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Climate activist Greta Thunberg is Time's 2019 person of the year

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By CRISTINA QUICLER

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"I want you to panic," she told CEOs and world leaders at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland in January 2019. "I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. 

Her tone pretty well reflects the current trend towards fascism, that's for sure. Emotional, vindictive, forceful. There are lots of young people actually doing things to save the environment, but because they are not ranting to large crowds and stirring up fear and anger, they are ignored. None of this bodes well for the future.

5 ( +12 / -7 )

Hard work when you are up against intellectual giants/conspiracy theorists like Bolsonaro who thinks DiCaprio started the Amazon fires, and Prof. Bonespurs J Rump of who thinks the whole thing is a hoax created by the Chinese.

4 ( +13 / -9 )

I feel no ill will toward the child. Yet, if her ideas are presented in the adult marketplace of ideas, they must be discussed as adult ideas should be. You can't have world leaders and governments acting on her suggestions, and then turn around and say "but she's only a child - be nice" when her suggestions are challenged.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

Now this is seriously humorous. This is a joke right?

Stalin was made Person of the Year twice. Time Magazine doesn't always make the best choices.

2 ( +14 / -12 )

Interesting. I wish the same standards about that now the people would extend to political leaders as well. I don’t think age has anything to do with it or gender, we’re going to respect this person for what she does then we should respect everyone that is a leader, the Standards should apply across-the-board.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Well done, Greta. I can imagine this is going to trigger a lot of Jeremy Clarkson and Piers Morgan types who feel shamed and threatened by this brave young person...

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Educator60Today 10:40 am JST

Extanker, “Stalin was made Person of the Year twice. Time Magazine doesn't always make the best choices.”

You, and many others, seem to be unaware of what Time’s Person of the Year designation means.

From wiki: Person of the Year (called Man of the Yearor Woman of the Year until 1999)[1] is an annual issue of the United States news magazine Time that features and profiles a person, a group, an idea, or an object that "for better or for worse... has done the most to influence the events of the year".

Educator - thank you for clearing that up for those who think that Times PoT is a kind of lefty talent quest.

And it appears many still don't get what she's on about. She is the most reluctant of "leaders" and has categorically stated on many occasions that she is not a torchbearer but simply relaying a vital message and it is the duty of all citizens of the world incl politicians to follow the science.

And some follow the science with earnest and some follow the Incs with earnest.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

It's a good sign. The youngsters of today are blessed with the courage to tell something to the decision-makers. There is plenty of food for thought and action in what they dare to say. World building starts with the young ones. And that is indeed good news.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Frankly, she's the stablest genius of the names floated for POY this year.

0 ( +10 / -10 )

Now this is seriously humorous. This is a joke right?

0 ( +14 / -14 )

Yes, she's done so much for the world, sailing in her 4.5 million dollar sailboat to the US, flying boat crews back and forth across the Atlantic (kinda negated the purpose of that 'zero emission sailboat' there didn't ya, Greta) to take care of the boat while she's... giving speeches.

What a farce.

0 ( +13 / -13 )

Readers, there is no need to badmouth Thunberg. It is petty. You can disagree with Time's choice without being mean-spirited.

Good choice. Getting political leaders to enact policies is how you enact real change. Such change is on a whole different level to someone refusing a plastic shopping bag at the convenience store.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

The man-child must be fuming. I guess he'll just have to make do with his fake Time covers.

0 ( +9 / -9 )

Readers, there is no need to badmouth Thunberg. It is petty. You can disagree with Time's choice without being mean-spirited.

I, for one, welcome back interactive Mod. Well said.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Time's Person of the Year isn't a prize celebrating someone. It's about their impact in the media and in the world over the last year whether it be good or bad.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Time's Person of the Year isn't a prize celebrating someone. It's about their impact in the media and in the world over the last year whether it be good or bad.

lol. I love the comment section. Sort of agree with the above but I think others deserve it more - just my opinion. Honestly the Times has had to cut its circulation and it's really just a novelty rag now. The young child has a right to voice her opinions but giving her a world stage to do it is ridiculous. The issue is if you disagree with her it's a no win situation due to the fact of her age and her unfortunate health issues. To categorize her as some sort of a deity is a mistake. She just needs to go back to school.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Time's Person of the Year isn't a prize celebrating someone. It's about their impact in the media and in the world over the last year whether it be good or bad.

So you think Greta Thunberg had more influence, good or bad, on the media and the world than someone like Donald Trump? Notice I bolded 'or bad', because even if you hate the man, he is everywhere in the media, every. single. day.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Greta Thunberg gave a speech, one arguably written for her by her parents, who she was simply parroting.

Any evidence at all for this claim beyond you being upset that a 13 year old is chastising adults?

Please tell me what exactly she has done 'to influence the events of the year'?

You’re here talking about her.

Not much, really. There are dozens of people that have had more effect on the world this year than a little angry girl.

She’s had enough affect on the world for you conservatives to feel threatened enough that you have to disparage her with labels like “little angry girl.”

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Is this a joke? The brave Hong Kong protesters should have easily been chosen. Ordinary citizens in their quest for freedom, risking imprisonment, while defying a Communist regime should inspire the world.

"What can be happier than for a man, conscious of virtuous acts, and content with liberty, to despise all human affairs?"

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Hats off to her. At a very young age, Greta Thunberg is a world leader. She is redefining the art of constructive world leadership. We need such daring and courageous leaders in our Society.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Trump wants to be Person of the Year

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Trump wants to be Person of the Year

He already has been (though you can receive the title more than once and it would make a hell of a lot more sense than this choice...).

I think he just agrees with a lot of us that Greta was a nonsensical choice compared to people like the Hong Kong protesters who are actively risking their lives to change the world.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It's ironic that Melania Trump publicly rebuked someone for making a reference to her son's name, claiming that children should be protected from criticism.

However, she has been silent about her husband mocking and criticism of Greta Thunberg.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Let's hope that Trump does not take offense, but if he does, he keeps his mouth shut.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Oops, too late.

“Chill”... Maybe Trump got his idea from the first post on this thread by Burning Bush!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Extanker, “Stalin was made Person of the Year twice. Time Magazine doesn't always make the best choices.”

You, and many others, seem to be unaware of what Time’s Person of the Year designation means.

From wiki: Person of the Year (called Man of the Yearor Woman of the Year until 1999)[1] is an annual issue of the United States news magazine Time that features and profiles a person, a group, an idea, or an object that "for better or for worse... has done the most to influence the events of the year".

Oh I know full well what Person of the Year actually means and why both Stalin and Hitler received the title. Both those men had, like it or not, huge impact on world events.

Greta Thunberg gave a speech, one arguably written for her by her parents, who she was simply parroting. Please tell me what exactly she has done 'to influence the events of the year'? Not much, really. There are dozens of people that have had more effect on the world this year than a little angry girl.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

It's like a broken record trying to explain what she wants regarding actual details.

For those who can read, she says she is "not the way", but that science is.

She says "Read the Science".

Gezzus - how clearer can it be.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Greta Thunberg gave a speech, one arguably written for her by her parents, who she was simply parroting.

Any evidence at all for this claim beyond you being upset that a 13 year old is chastising adults?

Well let's see. Her parents are both mid-tier celebrities. father is an actor/producer/screenwriter, mother is an opera singer. When asked simple, yet unscripted questions, she can't and asks someone else to answer.

Please tell me what exactly she has done 'to influence the events of the year'?

You’re here talking about her.

Wow, the same half a dozen of us are talking about her in an obscure foreign news comment section. Yeah, that's world changing. Except that we are only talking about her because of Time Magazine's decision. When was the last article about something she has actually done here on JT?

Not much, really. There are dozens of people that have had more effect on the world this year than a little angry girl.

She’s had enough affect on the world for you conservatives to feel threatened enough that you have to disparage her with labels like “little angry girl.”

One, I love how if you disagree with a liberal viewpoint, you must be a conservative Trump supporter.

Two, she literally is an angry little girl. Did you even watch her speech? "You have stolen my dreams and my childhood! 'How dare you!' Any of that ring a bell? Now if you believe those are actually her words (sorry, I don't at all), you think 'angry little girl' is an incorrect label?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Leave it to the young to set the world straight during a period of shameful moral cowardice from our world's leaders.

Well done, young lady.

Trump was ruled out of consideration as there are legitimate questions as to whether he is a person.

-2 ( +11 / -13 )

Great choice.

-2 ( +10 / -12 )

Time magazine has been out in left field for quite some time. What a farce! How dare you! Ha! Ha! Ha!

-2 ( +8 / -10 )

No-brainer really, she's like a modern Joan of Arc, and it won't do Time's sales any harm.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

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