Science Greta Thunberg Megathread - Dax Herrera says he wouldn't have a day ago (I somewhat doubt that)

Why is Greta Thunberg so triggering? How can a 16-year-old girl in plaits, who has dedicated herself to the not-exactly sinister, authoritarian plot of trying to save the planet from extinction, inspire such incandescent rage?

Last week, she tweeted that she had arrived into New York after her two week transatlantic voyage: “Finally here. Thank you everyone who came to see me off in Plymouth, and everyone who welcomed me in New York! Now I’m going to rest for a few days, and on Friday I’m going to participate in the strike outside the UN”, before promptly giving a press conference in English. Yes, her second language.

Her remarks were immediately greeted with a barrage of jibes about virtue signalling, and snide remarks about the three crew members who will have to fly out to take the yacht home.

This shouldn’t need to be spelled out, but as some people don’t seem to have grasped it yet, we’ll give it a lash: Thunberg’s trip was an act of protest, not a sacred commandment or an instruction manual for the rest of us. Like all acts of protest, it was designed to be symbolic and provocative. For those who missed the point – and oh, how they missed the point – she retweeted someone else’s “friendly reminder” that: “You don’t need to spend two weeks on a boat to do your part to avert our climate emergency. You just need to do everything you can, with everyone you can, to change everything you can.”

Part of the reason she inspires such rage, of course, is blindingly obvious. Climate change is terrifying. The Amazon is burning. So too is the Savannah. Parts of the Arctic are on fire. Sea levels are rising. There are more vicious storms and wildfires and droughts and floods. Denial is easier than confronting the terrifying truth.

Then there’s the fact that we don’t like being made to feel bad about our life choices. That’s human nature. It’s why we sneer at vegans. It’s why we’re suspicious of sober people at parties. And if anything is likely to make you feel bad about your life choices -- as you jet back home after your third Ryanair European minibreak this season – it’ll be the sight of small-boned child subjecting herself to a fortnight being tossed about on the Atlantic, with only a bucket bearing a “Poo Only Please” sign by way of luxury, in order to make a point about climate change.

But that’s not virtue signalling, which anyone can indulge in. As Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and their-four-private-jets-in-11-days found recently, virtue practising is a lot harder.

Even for someone who spends a lot of time on Twitter, some of the criticism levelled at Thunberg is astonishing. It is, simultaneously, the most vicious and the most fatuous kind of playground bullying. The Australian conservative climate change denier Andrew Bolt called her “deeply disturbed” and “freakishly influential” (the use of “freakish”, we can assume, was not incidental.) The former UKIP funder, Arron Banks, tweeted “Freaking yacht accidents do happen in August” (as above.) Brendan O’Neill of Spiked called her a “millenarian weirdo” (nope, still not incidental) in a piece that referred nastily to her “monotone voice” and “the look of apocalyptic dread in her eyes”.

But who’s the real freak – the activist whose determination has single-handedly started a powerful global movement for change, or the middle-aged man taunting a child with Asperger syndrome from behind the safety of their computer screens?

And that, of course, is the real reason why Greta Thunberg is so triggering. They can’t admit it even to themselves, so they ridicule her instead. But the truth is that they’re afraid of her. The poor dears are terrified of her as an individual, and of what she stands for – youth, determination, change.

She is part of a generation who won’t be cowed. She isn’t about to be shamed into submission by trolls. That’s not actually a look of apocalyptic dread in her eyes. It’s a look that says “you’re not relevant”.

The reason they taunt her with childish insults is because that’s all they’ve got. They’re out of ideas. They can’t dismantle her arguments, because she has science – and David Attenborough – on her side. They can’t win the debate with the persuasive force of their arguments, because these bargain bin cranks trade in jaded cynicism, not youthful passion. They can harangue her with snide tweets and hot take blogposts, but they won’t get a reaction because, frankly, she has bigger worries on her mind.

That’s not to say that we should accept everything Thunberg says without question. She is an idealist who is young enough to see the world in black and white. We need voices like hers. We should listen to what she has to say, without tuning the more moderate voices of dissent out.

Why is Greta Thunberg so triggering? Because of what she represents. In an age when democracy is under assault, she hints at the emergency of new kind of power, a convergence of youth, popular protest and irrefutable science. And for her loudest detractors, she also represents something else: the sight of their impending obsolescence hurtling towards them.

joconnell@irishtimes.com
https://twitter.com/jenoconnell

https://web.archive.org/web/2019090...certain-men-1.4002264?localLinksEnabled=false
Found this thought-provoking indeed.

 

[Grandpa Simpson]

These Braids have nothing to do with little kids, they're either called French Braids or when worn a ring around the head Bauernkrone (Farmers crown).
They were quite common especially in the alpine nations and the nordic states until the early 1970's. Wearing these braids the swedish doom goblin is pandering to the conservative demographic in Europe.
Yulia Timoshenko did wear one on her inauguration as President of the Ukraine.

Spoiler

View attachment 1611836

Originally these braids were worn only by commoners and people of lower nobility, the really became a fad after Empress Elizabeth of Austria-Hungary has worn a braid in public.

You don't think having twin braids is an attempt to look younger than you are?

 

[Mola Ram]

You don't think having twin braids is an attempt to look younger than you are?
View attachment 1612021

The braid thing is certainly interesting, but I have to say I think this is likelier. Greta's audience is us Ugly Americans, with our oil burning trucks and our endangered owl burgers.

 

[Wilhelm Bittrich]

You don't think having twin braids is an attempt to look younger than you are?
View attachment 1612021

No, I don't think so, here in Bavaria Braids are a traditional thing the same as in the Skandinavian countries, that's not based on age or trying to look younger than you are.

But tbh, mentioning Laura Ingals and Pippi Longstocking tells me anything what I need to know about that post, tbh.
Actually posts like the above one only feed the stereotype of Americans who only know superficial world views.
Which is sad tbh.

 

[Grandpa Simpson]

No, I don't think so, here in Bavaria Braids are a traditional thing the same as in the Skandinavian countries, that's not based on age or trying to look younger than you are.

But tbh, mentioning Laura Ingals and Pippi Longstocking tells me anything what I need to know about that post, tbh.
Actually posts like the above one only feed the stereotype of Americans who only know superficial world views.
Which is sad tbh.

Well we know that the US has long been the primary exporter of culture. It's why in some countries you can't show a black man eating chicken. Even though its an Australian Cricketer sharing food with Cricket fans from the West Indies.

 

[Ginger Piglet]

See, I personally think the braids make her more reminiscent of Wednesday Addams, especially combined with her lack of emotional affect.

 

[rocknrollmartian]

No, I don't think so, here in Bavaria Braids are a traditional thing the same as in the Skandinavian countries, that's not based on age or trying to look younger than you are.

But tbh, mentioning Laura Ingals and Pippi Longstocking tells me anything what I need to know about that post, tbh.
Actually posts like the above one only feed the stereotype of Americans who only know superficial world views.
Which is sad tbh.

It's not just the braids, lol; it's the whole malnourished urchin aesthetic and everything else along with the braids. Clearly Greta is still being played up as an innocent kid who must chastise the big bad world. She has to look 12 for as long as possible and act like the protagonist from an overwrought children's book to retain any relevance.

Also, yes, pigtails have a more childish association in the US--that's not a "superficial worldview," just our own cultural perspective--while Greta's attention-whoring family has greatly benefited from her being seen as some sort of autistic wunderkind in the US. I don't think that's entirely a coincidence. They are very calculated, image-obsessed people. Which is sad tbh.

 

[teriyakiburns]

It's not just the braids, lol; it's the whole malnourished urchin aesthetic and everything else along with the braids. Clearly Greta is still being played up as an innocent kid who must chastise the big bad world. She has to look 12 for as long as possible and act like the protagonist from an overwrought children's book to retain any relevance.

Also, yes, pigtails have a more childish association in the US--that's not a "superficial worldview," just our own cultural perspective--while Greta's attention-whoring family has greatly benefited from her being seen as some sort of autistic wunderkind in the US. I don't think that's entirely a coincidence. They are very calculated, image-obsessed people. Which is sad tbh.

Not so much. In Scandinavia, those braids are still commonly worn by adults, and what we might call an androgynous look is fairly normal as well; Swedish women don't typically look like the Swedish bikini team (which is actually American).

 

[Wilhelm Bittrich]

It's not just the braids, lol; it's the whole malnourished urchin aesthetic and everything else along with the braids. Clearly Greta is still being played up as an innocent kid who must chastise the big bad world. She has to look 12 for as long as possible and act like the protagonist from an overwrought children's book to retain any relevance.

Also, yes, pigtails have more a childish association in the US--that's not a "superficial worldview," just our own cultural perspective--while Greta's attention-whoring family has greatly benefited from her being seen as some sort of autistic wunderkind in the US. I don't think that's entirely a coincidence. They are very calculated, image-obsessed people. Which is sad tbh.

When I saw the first picture of Swedens #1 Downs goblin I thought it was a MtF troon child. Seriously.
Tbh, her pimps parents had to move over to the USA because the hype here in Europe died down pretty fast after the first people started to ask inconvenient questions while the US media ( the usual suspects) still was hyping her as the second coming of Christ.
Now she's occasionally mentioned in the "usual" European press/news outlets but even they have reduced the coverage of her to an absolute minimum.
I'm curious what hype train they'll bring up next.

 

[The Door]

Someone is feeling scorned now that she realizes she is a passing fad.

Always the step after being the golden girl, denounce those who put you on that pedestal.

 

[ditto]

Spoiler: Source

I don't get it but old lady Greta looks funny

 

[CWCissey]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Twitter

Countdown until this is someone's avatar!

 

[Ginger Piglet]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Twitter

Countdown until this is someone's avatar!

I might actually watch this because it's clearly not just going to be "blonde man bad, leave voters racist" from wall to wall.

Also, the seethe on twatter just from that is already very promising.

 

[X Prime]

https://twitter.com/godblesstoto/status/1308473727529746434

Silly Spitting Image, you can't make fun of someone advancing a left-wing global agenda!

 

[CWCissey]

https://twitter.com/godblesstoto/status/1308473727529746434

Silly Spitting Image, you can't make fun of someone advancing a left-wing global agenda!

'SPITTING IMAGE ONLY MOCKED THOSE EEEEEEVIL TORIES! THAT'S WHAT IT'S THERE FOR!

Who the fuck is Neil Kinnock?'

 

[Juan's Sombrero]

Tweets in response to this. Why do they try so hard to look the same? I swear, these are two different accounts with the same name.

 

[Snekposter]

I can't see what connection eating meat has with a failed Chinese Bioweapon experiment, but ok, it's the greenies.
But Yes, please go all vegan, so that there's more Jjimdak for me and Ribeye's and Gejang and Samgyeopsal and Burgers and... *starts drooling all over the place*

Dammit man, I just ate and you're still making me want some Korean pork belly.

 

[Ginger Piglet]

View attachment 1619043

Tweets in response to this. Why do they try so hard to look the same? I swear, these are two different accounts with the same name.

View attachment 1619044

I knew, knew, KNEW, this would happen. There's a saying in government and bureaucratic circles that one should never let a crisis go to waste. As such, I knew there were some people who were treating the Chinese Batclap as some sort of dry run for when net zero comes in, to see what restrictions people would put up with.

Also, let's be frank. The people cheerleading "climate lockdowns" and rationing car travel, banning meat, and so forth? They only ever expect it to apply to the little people. Ugh.

The solution to global warming is simple and has been known for decades but is politically unpalatable - massive expansion of nuclear power.

 

[TowinKarz]

They may have realized that nobody is listening to the goblin anymore, because they've stopped trying to put an official spokesperson out there now and are just saying "It's global warming and we won't let you say any different."

They've tacitly dropped any pretense that US wildfires are anything BUT "manmade climate change" now, and anyone who suggests they're the fault of arson and bad forestry practice (ironically started by greens) are treated as conspiracy theories.

Every headline now practically says "Wildfires burn another thousand acres, was it racism or man-made climate change?"

And any attempt to argue the point gets your social media accounts turned off.

The only debate allowed is how much you have to give up to the government to pay penance for your folly,

 

[Wilhelm Bittrich]

They may have realized that nobody is listening to the goblin anymore, because they've stopped trying to put an official spokesperson out there now and are just saying "It's global warming and we won't let you say any different."

“Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups" - George Carlin
“Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest motives.” - Oscar Wilde

They've tacitly dropped any pretense that US wildfires are anything BUT "manmade climate change" now, and anyone who suggests they're the fault of arson and bad forestry practice (ironically started by greens) are treated as conspiracy theories.

It's not an US problem to be honest, that's a global problem, it's either arson (Hey, members of the city council, now that the forrest is gone we can redesignate the area for real estate,can we? *shoves envelope over the table*) or some dumbfuck throwing his cigarette out of the car while driving. Than you have wild camping and the idiots having a campfire, right in the middle of a total dried up forrest and so on and so forth. Sure there are wildfires caused by natural causes like lightning strike and so on but those are rather the exception than the rule.
If all the stupid idiots on this planet would drop dead by tomorrow morning the population would drop would be so massive it would solve both overpopulation and global hunger at the same time.

 

[RandomTwitterGuy]

“Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups" - George Carlin
“Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest motives.” - Oscar Wilde




It's not an US problem to be honest, that's a global problem, it's either arson (Hey, members of the city council, now that the forrest is gone we can redesignate the area for real estate,can we? *shoves envelope over the table*) or some dumbfuck throwing his cigarette out of the car while driving. Than you have wild camping and the idiots having a campfire, right in the middle of a total dried up forrest and so on and so forth. Sure there are wildfires caused by natural causes like lightning strike and so on but those are rather the exception than the rule.
If all the stupid idiots on this planet would drop dead by tomorrow morning the population would drop would be so massive it would solve both overpopulation and global hunger at the same time.

yeah, but this place would be so empty.