

The experts have been telling us about this for 30 years now.


Along comes a 16 year old and everyone is listening.



I think it is problem with the audience.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Here's an interesting and highly accurate take on the negative reactions to Greta Thunberg:

Attacks on Greta Thunberg Come from a Coordinated Network of Climate Change Deniers

Excerpt:



Far-right wanna-be fascists don't like an outspoken female who might affect their bottom line, no surprise there.

And on the other side of the pond:

I am so not surprised. And look at some of the people in this forum who just suck that stuff up like it's evidence based gospel.

 

[Minoosh]

The experts have been telling us about this for 30 years now.


Along comes a 16 year old and everyone is listening.



I think it is problem with the audience.

It's worse than that: Earth Day was launched 50 years ago. In a way visible smog was preferable. People could literally see what was going on. It's harder to convince people that human activity is changing the atmosphere when the gases involved are invisible and odorless. IIRC I started hearing about "greenhouse gases" in grade school.

Most of the atmosphere is within 10 miles of Earth. That doesn't leave a lot of margin for error.