Toby Young trolling a 16 y/o climate activist got entirely the responses it deserved
Doubtless you’ve heard of Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swede who is the inspiration behind the global school climate change strikes, and on Sunday addressed thousands of Extinction Rebellion supporters in London.
Most people appear to be in awe of the teenager who has met the Pope, addressed the European Parliament and is expected to meet with UK political party leaders.
Not Toby Young though, who had a bone to pick.
https://twitter.com/toadmeister/status/1120096801506381826
Quite right, Toby, when IS someone going to call her out? Reassuringly for nearly everyone concerned, he got entirely the responses he deserved.
1.
Seriously? A 16 year old has mobilised a generation, got us talking about climate change with an urgency that has been missing and does so with an eloquence that is staggering – and you feel the need to diminish her?
— tessa murray (@tessaamurray) April 21, 2019
2.
He does. Because he’s Toby Young.
— Matt Carr (@MattCarr55) April 22, 2019
3.
Are you just jealous because she has engaged thousands of young people she's never met and you failed to engage actual friends to your stag do?
— Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) April 23, 2019
4.
It must be galling that a 16 year old’s eloquence in a second language is better that yours in a first.
— Gary Carpenter (@GaryMCarpenter) April 22, 2019
5.
She’s has displayed more talent for successful activism, while still a child, than you have managed in all of your angry fifty-whatever years on this planet, and it makes you want to puke
— Sweden Fact Check (@swedenfactcheck) April 22, 2019
6.
Actually,not doing enough is the same as not doing anything. You either save the planet or you tinker round the edges and let it die. This is not a situation where you can stall & see what the opposition comes back with. Kicking the can down the road won't work.
— Han #JC4PM2019🖐 (@HanDusty12) April 23, 2019
7.
Big Bold Toad, who has a lifetime record of doing nothing to earn intellectual respect, “calls out” a teenager who has already done more to earn respect than the toad. About as lacking in self-awareness as it gets.
— Peter Thomas (@PeterThomas1607) April 22, 2019
8.
Finally! It’s about time an adult man ‘called out’ this courageous and selfless young woman who just wants to make the world a better place! Bravo, you complete muppet! Feel better now you have a new smear campaign trying to hurt a good person? You’re deplorable! @ExtinctionR https://t.co/r8ReRtvfwG
— Prof Ben Garrod (@Ben_garrod) April 23, 2019
9.
I find it disappointing that you, who works in education, feels it necessary to stifle and shut down a young person on an admirable crusade.
— Chris (@Chris_M_Irving) April 22, 2019
10.
He works in education? 😱
— Edele #FBPE (@BigBayBear) April 22, 2019
11.
https://twitter.com/sanglesey/status/1120596811478183936
And just in case you were wondering about the stag do thing, here’s what Young had to say in a recent (ish) Spectator column.
‘It was on my stag weekend 15 years ago that the scales fell from my eyes. There were about ten people I placed in the innermost circle — my own personal Cosa Nostra — and I invited them all to Malaga a week before I got married … I experienced a brutal reality check when only four of the ten honoured guests appeared at the Spanish hotel on the Friday evening. The no-shows included my best friend, the organiser of the festivities. We ended up spending the first night in an ‘English pub’ watching West Ham lose 2-0 to Leeds United.’
To conclude …
Toby Young, trying to look smarter than a 16 year old and failing on every level possible. pic.twitter.com/7rZJ7CIXxa
— TracieWaylingArtASMR (@traciewayling) April 22, 2019
And on a wider note …
https://twitter.com/jamesrbuk/status/1120599208300621824
https://twitter.com/MrKenShabby/status/1120601883758952448
I know the #ExtinctionRebellion protesters are not everyone's cup of tea, and some are posh/young/poser types who can sound silly, but the sight of these individuals being belittled by veteran anchormen who look like they had half the planet for lunch is pretty revolting
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) April 22, 2019