The Incoherent Rage of Greta Thunberg is fascinating to me. I saw this image as I was scrolling through my news aggregators and I can’t help but think they’ve gone full Chicken Little on this one. La Nostra Casa e in Flamme, or, Our House is on Fire.
There’s a lot to unpack with what is going on with poor little Greta, but I just want to point out something. You may recognize it, it’s one of my favorite points to raise.
Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi
The liturgy of environmentalism has no formal rites, their only dogmatic precept is outrage. Greta Thunberg checks that off, willingly or not. She is using outrage to sell products, though. Look at this picture: There’s something of a mirthlessly humorous contrast between the title of the book (Our House is on Fire) and the fact that she is selling a book. Imagine, if you will, trying to convince people, literally, that their house is on fire.
A man walk into someone’s house, calmly. He tells them, “Sir and Madame, your house is on fire.” They disagree– “Why, I was just upstairs a minute ago and it was quite comfortable.” Our unwelcome interlocutor responds “I am afraid you are quite incorrect, your house is on fire, and shame on you for doubting me. To mark my authority, I would be more than willing to sell you this brochure, wherein I explain why the house is on fire and why you should be more upset about it than you are.” The couple refuse to pay, and refuse to take the man–who has now taken the character of a salesman– seriously. “Well, alright.” He says, “but you’ll be sorry. This house is on fire, and you’ll burn along with it.” With that, he walks briskly out, climbs into his humvee and drives swiftly to another neighborhood.
What Greta is saying is not lining up with what she is doing, and so people doubt whether she actually believes what she is saying. The disconnect between Thoughts, Words, and Deeds, makes her seem ingenuine. This is why no one cares about her message.
Times-Dispatch of Vichy Earth 