What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[grumbler]

Speaking of that, I'm curious what Greta's expertise is to speak about the climate change.  Is there any special reasons she's making speeches to adults at UN, or has she just won the viral lottery a while back?

It's entirely the latter, as far as I can tell.  She probably wasn't the first student to skip school to protest environmental inaction, but she was the first to get the kind of recognition that she got.

I don't think one needs any special expertise to be qualified to tell politicians that they are not doing enough to stop or mitigate climate change.

[DGuller]

Speaking of that, I'm curious what Greta's expertise is to speak about the climate change.  Is there any special reasons she's making speeches to adults at UN, or has she just won the viral lottery a while back?

It's entirely the latter, as far as I can tell.  She probably wasn't the first student to skip school to protest environmental inaction, but she was the first to get the kind of recognition that she got.

I don't think one needs any special expertise to be qualified to tell politicians that they are not doing enough to stop or mitigate climate change.

No, I don't think so either, just curious.  Logic doesn't always work on individual humans, and certainly rarely works on a collection of humans.  If a cute Swedish girl succeeds where expert adults fail, then I'm not going to complain about still have a world to live in.

One problem with children and political problems though is that they are not good at identifying effective solutions.  Usually people act badly because they're in a bad system with bad incentives, so changing the system of incentives is the way forward.  Calling people out for being bad and telling them to act better will look cute if you're 16, but is unlikely to be effective.

[Legbiter]

One problem with children and political problems though is that they are not good at identifying effective solutions.  Usually people act badly because they're in a bad system with bad incentives, so changing the system of incentives is the way forward.  Calling people out for being bad and telling them to act better will look cute if you're 16, but is unlikely to be effective.

Good point.

[Grey Fox]

It is all they have. It is, hopefully, the start of a revolution.

[grumbler]

No, I don't think so either, just curious.  Logic doesn't always work on individual humans, and certainly rarely works on a collection of humans.  If a cute Swedish girl succeeds where expert adults fail, then I'm not going to complain about still have a world to live in.

One problem with children and political problems though is that they are not good at identifying effective solutions.  Usually people act badly because they're in a bad system with bad incentives, so changing the system of incentives is the way forward.  Calling people out for being bad and telling them to act better will look cute if you're 16, but is unlikely to be effective.

I don't think that anyone is expecting this person to recommend policy changes for any particular government.  Her presence in the global climate debate is purely symbolic.

[The Larch]

Apparently there are renewed calls for impeaching Trump after the Ukraine whistleblower affair. Will it amount to anything?

[Habbaku]

No, probably not. Just another item on the list of offenses for which a Democrat would be excoriated but which Trump will prove immune.

[DGuller]

No, I don't think so either, just curious.  Logic doesn't always work on individual humans, and certainly rarely works on a collection of humans.  If a cute Swedish girl succeeds where expert adults fail, then I'm not going to complain about still have a world to live in.

One problem with children and political problems though is that they are not good at identifying effective solutions.  Usually people act badly because they're in a bad system with bad incentives, so changing the system of incentives is the way forward.  Calling people out for being bad and telling them to act better will look cute if you're 16, but is unlikely to be effective.

I don't think that anyone is expecting this person to recommend policy changes for any particular government.  Her presence in the global climate debate is purely symbolic.

The videos of her will be endlessly retweeted, and so will influence how other people who may be in position to apply electoral political pressure see the issue.  If something inspiring but utterly practically useless (or worse) catches the public's fancy and goes viral, then it will be a bad thing.

[Tamas]

No, probably not. Just another item on the list of offenses for which a Democrat would be excoriated but which Trump will prove immune.

The latest thing with Boris Johnson (where he has been found of having made the monarch partake in an illegal act and there's no serious talk of him resigning) made me think: guys like him and Trump, their nature is already priced in by the public. Trump isn't damaged by all this shit because nobody has ever expected anything else from him.

[DGuller]

Another issue I have with Greta is that using children is as a general rule not helpful for rational discourse.  It's hard for an adult to get into a debate with a child without looking like a bully, even if the child is saying stupid things.  It steers the debate into "OMG, why are you so mean to the little girl, why are you so scared" direction, which does nothing to resolve the debate.

[garbon]

Is someone making Greta do this? Children should neither be seen nor heard?

[The Minsky Moment]

Apparently there are renewed calls for impeaching Trump after the Ukraine whistleblower affair. Will it amount to anything?

Increasingly likely the House will start hearings.  There is real outrage in the caucus and many new swing members are backing an inquiry.  The fact that Trump is trying to cheat in the current election supplies urgency.

[DGuller]

Is someone making Greta do this? Children should neither be seen nor heard?

Someone has to be facilitating these speeches.  I assume I can't just call up UN and tell them I have something insightful to say, so please clear a spot for me.

[Syt]

Is someone making Greta do this? Children should neither be seen nor heard?

Someone has to be facilitating these speeches.  I assume I can't just call up UN and tell them I have something insightful to say, so please clear a spot for me.

Have you tried?

[Oexmelin]

Quite frankly, considering the state of current political leadership, being worried about what a 16 year old teen brings to the debate seems like a misplaced concern.