2 days ago
A young, powerful voice but to others, a tall poppy
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Columnist Suzanne Moore is scathing in her assessment of Greta Thunberg, pictured, and 'the left' (Comment, 11/6). She asserts that Israel has the right to exist yet is silent on the right of Palestine to exist. Palestinians have been maligned, dispossessed and occupied since 1948 and the Israeli regime is becoming ever more brutal in control of Palestinian lives. These are not hard facts to understand and Thunberg is surely aware of them. She has certainly become a powerful young voice of protest on various subjects, but this does not make her an adherent to a 'moronic omnicause″. Perhaps she has become a tall poppy that others need to bring down.
Lorel Thomas, Blackburn South
At least, she is trying to do something
Columnist Suzanne Moore was scathing in her opinion piece about Greta Thunberg's attempt to publicise the plight of the people in Gaza. Ms Moore refers to Thunberg and her crew as ″cute eco-warriors in shorts″.
Of course, I realise that Thunberg isn't everybody's ″cup of tea″. She is not short of confidence and is overflowing with the arrogance of youth. But at least she is trying to do something in a situation where lesser mortals fear to tread and which is the very definition of a moral quagmire. Ms Moore and others should lighten up on her. Save your angst for the real culprits in this mess.
James Tucker, Greensborough
An unjustified attack
Suzanne Moore's comments are unjustified. It seems that those who do extraordinary things are often the target of this sort of attack. First, they are accused of acting in their own interest and gaining fame and notoriety from their altruistic actions and then their support for causes is questioned by accusing them of supporting the unsupportable, in this case, the terrifying policies of Hamas. Footage of a grim-faced Thunberg on the yacht that was seized by Israel before it had a chance to deliver much-needed aid to Gaza do not show a breast-beating egotistical young woman but someone, who from a young age, has thoughtfully tried to draw the world's attention to the climate crisis and now, the dire plight of the Palestinian people.
Graeme Lechte, Pascoe Vale
The young activists deserve respect
The article by Suzanne Moore is a diatribe about youth activists. There wouldn't be any need for radical youth activists, focused on climate, racism, sexuality etc. if previous generations had acted logically and appropriately, or, in the case of Donald Trump, reversed hard won and just gains. Whether it's the Ukraine, Gaza, land clearing, or fossil fuel addiction, the present world is in bad shape, and these young warriors deserve the utmost respect, not condemnation from journalists like Suzanne Moore.
Jeff McCormack, Javoricko, Czech Republic
They're just like Pavlov's dogs
Suzanne Moore's piece hits the nail on the head. However, I prefer to draw parallels of these career activists to Pavlov's dogs. Never mind the facts, just make the right noises to stimulate them, and off they go. Without reason, other than following a narrative, they react to mindless slogans donning the garb and flags of their protagonists without a clue on what they represent. That Thunberg refused to watch an Israeli video of the October 7 massacres is like saying, Jewish lives don't matter.
Greta Thunberg should have viewed the video and responded, 'Two wrongs do not make a right.″
