I don’t even remember the first time I heard about Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager who has become the face and voice of youth activism and youth advocacy on climate change. Her name really started cropping up everywhere about five months ago, and then Time Magazine put her on the cover in May of this year. She’s inspired and encouraged young people to demonstrate, strike and walk out of schools around the world in environmental protests. She’s also on the Autism spectrum – she has Asperger’s, one of the most high-functioning diagnoses on the spectrum. I think interest in Thunberg really picked up here in America this summer when Greta announced plans to travel to America to protest, and she came via a carbon-neutral sailboat. Two weeks on the Atlantic and she arrived in New York in late August. On Monday, she gave a speech before the United Nations General Assembly:
In all honesty, I’m so cynical that one of my first thoughts was “haha, it’s brilliant that she’s becoming the face of climate crisis activism, because it will be so difficult for the a–holes to attack this well-spoken white European child.” Guess what? The a–holes are attacking this child. In nearly every article, every tweet, every social media post about Thunberg, there are Russian bots and climate-change-deniers and general MAGA dirtbags trying valiantly to dismiss Thunberg as a liberal prop, some actor hired by the Dying Mother Earth Conglomerate. The conservatives are having the same kind of meltdown towards Greta that they did towards all of those traumatized kids at Parkland who only wanted to go to school without getting shot.
Anyway, while Greta was at the UN, she ran into the Secret Service. Because Donald Trump was there too. She was ushered aside and she gave a thunderface to end all thunderfaces when she saw Emperor Bigly. The children are our future.
We are all Greta Thunberg.
pic.twitter.com/dEyjsfTOJE— Greg Hogben (@MyDaughtersArmy) September 23, 2019
If a picture is worth 1,000 words then this GIF is worth 100,000 #ClimateWeek2019 pic.twitter.com/AqXdeUzgk3
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) September 23, 2019
WATCH: 16-year-old climate activist @GretaThunberg was escorted to the side by security as Trump arrived at the UN pic.twitter.com/BwBJYKUfpe
— Bloomberg TicToc (@tictoc) September 23, 2019
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Just look at how many people are scared of her. She’s so powerful.
and the deplorables are attacking her as “mentally ill” because of her autism diagnosis.
I cannot believe the hatred I have in my heart for those people. they’re just monsters.
I don’t think I’ve really ever hated anyone in my life until scumbag Trump came along. Now I know full well what it feels like to hate and it’s a BAD feeling that I can’t seem to get away from. It makes me very sad!!
BTW – Greta is an amazing person!!! I LOVE her. Thank you Greta for what you are doing!!
There is only one word to describe the look she gave Trump: Dracarys.
I think Trump is the one who is mentally ill. Lack of remorse and guilt? Check. Manipulative? Check. Dishonest? Check. Lack of empathy? Check. Narcissism? Check. Lack of emotional attachments? Check. Seriously, look up the traits of a psychopath or sociopath.
My kids on the spectrum and he has this kind of passion. Lol that it’s called mental illness in some negative way whereas Trump is the poster boy for sociopathy.
Also, this is the expression the Statue of Liberty should have made after the fake election.
#fakeprez
Hate. Yes, never knew what this feeling truly was before Trump.
Mrs. Krabapple – Thank you — you are so right!!! Trump is the one who is “mentally ill.” Can we all agree to that?
I love Greta, I love that she isn’t scared to walk into a room of rich powerful adults and tell them off and call them on their bullshit. She inspires me to be more assertive and call people out more when they are in the wrong.
I just – she makes me cry, I’m so proud of her.
And for that, we should all be marching. I’m not saying you in particular are not because I don’t know your circumstances but I wish so many adults who admire her joined us this coming Friday to rock the very foundation on which the greedy and powerful sit! 4 million is great but ten times that requires attention from any politician and a nundred times that demands action. I wish.
She is being ripped apart by bots and Russians and conservatives and Crazy Denialists. I hope she has a good support system. It breaks my heart that people refuse to face reality and the imminent doom of our terrible lifestyle.
I was enraged last night on twitter, it’s really awful. Someone on Fox called her a “mentally ill Swedish child,” and even Fox called it a bridge too far.
Mentally ill?! Jesus Christ, I hadn’t heard that one. That’s revolting.
I’m honestly not that great at spotting bots (unless it’s incredibly obvious), but the number of grown-ass adults who have been trashing and insulting this girl — including many verified Twitter users, many of them “journalists” — has blown my mind. She is a CHILD. It is unreal to me that these people would behave this way, publicly, toward a child.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised anymore because of the way many of them treated the Parkland kids as well, but still. What has become of our society? (Rhetorical question at this point)
“mentally ill” because of her autism diagnosis.
these people are horrible, horrible human beings.
Conservatives are having a fit. Calling for this child’s death. Spreading propaganda comparing her to nazis. They have really lost it.
An alt-right person compared Democrats to Germany using blond apple cheeked children to spread Nazi propaganda. Um, to which party do Nazi belong???
I live in Sweden and I am so f-ing proud of her. Right wing politicians over here have been talking sh*t about her since day one, when she started protesting outside the swedish parliament just over a year ago. She started, by herself, and 13 months later she has the world’s attention. So proud.
Puff, you should be proud. Wow, she is just incredible. The sad thing is we are in an extinction event and most people know nothing of it. That is why they make fun of her, they are unintelligent and truly don’t understand. It is the world’s most urgent crisis. It really is.
I wish I had half the balls this amazing young lady has. She’s truly a gem, and I wish nothing less than an amazing, fulfilling life for her. If she’s doing this kind of amazing work at this age, I can’t even begin to imagine where she’ll be in a decade.
I’m very happy that Greta s doing what she’s doing!!… her manner of speech sounded a bit theatrical to me though… But if it’s working, then great, I guess!… I’m glad she is taken seriously.
@lana86 – her mum’s an opera singer (or was), so I can see how she’d have that cadence. Also, English is her second language. In addition to that, with her Aspergers, she just seems like an intense kid all around. On top of that, she’s mad. I can’t blame her. Baby boomers have screwed us over.
Oh, this explains a lot. I didn’t realize she had Aspergers and I thought she seemed to be very, very intense and almost a little hysterical during this speech? I get it now and honestly, she’s 13 and super passionate and brave. Such a role model for kids everywhere. Kudos to her all around.
As someone who missed being a baby boomer by 1 year, @duchessofhazard, let me take exception for the boomers and say, if you were old enough to vote in 2016 and 2018 and didn’t sweep the Republicans out of the Senate and your state legislatures, and didn’t sweep Donald Trump back behind the gold plated John at fart-a-lago, then you’re to blame – age ain’t got nothing to do with it. Last time I checked the avg age of cops beating up little black girls, or tikitorchers mowing down young white liberal women, or the contingent of Trump scrotum licking redhats was about 25. It’s not boomers telling their hispanic classmates to go back where they came from, it’s not boomers on incel and nazi sites on the internet (4cham, 8chan and gab) So let’s stop with the blame game.
Be the change you want to see in the world, don’t wait for another generation to save your neck and don’t blame them for ish you refuse to do.
If i have to read one more effing piece from some gen Xer or millenial about getting along with Trump loving relatives at thanksgiving I’ll lose it.
Some people can’t even change hearts and minds with loved ones at Thanksgiving yet they want to blame Obama and George Clooney ‘s generation for their own Millenial sister in law voting Trump to make her magat hat wearing husband happy??!
Come on.
Can we please stop blaming Boomers for the world’s ills? We inherited crap, too. We are also the generation that pioneered Earth Day in 1970, became a force in political criticism and protest in the 60s and 70s, fought for Civil Rights…
EVERY generation has its good and bad. Please don’t generalize and hate on an entire generation of us. There ARE a lot of us that have always tried to fight “The Good Fight”.
I’ll step off my soapbox now 😊
Nice, pria 🙂
Thanks pria & Jan
I agree, I didn’t know about her Asperger’s, but her manner of speech was way too much for me. It out me off her message which is amazing.
Are you guys really criticizing the way a child spoke? At the UN? With the eyes of the world on her? The same child who started a global movement doesn’t give speeches well enough for you? Give yourselves a shake.
CommentingBunny, I know, right? The mix of disingenuous criticism, concern trolling and pure vitriol is unreal. People need to step back and think about why she bothers them so much.
And remember how protective these same people were about the Covington Catholic guy, saying criticizing teens was out of bounds? It’s also hard to buy any criticism of her manner of speaking when our POTUS can barely string together a coherent sentence. Sigh.
Really, even CB’ers are criticizing her speaking voice now?? All I’ll say is that she does a far better job of making high-profile speeches than most adults, let alone children, when English is not even her first language. Not to mention the Aspergers.
People really need to have some perspective before they complain about something like her voice. I’d like to hear some of her critics make public speeches of that magnitude in a language that isn’t even their own and see how well they do. Her message is what’s important here ffs.
It’s not about her voice. It’s the overly performative way the speech was delivered, along with the staring down of Donald Trumo earlier. It felt like watching an actor act.
I of course might be wrong.
“I of course might be wrong”
SPOILER: you’re wrong.
give this child just a small break, please? she’s 16. English is not her first language. she has Asperger’s. she is scared for the future of our planet. she spoke in front of a HUGE international audience. she has conservatives sending her death threats.
and you’re going to try to discredit her by saying she sounded like someone acting?…just stop.
@JAC and this right here is the issue. She is passionate and is speaking in a manner of emergency. Because it is. And the “adults” look at her and instead of ACTUALLY listening want to talk about her delivery. This is why the younger generation hates us. Because we make it about silly crap like this instead of what it’s ACTUALLY about. We did it with gun control as well.
Okay, I see that I am wrong. The manner of speaking distracted me from her actual words and I thought the message would have been conveyed better if she was more professional and restrained.
I was judging her like I would an adult and I should not have.
JAC you need to read The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert. It was written in 2014 and won the Pulitzer Prize. Then you will understand what she was talking about. The way she speaks about the extinction … her cadance, her manner, her anger and seriousness … that is how ALL ADULT HUMANS should be speaking about it. We are failing and killing ourselves and all we love. It is not a joke.
You might not have noticed, but the issue of climate change is very serious and requires INTENSE talk. Ask the people of the Bahamas if you don’t believe Greta. Or maybe you can ask all the climate-change refugees that have drowned in the Mediterranean. Oh wait, they’re dead.
Did I say somewhere I don’t think climate change is an urgent matter? I just don’t like overly emotional speeches. I don’t even like them at the Oscars, let alone at a place like the UN. It takes away from the professionalism and sincerity, IMO.
But as I said, it was wrong of me to judge her as an adult. The magnitude of the audience and her age surely played part in her delivery. Her message is amazing nevertheless.
@JAC – first, she has an accent, a rather charming one I might add. Second, she is exceptionally intelligent and brave, third she has Asbergers which makes one speak in a slightly stilted and formal manner. But her passion and anger should be the only thing you notice, not her “overly emotional” cadence. It only heightens her message and exemplifies the seriousness with which she is treating the issue.
A child is mad at us for destroying the world, and she was TOO passionate? Ok.
Think about what she is saying. She is talking about death and mass extinction. She is TERRIFIED and ANGRY, as we all should be if we are paying attention. She is sounding the alarm. Much like a fire alarm, it isn’t supposed to be pleasant.
Her example shows that people have been far too lethargic up to this point.
I chalked up the manner of her speech due to the fact that English is a second language for her as well as the accent. But it did not effect the way I was hearing what she saying. She had a very powerful message and I received it loud and clear.
She’s more well spoken than the future queen of England. JS.
I’ll just add, I *hate* the old “they didn’t say it the right way” or “you didn’t tell us the right way”. I’ve been hearing it since I was 4, and especially when applied to a child it’s no more than an excuse to not accept the information given. For example, abusers and enablers do it often. (No one in the above comments is either, I’m sure- that was simply a reference point.) In my experience the only “right” way, according to them, is tentatively, “politely” – so you’re easier to sweep aside. Also, the insistence that all communication be some kind of pre-approved homogenized, contemporary-casual, (usually suburbanish, no offense to suburbs) middle-class or higher “speak” to be acceptable….is bigoted and I’m tired of hearing it. (Here’s usually where someone snots “write the way you speak”– I do. I just cleaned it up a little for ya.)
We’re in a time where you might stretch yourself to accept good information in speech patterns that are not familiar to you. We cannot afford to throw anybody’s good work away because we’re committed to lazy listening.
@Lillian, great post! I think it’s a way of dismissing someone’s opinions to judge how someone says something. Cardi is a good example, she has some good thoughts but people want to dismiss her because she doesnt speak in suburban white people’s dialect.
I’m a sucker for well delivered emotional speeches so she speaking style and penetrating stare legit gave me chills. I think it was overall very effective and reached people’s soul, that’s why the usual suspects from Trump to Fox are shook. I bet Trump would pee in his pants just from her death stare. LOL.
Sadly, DT could only hope to give such an honest speech on something he was as passionate about as this young woman. The gravity of the subject matter and the exposure to facts Greta gives is what frightens her antagonists. Fear and ignorance makes people behave in misguided ways. This young woman is waking people up with facts. She’s very courageous.
Pure projection. Because the Right wing hire/ pay people to argue for their side, they try to convince their followers that liberals do too. They are nothing but rich, petty astro-turfers with no shame. That’s why they can attack a 16 year old girl.
Saw her on the news last night. LOVED her. As the Brits say, I was gobsmacked by her and over the moon at her forceful words. Go Greta and all children who feel the same!
It’s scary the number of old folks particular Republicans who have gone after this child. Dineesh D’Souza liken her to a Nazi this weekend. She is eloquent, well spoken and actually cares, it’s difficult not to go all in with her.
I am so proud of her and all of the students who walked out in protest of climate change. These kids are going to change the world.
I hope that she amounts to more than a modern day Cassandra, but I doubt it. I hope she’s a happy person and has a support system, because so many horrible people are about to pile on. And it’s really disheartening to know that most likely nothing will change
She is AMAZING.
I wish I were surprised by the vitriol on the far right towards her, but it’s expected at this point. Why are they so scared of a child saying we shouldn’t destroy our own habitats?
It’s called cognitive dissonance: They’re scared cause it threatens their beliefs and demands them to be have differently.
To put it simply; they’re scared cause they have to change their behavior and they don’t want to, so it’s easier to attack her.
Oh I know, more of a rhetorical question. If she weren’t a threat to their cushy, resource gouging way of life, they’d ignore her.
Young people like Greta give me hope, but I worry it will be far too late once they are old enough for power.
Um, Toby? That made no sense.
I agree. I feel like time is running out and everyone’s just watching everything burn to the ground waiting for someone else to do something about it.
You go girl! What a brave young woman. She inspires my 35 year-old self.
Thank you so much for posting this. If you are wondering what you can do, and are looking for solutions, try going here for starters: https://www.drawdown.org/
#TeamGreta #TeamPlanet #TeamEarth
Thank you for the link!
I see some criticizing, or just saying they are offput by, her manner of speaking. In this thread I see it, and other places I’ve been reading commentary.
I find her manner of speaking to be incredibly moving. It’s authentic. And her English is spoken in a particularly beautiful way, to me at least. Her message comes through loud and clear as day, and that’s what matters. But her voice will stay with me, emotionally, for quite a while.
I cried tears of gratitude for her, when I listened to her. She’s speaking for my own two little tiny children, who will have to navigate an injured and volatile climate all their lives. She’s speaking for all the children and young ones born into this situation. She’s speaking TRUTH to POWER and I am thankful and I have her back allllll the way!
Very well said, CharliePenn. I cried when I heard her, too, partly because she reminds me a bit of my son who is on the spectrum. She is likely stronger than anyone can imagine, because of the challenges she faces every day.
This this This. THANK YOU. Eloquent truth to power.
I resent the baby boomer statement. Global Corporate Greed has done to this to us all and people of all ages (and countries) are beholden to it in various ways.
Thank you. The Baby Boomer comment is the typical lazy response that constantly pops up from some Gen Xer who doesn’t want to believe that her 20 and 30 and 40 something cohorts are just as selfish, just as guilty. No age group has clean hands. And you better believe, some of today’s teens will turn into greedheads too once they get out in the world. I pick my 16 yo grandson up from school, the largest school in our system, nearly 3000 students. You would not believe the number of trump stickers I see on cars being driven by students. These are their cars, not their parents’. Every generation has its idealists, every generation has its users. It’s just so much easier to be a user. That’s why there are so many of them.
I am not a fan of generational tags. It’s too simple to blame it on Boomers or any other age group. Greed and other bad behaviors exist in every generation. Always has and probably always will.
I think Greta is inspiring and Is making her mark. I am concerned about the boomer comments too. I live in one of the most progressive regions, SF Bay Area. Yet in just a few years, Corporate greed has taken over, see google buses etc.My children speak about previous generations ruining the environment and that their generation will change the world and I fervently hope so. But let’s be honest, they don’t recycle and compost. Im constantly digging through the garbage and finding bottles and compostables. They call for postmates instead of riding bikes or walking for food. And everything they buy comes from Amazon. I buy paper straws, they complain that it collapses. How about no straws? I try my best to not to use plastic. I’m worried about the environment and try to reduce my carbon footprint. I did not buy a car after donating my van three years ago , I rideshare or take public transportation. My kids have 1990’s gas guzzling trucks. They have yet to put talk into action. IM hoping they will do so eventually.
After I read the comment blaming boomers, I sat here thinking about all the places I’ve lived (19) and how at every home I had, I planted flowers for the bees and berry bushes for the birds. I’ve been doing this since 1978. I harvested the new corn I planted this year and found I didn’t like the flavour at all. I picked the corn and froze it for the crows this winter. I’ve always done my part for the environment and I’ve always encouraged others to do the same, along with preaching water conservation and recycling.
@LadyD – I have always enjoyed flowers, trees and shrubs. Only in the last few years has their immense importance truly hit me. Now I am mindful and purposeful about every shrub or tree I plant – trying to leave something that will serve people, birds and animals with food and shelter for (hopefully) many decades to come.
I heard a young woman taking about despising a mature holly shrub at their recently purchased home and having her husband cut it down. It made me a bit sick to hear that.
I resent this thread getting hijacked (yet again) because of the baby boomer issue. Can we get back on topic please? Thank you.
110 comments at the moment, six of them on the Boomer slur. Why don’t you put your time to a better use by refuting Troll Toby?
And btw, what the Boomer comments highlighted was that every generation is as fault, so they’re quite on topic.
You’re missing out on the boomer retorts that have been posted upthread as well in response to comment #7. 1 person made 1 comment regarding the boomers, and there are about 10 comments responding all over the page. It’s reads a little like #notallmen.
I did call out Toby as a troll hours ago, and you are in no position to decide what is a “better” use of my time.
Oh, so sorry, let me add the three comments from #7 to the six here. Whoa!! That makes nine out of 125 comments. And I repeat, all the comments pointed out that no one has clean hands. All generations are culpable and it gets tedious having it blamed on only one.
If someone posted about race or gender instead of Boomers, would only one person be allowed to post a rebuttal opinion?
I’m not understanding the counting posts responding to blaming one specific generation for this particular issue. The responses were not thread-jacking, in my opinion.
I’ve looked at a lot of posts on CB over the years, commented on some and ignored others. Nearly all, whether serious or frivolous, took detours and side trips. I believe we’re on the same side in this environmental crisis, Tiffany, so no fight. Have a good night.
PS. I tried to edit my above comment to not sound so snide, but was too late. Sorry!
CharliePenn made many great points in their post and they didn’t even mention boomers.
This article, this comment line, they were not about which generation was to blame. If there were disparaging comments about boomers all over this comments section, I could see this level of reaction, but there was just 1 little sentence from 1 person.
I don’t see the focus on blame or accusations. That is not what I am getting from the comments on this story.
Edited to add: yes, we are on the same side when it comes to climate change! That’s a good thing to keep in mind.
This is what I get for speed reading earlier today. I now see the point Tiffany is making. I thought there were two negative generational references (one being in this line thread). I read Soupie’s comment and piled on. While close to but not a boomer, I get tired of generalizations about gender, race or ageism.
And yes, we are each on the same side regarding climate. It is going to take every possible voice to wake up people regarding environmental impact. Greta spoke to powerful people, and that took courage. Maybe our voices can help amplify her message.
I think the kids will save us. Honestly trying to talk to my parents about the very simple notion of recycling is infuriating. My babies need a future! More Greta’s please!!!
If she was speaking about how wonderful guns were, the right would love her.
Spot on, Tootsie. Greta’s got more balls than all the naysayers put together.
She’s an empowered young woman who isn’t here for the male gaze and it makes them uncomfortable.
Yes
And she’s not afraid – she has THE NERVE to say what most are too terrified to say: WE ARE FALLIBLE; We are screwing up; we are selfish.
And she refuses to believe we can be evil…but guess what? Some among us are evil and
the evil among us definitely want to destroy her and continue to acquire more wealth and more power
TeamAwsome: No, she is a frightened self centered child.
She’s campaigning for the protection of the environment, she is literally the opposite of a self-centered child.
@Toby – Do you not think her message is important? Is she wrong with her facts? She may be what you say she is (idk what your background in spectrum disorders or children is), but her message is clear and right.
A frightened, self-centered child wouldn’t sail solo across the ocean to make her point that the climate crisis is real and MUST be contained. In front of the UN no less. That is most definitely NOT the act of a frightened, self-centered child, it’s of a brave and heroic young woman.
What a stupid, stupid comment.
Toby seems like a paid troll.
Sorry Tiffany: nobody pays me for posting. To others, her message concerning climate is important but her delivery bordered on hostility. “You destroyed my childhood” is a statement that shows how limited she is. Does she not realize how privileged she is? Think of children in Syria (for example), if she feels damaged it is a portrait she has painted herself. That said: I have young relatives who are said to be on a spectrum (isn’t everyone)? I have also worked with a number of aspies (as a counselor) and, yes, they tend to paint their own picture, and more often than not, see themselves as a helpless victim.
If you actually listed to her comments (or read them) she DOES point out her privilege in the very next sentence after the one you just quoted. It makes me suspicious of your comments when you attack her so enthusiastically, but you don’t seem to know what she said. Your jump to oppose her is very odd.
From her UN speech:
“”You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I’m one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth.”
Any time a male has to go the Dear Muslimah route to put a girl down, he’s already lost.
“her delivery bordered on hostility”.
“bordered on”? make no mistake, she WAS hostile, and she was right to be.
we ALL should be hostile when it comes to people denying climate change or not caring because they’re rich and can stockpile clean water and pay for air filters when the rest of us poor folk are dying in our homes. hostility, in THIS case, is not a bad thing.
I don’t understand how anyone who’s been alive at least 20 years can’t say for themselves climate change is real. The thing with Trump and the other “ denialists” is that they don’t disbelieve in climate change and global warming, they just don’t care. They’re going to be dead by the time the inevitable occurs so for them the future of our planet is meaningless. And should we expect a man like Trump to care about his children’s future? Yeah right. All they care about is money. Money is truly the route of all evil and greedy mo fo’s Will see the world burn before they allow themselves to lose a dollar. It’s an utter shame. Greta though? She’s my hero and I pray her worlds echo to the corners of the world and together we will march. There are more of us then there are greedy billionaires
If that was my daughter I’d be so damn proud of her !
I have a niece and a nephew on the spectrum. Both are very high functioning but they are still neuro atypical. My niece in particular can sound scripted when she speaks because she is drawing on appropriate language practiced in speech class. It doesn’t mean what she is saying less important than what a “normal” child says. She is actually quite insightful and dreadfully forthright and honest. I completely attribute that to the spectrum disorder. If someone chooses not to listen because they are put off or made uncomfortable by her manner then they are missing out on what would undoubtedly be an enlightening conversation. I think Greta is just the hero we need right now. If Greta is anything like the spectrum people I know she is incapable of lying, dissembling, or hiding what she feels just to please those around her. She wouldn’t even understand why she ought to pretend everything is ok. She would be incapable of fooling herself like the rest of us must just so we can get out of bed in the morning.
aang: the problem with many aspies is that they often refuse to understand the view points of others, are extremely self centered and don’t like being corrected. And yes, spectrum folks do lie and distort facts to satisfy their world view.
Hey Toby, what you’re trying to pin on Greta as a liability, she (rightly) recognizes as a strength. Seeing the issue so clearly enables her to advocate for it with that much more conviction. It reminds me a bit of what one of my Aspie son’s athletic coaches in high school said to me, that while so much of the team was susceptible to groupthink, it was refreshing to have a kid who wasn’t afraid to tell the emperor he had no clothes.
so, Toby, you seem to be an expert on this subject, on Greta, and apparently on spectrum-diagnosed people in general. what is your field of study? also…
in what way is she “self-centered”?
when has she refused to be corrected?
what viewpoints of others is she refusing to understand?
about what is she lying and what is she distorting to satisfy her world view?
you seem to know her VERY well so, please, enlighten us all. Thanks in advance.
TOBY
“the problem with many aspies is that they often refuse to understand the view points of others, are extremely self centered and don’t like being corrected. And yes, spectrum folks do lie and distort facts to satisfy their world view.”
Refuse to understand the viewpoint of others or struggle and potentially fail to understand. Because those are two very different things.
Struggling to understand another person’s feelings or reactions to what they’re saying/doing is legitimately a huge part of Asperger’s syndrome. Failure to properly reciprocate with social interactions, or coming off as insensitive at times is part of Asperger’s.
Now, are some autistic people actually assholes? Sure. Just as high of a rate as anyone else probably. You’re determining their intentions for them. You’re writing it off as a refusal to understand when I’d say in vastly more cases than not they CAN’T just simply understand off the bat. It’d be like saying “Well, you’re refusing to walk. You still have legs” to someone in a wheelchair.
Now, I’m not saying that aspies shouldn’t work on taking criticism and trying to better their social skills. But it seems like you have a preconceived notion that people are being willingly obtuse and not dealing with a developmental disorder.
Funny, one of my former students has Asperger’s. It’s been five years since she graduated and since I retired. Ever since then she’s called me a couple of times a month to see how I am and talk. Every time we have weather she calls to make sure I’m okay and didn’t have any damage. Real self absorbed, huh. Others here probably have many more examples.
@Toby – she is what’s referred to as a “high functioning” aspie, in that she never had significant delays or difficulties in language or cognitive development. Some even demonstrate a highly articulate vocabulary, moreso than most kids her age – often in a highly specialized field of interest. So her focus is 100% on enlightening climate change deniers and bringing attention to one of the most serious issues to face the entire planet and its population.
So you’re blaming aspies for lying and distorting the truth? What do you think Trump and his merry band of swamp-dwellers are doing? Daily? To the entire planet? They are the WORST, most mendacious liars on the planet. Why aren’t you going after them too? Or are you a MAGAT?
‘Aspies’? And talk about lying & distorting facts, that’s you, Toby.
@BeanieBean: Right? Lol at a grown ass man trying to portray someone else as the immature brat by using a dehumanizing slur to mock a kid’s health issue. Wonder who this winner voted for? I half expect him to start dropping the ‘r’ word in a minute.
Did you see Drump’s tweet at her?
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/24/20881541/trump-greta-thumberg-tweet-un
There has to be a special place in hell for him in the future. “Be Best”, eh Melania???
Let’s don’t forget his favorite interaction with young women is walking in on them at beauty pageants. He doesn’t know what to do with this kind of teenage girl.
I mentioned below she made it her twitter intro… like a damn boss.
Women are going to have to be the ones to stop this madness….
Women and children…
But it won’t work…and humanity will NEVER win…because too many women are complicit to the putrid power infrastructure…and they prove it with every vote…non vote…or chance they get…
I’ve been watching Inside Bill’s Brain on Netflix about Bill Gates and I am pretty sure he is on the autism spectrum too, maybe Asperger’s as well. And I am not the first person to think this, many people have theorized he is on the spectrum. He is also pretty much a genius which contributes to his eccentricities. But if you learn about the way he acted in childhood, isolating himself in his room and being forced to come down to family dinners, not normal child behavior. He is also very single minded and when at the helm of Microsoft very obsessed with work. And he is so socially awkward. And look where the guy is now with his foundation trying to eradicate polio and world hunger and climate change.
I would love for Greta to team up with Bill Gates at some point. She may not be a genius but she is very smart. I think she will go very far in life.
As the mother of a self-obsessed teenager, I have to say that what blows my mind, aside from her message and poise, is the fact that a TEENAGER can be altruistic and have such a world view. I know there are good ones out there, but the majority are kind of assholes. Inspiring!
This is a serious and powerful moment, but I will always laugh when I see this. Not AT her – I think it’s fucking wonderful. She doesn’t give a shit if he sees or not. In fact, I think she wants him to turn around. I just wasn’t expecting to ever see an image like this in my lifetime. Awesome.
Truly. Her face is the face so many of us are making about Trump were we not socialized to be “polite.”
I have already seen people showing this girl next to Nazi propaganda trying to imply that liberals are Nazis and she is a socialist tool. Disgusting as usual
She is the mother effing BEST!!
Badass!! Go Greta!
Why are people so against the idea of climate change? How much more proof do you need?
Part of it in this day and age is this:
In the U.S., anything that is important to the Democratic party will be reflexively and vigorously hated by the Republican party. Democrats champion environmental protection, and therefore Republicans will oppose and belittle that issue in a knee jerk fashion and put corporate profits and environmental plunder on a pedestal.
Also, the modern Republican party and its acolytes have a heavy disdain for science and expertise, Which allows them to scorn and both-sides every issue with a scientific component.
“In the U.S., anything that is important to the Democratic party will be reflexively and vigorously hated by the Republican party. Democrats champion environmental protection, and therefore Republicans will oppose and belittle that issue in a knee jerk fashion and put corporate profits and environmental plunder on a pedestal.”
yeah, this is something I will never understand. they’ll be dead along with the rest of us, but at least they’ll have “owned the libs”. SMDH.
It’s disgraceful how many of these right wing climate deniers are attacking her personally, calling her mentally ill or exploited. Not one of them however actually address the actual issue. She really has them scared and todays NYTimes has article on how energy industry will address climate change ( with fossil fuels 🙄). Keeping this issue in mind when voting in primaries and candidates response to Green New Deal.
I’m following her journey on instagram, she’s a great young lady doing a tough job and inspiring millions of people around the world (me included).
Trump and his ilk who refuse to address the problem should spend the rest of their lives in prison for crimes against humanity and the planet.
Just a little note that Autism is a spectrum, not a scale; that Asperger’s is no longer a diagnosis, it has all been subsumed under the Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis; and that functioning labels are harmful for people on the spectrum. Also, the fact that mentally illness is used and seen as a pejorative elsewhere and here is unfortunate.
I want to start the tag #IAmGreta in support of her and as a nod to Dr. Wayne Dyer , who can kick that off?!
They are scared of this young lady and they should be very, very, scared. Greta isn’t taking any prisoners. Go get em, Greta, and if you get a chance, I sure hope you get to meet AOC.
I see a Nobel Peace Prize in her future. Sort of like Malala Yousafzai – read her book, she and Greta are cut from the same cloth.
Jaded: not really, Greta has never had to face the trauma Malala has had to face.
I see a Nobel Peace Prize in her future. Sort of like Malala Yousafzai – read her book, she and Greta are cut from the same cloth.
If I didn’t already love Greta, that gif would do it! 💗
Brilliant. Simply brilliant in every aspect of that well-delivered speech. Every scientist, political representative, spokesperson, educator, parent and child should grab a megaphone and passionately scream enough is enough. Earthlings don’t deserve her. But Earth needs her. The message is clear, concise and conscionable. The fact that her tone or age or “affliction” (ha! right) are topics post speech is directly related to her words. How dare us? Evil is certainly apropos. She is a hero.
I had no idea her message was being ignored over her speech patterns, diagnosis, etc. She is obviously hitting nerves by calling out greed.
Some of it is also individual ignorance and resisting change to our habits. We are an over-consuming, throwaway society. Being a “tree hugger” has long been an insult. I cannot fathom how anyone could view her message as egotistical or self-centered.
I would gladly replace trump with this amazing girl and watch her DO EVERYTHING SO MUCH BETTER than he ever could or would.
And the thing is HE KNOWS that she could do a better job than him. So he gets on Twitter and mean girls her. The POTUS has time to mean girl a teen on Twitter. What a world we live in.
I’m going to go on a bit of a tangent here because the words, “How dare you” really resonated with me. How dare politicians ignore scientists and ignore their own constituents for profit? There are no ethics, no reason, no consideration for the future, just greed. It’s the same “Christians,” that are tearing apart this passionate young woman whose God calls greed a sin and calls them to be stewards of the earth and the animals. These old assholes in power need to go and the entire political and economic system remodeled because its so obviously broken.
Agree completely, Emily. Our economic system is killing the natural abundance that has made human civilization possible, our leaders are failing us, and we adults are failing to hold them to account. Greta has every right to be furious.
And then our president tweeted about her… negatively of course.
Badass made it her new Twitter intro.
Be Greta!
Getting my popcorn ready for the impeachment coming down soon!!!
Was there earlier and believe me, she was NOT the only one giving him and his family that look. At all. Good for her. And yeah this UN visit has been another embarrassing (!!!) and tedious ordeal. Some of my poor friends have been and are still stuck in it. They are UN, responsible, erudite, focused and kind with good intentions. This Trump show is not how they conduct themselves. They are mortified, angered, alarmed and yet sickened and bored, Same here from what I saw. Go Greta!
I love her speech and her passion. I thought she spoke very well.
Trump mocked her on Twitter and what she did with it is brilliant.
Pardon my language, but all the vile sh*t Greta has to deal with makes my blood boil.
She is constantly in the news over here in Germany too. She has actually visited the country a few times already to support the Fridays for Future movement and she has also visited the Hambach Forest (a forest that has basically become a symbol for everything the youth is currently fighting for – an electricity company has been destroying this forest for decades now to get to the coal that’s underneath the trees, and activists have been trying to occupy the remaining part of the forest since 2012, but it will probably all get destroyed too).
And dear god, the vitriol that so many people have for her is truly astonishing. Grown ass adults saying the most vile stuff about a 16-year-old. I don’t want this world to go to shit, but I lowkey wish these people would experience the serious effects of climate change firsthand so they realize Greta (and she’s not even the first person who ever addressed this – there are LOTS of scientist who support her, saying that THEY SAID THE SAME EXACT SH*T DECADES AGO AND NO ONE LISTENED) was right all along.
She is such an Inspiration and everyone who dares to be faux-concerned over her autism can fuck off (I have seen SO many comments claiming that she is just a PR tool and we must feel sorry for her because she’s “so mentally ill”, it’s disgusting. And again, most of those comments came from grown ass adults)
I have Asperger’s and I’m not stanning for this girl. She’s not immune from criticism because she’s 16 or because she is not neurotypical. We don’t automatically have to clap for everyone with a disability or a disorder who has something to say.
I think some of her message is good, I think her rigidity to it playing out a certain specific way is ridiculous and immature. And I thought her speech was pretty batshit and showed her age. Calm down and go back to school, get an education, then start ACTUALLY DOING STUFF you’ll realize it’s not as easy as just snapping your fingers and deciding like she thinks.
She IS “actually doing stuff.” She started a world-wide movement and is travelling the world, trying to save it from certain death. She is speaking truth to power on a worldwide stage. And I guarantee you that none of it was “easy” as you accuse. What have you done in the past 13 months that would warrant you any authority to minimize her efforts and talk down to/about her? You sound just like men that tell women to sit down, shut up, wait their turn, know their place. Shameful. Jealous much?
I think you should calm down and stop trying to minimize what is actually a HUGE success for her and she’s only just begun. We’re not clapping for her because of her disorder, that has NOTHING to do with it. Someone without her disorder who had successfully taken on what she has done would get the same accolades. She’s been in school, she so far has gotten a great education. The ENTIRE Swedish education system is ranked as one of the best in the world. She’s miles ahead academically than North Americans in her age bracket. She published a collection of her climate action speeches, No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference, in May 2019. She sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Plymouth to New York in a 60 ft racing yacht equipped with solar panels and underwater turbines. BY HERSELF.
I don’t know why you’re so bitter about this amazing young woman but I hope she wins the Nobel Peace prize for her worthy endeavors.
Hi, I am a woman. In the last 13 months I wrapped up a masters while working full time which was cool but yeah I def am not saving the world so you got me there.
“def not saving the world”…then why are you knocking this young woman for trying to do so?
PS – by saying “calm down”, you are coming off as WAY misogynistic here. telling someone to calm down is invalidating their feelings; basically gaslighting them to try to make them think they’re overreacting. she’s upset, she’s passionate, and she needs world leaders to LISTEN. speaking “calmly” has gotten us NO WHERE when it comes to climate change action. if it takes a 16 year old yelling at them to take notice, GOOD FOR HER. she’s doing what no one else has had the gumption to do.
Omg, I hate it when people think like you. I’m a passionate person and it can get characterized as being “emotional.” Standing up for what you believe in and speaking passionately is NOT batshit. It takes courage to say how you feel/believe. I commend her.
Shame on you Kay!!!!!!!! Or should I say DT??!!
Trump isn’t impressed.
Trump isn’t impressive.
Treason weasel is getting impeached
nope, he’s scared. and intimidated, because this 16 year old, for whom English is a second language, is more eloquent than he is and speaks the language better than he ever will.
SAD!
@kay “calm down” ???? …. Like the politicians are calm?
What gives you the right to speak, when all that you have to add to this conversation is completely worthless?
Likewise
L: Kay has a right to speak and write. Who are you to deny those rights?
and who is Kay to deny this young woman her completely legitimate feelings?
telling someone to “calm down” when they are upset and their reaction is appropriate is a form of gaslighting.
she’s got the right to “speak”, but she doesn’t have the right to tell other people how they’re supposed to feel or act.
I guess it’s only ok to be passionate when you’re calling people names, like our POTUS does. That’s completely same and not at all batshit crazy 🙄. I have a feeling about the people criticizing her delivery. I feel they are probably t rump supporters and climate change deniers.
Wow, that I’m ready to join the fight with Greta!! She is amazing!!
Why can’t this country elect a grownup badass like her???
Greta scares the shit out of self-interested, conservative, middle-aged, white misogynists in particular. They become apoplectic and completely incandescent with rage when her name is mentioned. That’s obviously because they know she’s right. I hope this movement grows rather than subsides. I hope it creates political change. Unfortunately I’m so disheartened by the current political state of the world and society in general that I have doubts. I fear it will fade away.
DT has said and done a lot of messed up stuff. This is absolutely my final straw with this POS in office. Anybody who still supports this POS after this, really needs to look at themselves hard in the mirror for a couple of hours, because something isn’t right!