this post was submitted on 04 May 2025
706 points (100.0% liked)

World News

48512 readers
2515 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News [email protected]

Politics [email protected]

World Politics [email protected]


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (8 children)

I have complex feelings regarding Greta.

Sure, she's an inspiration and she's courageous and selfless and her heart is in the right place.

Other people were on this boat who were also at risk, many other atrocities have occurred during this war and the one in Ukraine in which Greta wasn't present. Her involvement in this one is not why it's significant, and the people present at all the others were no less courageous than Greta.

In fact, there's a lot of other people being a lot more courageous receiving a lot less recognition.

Additionally, in some cases the recognition Greta receives is counter-productive. I mean, putting a world famous influencer on a humanitarian mission to a place where the aggressors want as little attention as possible isn't really a sound strategy.

All that aside, I have two main concerns:

One is that Greta is the hero of the leftists, but she's unable to engage with the right - the people who really need to alter their behavior. To them she's just an insufferable child who makes them feel guilty - that's not how you reach people and propagate change.

Second is that, I don't think she's used her influence very well. During the US campaign she was pushing the "both sides bad" narrative.

Edit: I'm happy to wear the drive-by downvotes, but I had hoped for some more compelling rebuttals - 150 downvotes deep and the best we've received is that Kamala was bad.

[–] [email protected] 83 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (3 children)

She's unable to engage with the right because she's a...

Decent Human Being

..We'll see if Elon can do it, he's a piece of shit, they should find him very relatable.

[–] [email protected] 56 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Right? Like what is his argument? “I don’t like Greta because she doesn’t cater to everybody.”

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (2 children)

No, I said it up top. She's unable to reach the people who need to change, and she's actively undermined those who can.

It's great that you love her, but you don't need to hear her message, do you.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Do you know any examples of people who are able to reach the people who need to change?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

you're making shit up, do you personally know her that she has ulterior motive

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

shes everything they are not.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

This is hyperbolic.

AOC and Bernie are doing it. Are they not decent human beings?

[–] [email protected] 25 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Why compare a European activist to two American politicians?

Of course they try to get on with the American right, they need their votes.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

She had plenty to say about three candidates during the US election, which has had a big impact on Europe and the rest of the world.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 2 months ago (9 children)

Yes of course. But she doesn't need to appeal to the American electorate for her job. I'm not sure what point you think you're making?

load more comments (9 replies)
[–] [email protected] 60 points 2 months ago (1 children)

If the goal is more publicity rather than the aid that had a low chance of making it through, it is very smart to have a world famous influencer aboard.

Why do you assume she endangered the others rather than they chose to take a calculated risk?

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 59 points 2 months ago (1 children)

She is not a "hero to the leftists" as much as someone trying to do the right thing. Hats off to her, but the average aid worker in a war zone is more of a hero.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Everyone is trying to do the right thing, some are more effective than others.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 months ago

No. Not everyone.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 months ago (1 children)

People who voted for McClellan during the civil war instead of Lincoln weren't trying to do the right thing.

They were trying to make peace with slavers.

They were trying to be complicit with slavery.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 43 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I mean, putting a world famous influencer on a humanitarian mission to a place where the aggressors want as little attention as possible isn't really a sound strategy.

How? If anything it is sound strategy because it puts the media's eyes on the event. It's one thing to kill a bunch of nameless activists, but it's another to kill Greta Thunberg, or at least I'd like to believe it is.

One is that Greta is the hero of the leftists, but she's unable to engage with the right - the people who really need to alter their behavior.

They're never gonna change their behavior, or at least not due to messaging from the left. The right will have to be dragged kicking and screaming to civilization by the sane two thirds of society. Trying to get the right on board with good things is a fool's errand. In general, the role of leftwing activists is to either promote their own politicians or force neoliberals' hands, not persuade the right.

During the US campaign she was pushing the "both sides bad" narrative.

I mean she's right. We can argue about the tactical merits and demerits of endorsing Harris all day but the fact of the matter is that she was an absolutely terrible candidate and "What the shit? You want me to endorse that‽" is a valid position to take no matter how you personally feel about it. Greta didn't get where she is now by compromising with neoliberals and there's no reason to expect her to start now.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I mean she's right. We can argue about the tactical merits and demerits of endorsing Harris all day but the fact of the matter is that she was an absolutely terrible candidate

Sorry, if that's your opinion, having installed a fascist dictator who has ruined the global economy and set up concentration camps, then you don't have any credibility.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I don't need any credibility to say that Kamala border wall/fracking/"most lethal army in the world"/"Nothing comes to mind" Harris was anything short of absolutely terrible.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

No that's true, you don't need to have any credibility to say anything you like, but when you say things that demonstrate a complete lack of reason it undermines everything else you say.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Then why do you keep posting?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

On the off chance I could encourage someone to engage in some critical thinking I guess.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago (1 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

If everyone you meet today is an asshole.....

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Well neither side has done enough, if anything, about people dying in Gaza.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Sure, but my point is that lots more people have been a lot more effective than Greta, who IMO has been counter productive.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 months ago (1 children)

How has she been counterproductive?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

She was pushing the both sides narrative during the US campaign.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Well both sides support Israel, therefore both sides are bad.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Edit: I’m happy to wear the drive-by downvotes, but I had hoped for some more compelling rebuttals

The perfect is the enemy of the good. It's that simple. Nothing you've said really makes sense as an argument for why Greta Thunberg shouldn't do what she does. It's just an argument that we also need other people contributing other things.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

The rest of the world is not USA my man, my country has at least 10 political parties that go anywhere from progressive to conservative and being "right wing" can still mean they have ideas that support the environment or human rights.

We're not all like the USA where you can choose between "the right" and the "ultra right" wing party.

There are right wing parties here that support Gretas ideas. And left wing parties that disagree with her.

I can completely understand her "both sides are bad" point since politics are wildly different in the EU from the US. We have actually choice here where as the US is just voting for the lesser evil (or the greater evil in case of Trump lol).

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Greta undermined the dems in the US campaign. Perhaps not enough to cost them the election, but not very bright regardless.

Given everything that has happened in the last few months that's pretty shameful.

load more comments (1 replies)