Oh, Greta

A local politician decided it was time to tell us what’s wrong with Greta Thunberg after her “… meteoric rise in the world of abstract environmental conscience.” Quite the turn of phrase, eh? Abstract, he said, because she highlights the problem and assigns blame without providing workable solutions.

Then he reminisces about how dense and zealous and simplistic he was at that age, and concludes that she must be equally ineffectual. He spends the last ninety percent of his speech pointing out the real problem — too many people — and the futility of expecting a naive girl and the idealistic, privileged people who listen to her to deal with it. They’re just too entitled, he says, and delights in the prospect of seeing their “rose-coloured glasses … ripped away.”

This politician has pointed out what a hard problem these young people face, and how they’re going about it all wrong. It’s just too complicated, he says. It won’t be solved by “radical environmentalism.” What, then?

The politician didn’t provide any workable solutions, either. He just pointed out the problem as he sees it, and assigned blame where he thinks it belongs: naive young people.

rjb

PS – Greta Thunberg has suggested solutions, though they might not be workable. She’s asking our leaders to act like leaders and grownups to act like grownups, so the children don’t have to.