Eight things Greta Thunberg is not doing
Let’s set the record straight once and for all
1. Hating
Critics of Greta confuse hate with anger. Hate is when you have something personal towards a particular type of person. Greta does not hate anyone. She is angry, very angry — not towards a person, but towards their inaction. Anger is an energy. A powerful energy that motivates, galvanises, empowers. Those who accuse Greta of hating are the ones who are the haters. Perhaps they should first ask themselves: “why is Greta so angry?”
2. Manipulating
People have accused her of being a demagogue, obviously jealous that a 16 year-old can have their own podium at the UN, can talk in front of a crowd of 500,000 in Montreal, can get 4 million people across Earth to strike. Demagogues use lies. Greta uses the truth. Those who accuse her are envious, and afraid of her power. Grown up adults envious and afraid of…a child. Surely they are the ones who are being childish.
3. Scaremongering
You can’t scaremonger a crisis that is already scary. That is called telling the truth, not scaremongering. Accusing Greta of scaremongering is like the Brexiteers in Britain accusing Remainers of Project Fear, or Trump in the US accusing the entire press industry of “fake news”. If the patient is terminally ill, this is not scaremongering. It is called Imminent Death.
4. Setting generations against each other
Greta is not the one who started the generational war. It is the old generation, by destroying the future of the younger one, by continuing not to listen and carrying on with Business As Usual. Those who accuse Greta of starting a war need to look into the mirror. They are the ones who have been at war with the future of their own children, and with nature. Greta is uniting generations against the threat of climate change. If you don’t want to join her then move out of the way.
5. Attacking
Greta is Defending. Defending the Earth. Defending the species that are left on Earth. Defending humans, whoever they are, wherever they live, however young or old they are. Defending her own future, which is uncertain.
6. Having a Childish Tantrum
Greta is the adult in the room. Real adults face up to the truth rather than hide from it. Real adults take action rather than running away. Real adults are honest with themselves and others as opposed to lying blatantly. Real adults match their words with actions. Real adults have integrity and are willing to put their career on the line in order to do what is right for the country, the planet and humanity. Real adults are responsible. Real adults tell it like it is.
7. Being “cute”
Some argue Greta is so successful because she is a child. This is wrong. She is successful because, at the age of 16, she is already one of the greatest activists humanity has ever known. She upholds her values, she has conviction. She is extremely smart. And she is a charismatic public speaker, even in English, which is not even her mother tongue. How many 16 year-olds do you know who have this level of maturity?
8. Being Psychotic
Socrates. Martin Luther King. Nelson Mandela. All activists through the ages were hunted down, accused of being “crazy”, having “insane” visions and ideas. The psychos of this world are the alpha white-male narcissists who have the nerve to troll and attack a young girl online. These are then men who would rather sponsor Big Oil and Big Coal than save the planet.
These, are the psychos of our world.
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