Opinion of Greta Thunberg

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

The message is important, yes, but fearmongering isn't going to get us far. What we need to talk about is HOW we are going to avert this disaster, or at least diminish its effects.

I think climate change is one of the things we should be fearmongering on. People have to be aware of the literal life-and-death consequences of inaction or lack of sufficient action on this issue. Also, the public's distrust in science is alarming and that's something we need to restore. Yes, we should be talking about plans and solutions, but the public will only take those solutions seriously if they have a vested interest in doing so.

I'm not saying we shouldn't, but we need to do more than just that.

[Velasco]

At this point she's a global icon. In Donald's words "a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future"

Massive FF, needless to say

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

FWIW I don’t think Greta is an objectively bad person like David Hogg. She’s got that going for her.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Speaking of which, there's a "closed" German-language anti-Thunberg group on Facebook titled "Fridays for Hubraum" ("Fridays for engine displacement/cylinder capacity") which consists of almost 366,000 members right now.

A couple of investigative journalists managed to infiltrate that group and have released screenshots of some of the discussion threads there. Turns out assassination (and other violent fantasies) are pretty commonplace there:

https://www.facebook.com/dieinsider/posts/479326362619178


To translate some posts from there:

"How much does a hit job cost anyway?"
Response 1: "We could pool together from this group, then we're gonna have enough for the entire parliament."
Response 2: "You're getting a grenade in the car for 5.000 around here. To hang her at her pigtails for 10.000. To make it look like a suicide for 30.000-40.000."

Other posts:

"Give that asshole child a strong punch somewhere."

"Could someone shoot that piece of sh**t please or hire the IS for it?"

"Can't some spree-killer simply bump off that child?"

"I could bury her in the forrest, that's how much I love her."

"I wouldn't be surprised if someone just knocks her lights out so much hate she receives."
Response: "Right, Merkel receives just as much hate, but she got bodyguards."


Those who have released the screenshots have announced that there's "more to come" and that also members of the AfD belong to that Facebook group.

[John Dule]

Speaking of which, there's a "closed" German-language anti-Thunberg group on Facebook titled "Fridays for Hubraum" ("Fridays for engine displacement/cylinder capacity") which consists of almost 366,000 members right now.

A couple of investigative journalists managed to infiltrate that group and have released screenshots of some of the discussion threads there. Turns out assassination (and other violent fantasies) are pretty commonplace there:

https://www.facebook.com/dieinsider/posts/479326362619178


To translate some posts from there:

"How much does a hit job cost anyway?"
Response 1: "We could pool together from this group, then we're gonna have enough for the entire parliament."
Response 2: "You're getting a grenade in the car for 5.000 around here. To hang her at her pigtails for 10.000. To make it look like a suicide for 30.000-40.000."

Other posts:

"Give that asshole child a strong punch somewhere."

"Could someone shoot that piece of sh**t please or hire the IS for it?"

"Can't some spree-killer simply bump off that child?"

"I could bury her in the forrest, that's how much I love her."

"I wouldn't be surprised if someone just knocks her lights out so much hate she receives."
Response: "Right, Merkel receives just as much hate, but she got bodyguards."


Those who have released the screenshots have announced that there's "more to come" and that also members of the AfD belong to that Facebook group.

Literally who cares? Obvious jokes.

[HillGoose]

FF I mean she's a kid so I'm not going to be like "HP" because that is uncool but also they played her speech on Bloomberg and I was like just calm down man like she's too stressed out. Like she just needs to enjoy life and not be so like, stressed and stuff you know.

But also when I was that age I was probably stressed too about other stuff or idk who knows.

[ملكة كرينجيتوك]

I have Aspergers like Greta. When I was 16 I was deeply political and involved in the movement to abolish Section 28 which prohibited the discuss of differing sexualities in schools. I was vocal, in public, in school, in Church. I confronted 'adults' politicians and priests. I was better equipped to speak than the gatekeepers of the status quo. I wrote to newspapers (when that was a thing). I did this myself because I cared about it and being comfortably gay and using some of the blessings of being on the spectrum I was pretty fact ready and experience rich. I wasn't a puppet. I wasn't being used. Why do people forget themselves at that age? She's smart and she believes it. And she's embarrassing the rest of us leading people to be flippant and personal about her.

When I was 16, I created 2 accounts on this government simulation website called NationStates. One was based on my RL views; the other was a satire of the religious right. I didn't originally intend to make them alter egos of each other, or base their backstory around a catastrophic decades-long climate refugee crisis. It was initially motivated by my keen interest in geography and world cultures, as well as a desire to hide my true nationality and cultural background from the rest of NSG. I had a lot of fun convincing people I was an Australian Muslim haha.

Eventually I stopped caring as much about the political/ideological contrast between my main accounts- and also grew out of my teenage edginess- but became too invested in the backstory I had created to quit NationStates altogether. So I resolved to keep my accounts alive, in the hope that it would inspire future NationStates players and casual observers to think more deeply about climate change and what should be done about it.

I agree with some of the criticisms of Greta's movement other posters have brought up. Still, I see part of my younger self in her passion for climate action and her dealing with Asperger's. It's touching to see idealistic young people like Greta go out and stand up for what they believe in, without caring about what other people think or knowing what might come of her advocacy. FF.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

The phenomona reminds me of that black mirror episode where Daniel Kaluuya angrily rants to the enforcers and followers of his dystopian society, and is greeted with rapturous applause and a weekly tv show.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Unwitting pawn and political prop for globalist climate communism.

Do you even know what these terms mean, or did you just come here to make more of your worthless white noise?

[Flyersfan232]

I hate the fact that she is the latest socially awkward teenager to appropriate the autism label more than anything. Otherwise she’s just background noise to me.

She's doing something about the biggest global threat to long term social, economic and political stability.

How about you?

Didn’t you just fly across the Atlantic and drove down Florida’s coast?

Like is she really autistic or did her parents just self diagnosed her?

[Calthrina950]

Neutral. It's obvious that she has good intentions, and I can sympathize with her as someone who has Asperger's Syndrome myself. However, I think that her alarmism on the issue is unwarranted, and I'm not sure if her tactics are the best ones that could be used. On balance, therefore, I don't have too negative or too positive an opinion of her.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

She's a huge example for me. I have Asperger's as well, and similar problems as her, but what she does is a huge inspiration for myself.