Guest essay by Eric Worrall
According to New York Times, the Greta effect is bypassing climate skeptics and reaching everyone who matters.
How the Climate Kids Are Short-Circuiting Right-Wing Media
Young people like Greta Thunberg are participating in the culture wars while also managing to float above the fray.
By Charlie Warzel
Mr. Warzel is an Opinion writer at large.
Sept. 26, 2019The kids aren’t just all right they’re scrambling the brains of their political enemies.
…Ms. Thunberg has been the primary target of this vitriol. On Saturday, the pro-Trump media figure Dinesh D’Souza likened Ms. Thunberg to models in Nazi propaganda. Videos of her speeches have been edited to replace her voice with Adolf Hitler’s. On Fox News on Monday evening, the Daily Wire pundit Michael Knowles called Ms. Thunberg who is open about being on the autism spectrum “a mentally ill Swedish child who is being exploited by her parents.” (Fox News issued an apology and called the comment disgraceful.)
…
She does not allow her message that the youth of the world have been betrayed by past generations’ inaction on climate change to be co-opted by fawning lawmakers, and she dismisses their praise for her as a tragic role reversal that forces her to be the adult in a room of well-dressed children. And she seems keenly aware that her rivals’ critiques are merely efforts to divert her attention. It seems they will cross every possible line to avert the focus, since they are so desperate not to talk about the climate and ecological crisis, she wrote of her haters on Twitter on Wednesday.
The usual tactics of the right-wing media break down in the face of this type of resolve. While outrage campaigns intended to work the refs and appeal to fears of appearing partisan may work with lawmakers or companies in Silicon Valley, the youth climate movement appears wholly unmoved. While the levers for climate progress proposed by solutions like a Green New Deal are undoubtedly political, the broader movement’s desire an inhabitable earth for all is far from partisan. The stakes, as the movement sees it, are too high to focus attention on the trolls. And the pressure, from conservative pundits and Breitbart contributors, doesn’t just get dismissed, it goes unnoticed.…
In other words, it’s not that the right can’t attack the climate kids because of their age. Rather, it’s that because of their age, the right’s attacks feel especially feeble.
Read more (paywalled): https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/26/opinion/climate-change-greta-thunberg.html
The factor Charlie is ignoring is the Greta effect only works on people who already believe climate change is a problem. I doubt Charlie has met anyone in his personal circle who doesn’t believe Greta is a new Joan of Arc. Perhaps he thinks criticism of Greta and climate skepticism is a right wing fabrication, unrepresentative of society as a whole.
In my opinion Greta is a polarizing figure, who does nothing to build bipartisan support for climate action. She energises believers, but horrifies skeptics, who are reminded of society’s failure to protect a vulnerable child every time she appears on the media.
”It seems they will cross every possible line to avert the focus, since they are so desperate not to talk about the climate and ecological crisis”
Funny how far left extremists and their supportives idiots toss any moderate leftist or centrist into the right wing / alt-right group when they don’t chant the right song.
Nearly 30 years ago we had the first child protester speech in front of the UN. And the world continue to thrive.
https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/climate-change/nearly-30-years-before-greta-thunberg-a-12yearold-girl-shamed-world-leaders-at-the-united-nations/news-story/8e99d7fce5e0abae106ce73baa5209b7
Greta needs to camp out in Montana this weekend and give a report on the future of the climate.
Ten reasons why Greta is a fraud…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jpk8Ix1CCg
Ralph
Ralfellis… what a brilliant video 😀
watched your link; was very impressed! Took issue with just one very small part; that where he tries to give Greta’s family the benefit of the doubt, because:
“…Arrhenius [Greta’s great great uncle?] involved himself in the eugenics movement by joining the Swedish Society for Racial Hygiene, a group focused on researching and promoting the benefits of controlled reproduction in humans (Broberg & Roll-Hansen, 2005). This society was formed in 1909 in an attempt to popularize eugenics and encourage policy changes to promote eugenics (Bjorkman & Widmalm, 2010).
Arrhenius was not only a member; he was on the board for the society (Broberg & Roll-Hansen, 2005). The society gave lectures and handed out pro-eugenic pamphlets to the public, but because it was illegal for them to discuss any method of birth control, the group was thought to have limited influence overall (Broberg & Roll-Hansen, 2005)…”
“…the benefits of controlled reproduction in humans…”
http://eugenicsarchive.ca/discover/tree/531b4346132156674b0001ed
And the whole picture of the Climate Change religion would not be complete without the masses chanting to a Virgin priestess:
Someone left this comment: Great they picked a girl that scares me more then actual climate change. I can almost see a t-shirt with that on it. /sarc
The producer of that video is right: she’s a pawn in this mess and she’s being used, and when she’s no longer useful, she’ll disappear from public view completely.
This just becomes more and more disgusting.
Indeed! I’ve reposted it on the Corbett Report but with a caveat:
corbettreport.com/mother-nature-demands-child-sacrifice-propagandawatch/ :
“…the benefits of controlled reproduction in humans…”
“…Arrhenius [Greta’s great great uncle?] involved himself in the eugenics movement by joining the Swedish Society for Racial Hygiene, a group focused on researching and promoting the benefits of controlled reproduction in humans (Broberg & Roll-Hansen, 2005). This society was formed in 1909 in an attempt to popularize eugenics and encourage policy changes to promote eugenics (Bjorkman & Widmalm, 2010).
Arrhenius was not only a member; he was on the board for the society (Broberg & Roll-Hansen, 2005). The society gave lectures and handed out pro-eugenic pamphlets to the public, but because it was illegal for them to discuss any method of birth control, the group was thought to have limited influence overall (Broberg & Roll-Hansen, 2005)…”
“…the benefits of controlled reproduction in humans…”
http://eugenicsarchive.ca/discover/tree/531b4346132156674b0001ed
As I recall he was also on the board designating the Nobel prize winners…might explain why Greta is currently a nominee?
And the whole picture of the Climate Change religion would not be complete without the masses chanting to a Virgin priestess:
sorry for the accidental repost.
In the interest of exactitude (if not pertinence) I’d just add the following:
Well, it turns out Greta is only a distant relative of Svante Arrhenius who I alleged, that in addition to eugenics, had been very active in choosing Nobel prize laureates. And though this has nothing to do with why Greta’s been nominated (the whyfors being pretty obvious I think), the encyclopedia britannica would seem to confirm Arrhenius’ Nobel prize activities:
“…Arrhenius was a member of the Nobel Committee for Physics of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences from 1901 to 1927, and he had a decisive influence on the awarding of Nobel Prizes in physics and chemistry during most of that period. He also participated in drawing up the statutes of the Nobel Foundation (1900).
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Svante-Arrhenius
II watched that video all the way through. I do not remember the Suzuki girl from 1992, probably because I was too busy earning a living and it received no notice in local papers or on local TV. But her prediction was that the world would end in 12 years, and yet, here we are, 27 years later, without much in the way of change except for better emissions controls on vehicles, and more efficient energy production. So why hasn’t the world ended yet, Suzuki? WHY? And what happened to her, anyway?
This is exactly the same thing, exploiting some kid who is afflicted with something she can’t help, taking advantage of that in her to drive a false message that is supposed to strike fear into people, and it does NOT DO THAT. And what’s Greta’s goalpost? 12 years, again? Okay, I’ll still be around by then so I expect to see maybe more snow in my area in the winter, more rain, and probably a few hot days in July, just like this year, but that’s about it. In 2031, I expect things to be pretty much the same as they are now.
This just becomes more and more appalling as it goes on. And those “elites”??? They’re about as elite as a bowl of Mississippi mud, which, frankly, is FAR more useful than any of them.
So in 12 years, maybe I can put together a class action suit of some kind, to punish them for lying their behinds off about this whole business, and costing tax payers a lot more than those bozos are worth.
There’s another aspect to this, which I find very, very disturbing, and it is that this is the start of a death cult in a nascent stage. Follow me, don’t be afraid, and don’t talk to the man behind the curtain, just go straight ahead and WHAM!!!
I appreciate the fact that the people who put WUWT together are willing to provide access to this material. Without knowing about it. we’re doomed.
N.B.: the video I refer to is the “10 Reasons Greta is a Fraud’ video. I”ve copied that link to post it elsewhere and spread the word.
Whatever did happen to the Suzuki girl, anyway?
An excellent video that pulls a great many political, economic and social threads together. As some have been yelling for years, the global warming scam is just one woven into a very large tapestry of deceit.
Thanks for the link.
I’ve had great fun at the the uni these days playing short video clips for my ESL students: 2 minutes of Greta’s “How Dare You” rant and then two minutes of Nurse Nayirah’s testimony. Then we compare them. They have more than just the braid in common.
just a reminder:
Post says: “…who does nothing to build bipartisan support for climate action.”
Why should there be any action with regard to climate let alone bipartisan?
I thought Sweden was remarkable for its industry.
You know the SKFs, the Volvo trucks, the SAAB-Scania complex, high quality engineering expertise, most of it fuelled by fossil fuels or for applications using it, and what made Sweden pretty damn wealthy.
It also has a sizeable part of the country up above the arctic circle…nice and cold up there..including some bits of Baltic sea in winter which requires clearing of sea ice to permit navigation allowing amongst other things trade with neighbouring Finland and lots of import/export.
And Greta wants to de-industrialise SWEDEN??
The girl is not mentally ill, or depressive, she’s demonstrably insane!
Koenigsegg is impressive.
What “right wing” media?
Name a channel.
Do they mean any channel that sometimes provides “unapproved” information?
Grrrrreta is just a misguided teenager with a mental disorder angry about what her Green$ parents (She was home schooled.) told should be angry about.
MiniAOC has done more for the world than Grrrrreta has. (And she’s about 8 years younger.)
New York Times currently has the credibility of sks or desmog.
Most rational people will just label NYT’s claims as more fake news.
Keep in mind that Greta rode a super expensive sailboat made with tons of carbon fiber; even the lines and sails were made from petrochemicals.
And all they achieved during the recent protests is to motivate 4 million people; and that is using NYT’s and climate activists’ inflated protestor estimates.
“According to New York Times, the Greta effect is bypassing climate skeptics and reaching everyone who matters.”
“The kids aren’t just all right they’re scrambling the brains of their political enemies.”
It appears to me that the ones with the ‘scrambled brains’ are those who listen and actually believe this BS! The only thing that scrambles my brains is the thought that ADULTS are listening to this drivel and thinking these ignorant kids know what they are talking about! It’s nothing more than indoctrination, propaganda and LIES, all rolled up together! Sort of like, the blind leading the blind! The kids have been well trained and tutored in the CC agenda!
There is nothing right wing about climate scepticism. It is only considered so by the extreme left as anyone who disagrees with them is right wing. It is just a mish mash of words and political perceptions. Nowt to do with science.
Actual science is long gone in the Political Science narrative.
The “Ozone Hole” didn’t stick against the wall. For now, this has. (Though I think for more than they’d like to admit, it’s already hit the floor.)
“Grrrreeta”
The poor kid needs help.
She’s not getting it from her parents.
This may be true in the same sense that Trump uses Twitter to bypass the marxist media.
Did St Greta go to school long enough to learn what happened to Joan of Arc? 😀
The ‘breathy’ delivery of St Greta to the UN is purest propaganda tactic – it is straight from Acting 101 on how to sound emotional. i.e. a deliberate technique put on by an ACTOR. She gets a fail though because when you use it in virtually every utterance it comes across as fake.
And she gets a fail (as do the other 15 puppets cuing countries) on whether she actually believes or even understand her cause. The press conference, the day after her UN performance, she, and the other 15, are literally unable to answer the most simple of questions – what is the message you would like to give?
https://youtu.be/RGf-SBar_r4?t=1280
This article is basically The Conservative Advantage manifest.
Without actually offering any proof, our little NYT author has projected his desired result into the article – “Greta has gotten results! The Bad and Old people are scared!”
Well, Charlie, you keep believing that and in the mean time the grown up world will continue to observe the pragmatic truth that no one actually cares what ‘youth’ thinks.
You see, Charlie, the problem with Youth is that they age, and as they age their needs in life change. Here’s a quick question – Who hates 18 year olds? Answer? 19 year olds. Youth lack the experience to handle life and bliss through their late teens believing their own propaganda. They then hit the real world (usually about the time Mummy and Daddy stop supporting them 24/7 and they start to need to pay their own bills) and start to resent younger people via the embarrassment of hindsight.
Don’t believe? Wonder why parties like The Greens, who constantly push Youth Issues and poll very favorably with first time voters have not significantly improved their vote? Because Youth Issues only appeal to YOUTH. The moment you stop being youth you actively don’t want those pimple faced children getting something you have to pay for with your tax.
Greta, in Charlie’s own denying words, is a failure. Charlie tells us that Greta has managed to by pass the Right Wing Media, which would be great if it wasn’t for the fact that Greta doesn’t have to impress the Left. The Left already want to destroy the planet in the name of Gaia, they don’t need Greta to tell them they have 12 years to live.
Greta needed to convince the Right and she needed to convince the adults. She has failed.
Stephen of Cloyes. Age 12 in 1212. Led a large contingent of children from across Europe on a crusade to rescue Jerusalem from the Saracens. Received plaudits and support from the adults of his day. All the children were killed or sold into slavery when they arrived in the Middle East.
Nongqawuse Age 15 in 1856. Announced that the British would be expelled from her Xhosa homeland and that the Spirits would provide riches and all the necessities of a comfortable life if the tribe would destroy all their crops and kill all their cattle (on which they depended). Received plaudits and support from the adults of her day. This was done, and the Xhosa collapsed as a nation – many people dying of starvation.
Greta Thunberg Age 16 in 2019. Announced that the world was on the brink of collapse due to human activity interfering with natural processes on the planet. The only way to avoid this would be to destroy all the energy generation machines and complex agriculture and logistic processes (on which the civilisation depended). Received plaudits and support from the adults of her day…….
Did you know Greta is a musician:
https://youtu.be/CLxpgRqxtEA
At the ripe old age of 47, I guess I am very feeble. Nice ageism there, NYT!
I’m not actually right wing either, I’m moderate-libertarian, although the lefties think that is the same as being a super hard-core right-wing Evangelical these days. Right wing people are nicer to me than left wingers.
At any rate the article seems to admit without directly saying it that Greta is a failure because she is only preaching to her own already converted choir, and no one outside of that group is moved by her tantrums.
I am not sure if this helps her or not.
Greta goes heavy metal.
Yet another piece of Greta glorification by the CBC:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/how-greta-thunberg-s-autism-helps-give-her-a-singular-focus-1.5301634
The two journalists, Ioanna Roumeliotis (senior reporter) and Melissa Mancini (junior) do not embarrass themselves with mundane questions such as how a 16 y old could have been propelled to ultra-secured Davos to the Pope and the UN in about one year without enormous establishment support, or how a math, physics, earth science high school education allows a 16 y old to differentiate good and bad science. No! Such logical questions belong to trolls, to unbelievers, since we are in the realm of cult.
Indeed, Greta’s autism is “superpower” and her chance is to see “almost everything [as] black and white”, which is concerning when facing the subtleties of real science, not the caricature presented by medias such as the CBC.
The article does not indicate if these autistic Torontonians walked, biked or swam, let alone drove, took the train or flew for their day trip to Montreal… As long as they identify with Greta, who cares?
Indeed, no need to try unearthing conspiracy theories here, one just needs to read the admirers’ prose to understand, that it is precisely because of her condition that this Greta character has been carefully groomed and chosen for this worldwide PR job.
One can think of many historical figures fitting the “simplicity and purity of message” description, many of them whose influence on youth and not so young brought misery to the world. But not for CBC journalists, hagiographers of the Greta gospel, for whom eyes and reason wide shut is the sine qua non condition to successful careers.
The lunatics got let out of the asylum, and they are taking a gr(e) a (t) shot at trying to run the previously previously industrials into the mental institution.
Fact is,- their propaganda even works in previously ultra sensible, ultra pragmatic Scotland, a country that had a big hand in pushing through the industrial revolution that made us all wealthier and live twice as long.
It may not last much longer.
Why? a salutary reminder could be on its way.
Eg.
“Seven ill years, During this period, starvation probably killed 5–15 per cent of the Scottish population, but in areas like Aberdeenshire death rates reached 25 per cent.” (The 1690s marked the lowest point of the Little Ice Age-+The massive eruptions of volcanoes at Hekla in Iceland 1693).
“These problems were not confined to Scotland; the years 1695-97 saw catastrophic famine in present-day Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway and Sweden plus an estimated two million deaths in France and Northern Italy.”
There’s nothing quite like famine, freezing cold & failed harvests to make people come to their senses.
We are literally ONE big eruption & or one big solar Carrington event away from flushing this stupid cult down the toilet.
I hope the book sales help wipe away the climate pout .
Hope she shares the cash with the folks that got her .
Certainly make the ka ching dreams come true.
Lovely Greta Climate made .
Give us a pout and fly a jet away .
Missing school isn’t cool and
with a posse over shoulder
couldn’t get any colder
Write your book and wipe those tears away .
“the youth climate movement appears wholly unmoved.”
Faint hopes.
The “youth movement” came to a full stop, only ol’ and the rich’uns of “extinction rebellion” still on guard;
The “youth movementers” can’t risk to have troubles their live days long at border controls because of Entries in criminal records – after all they have some 50 to 70 years before them with heavy agendas for hectic flying to dates around the planet.