Edward Dutton discusses climate activism in this four year old clip. He does make some interesting points, for instance that the really existing climate change movement resembles a puritanical sect or cult, and could be seen as a secularized form of Christianity. Its social base is heavily middle class, and that´s not a co-incidence according to Dutton, since middle class people often compete for status by pretending to be more "moral" than both the upper and working classes. The subcultural character of the climate activist milieu can thus be seen as a status marker. Outsiders just find it baffling and cultish. Especially when movements of this sort constantly becomes more and more "purist", for instance by demanding veganism rather than regular vegetarianism.
And speaking of cultishness, Dutton believes that the fanaticism of the climate activists is quite deliberate. They *want* to trigger the opponents into a frenzy and hence increase polarization in society. This both "flushes out the traitors" and serves as a boundary marker, thus increasing their in-group solidarity. So does the inevitable out-group hostility. In other words, the activists aren´t simply misguided or untactical when they block roads or stop trains, no, this is very much part of the point of their activism! Perhaps it can´t be otherwise.
While many people would probably agree thus far, Dutton also connects all of the above with his "spiteful mutant theory", according to which a large portion of the middle class are "mutants" prone to maladaptive behavior which is ultimately irrational and bad for society. The reason why the working class and ethnic minorities usually don´t care about protest movements of this kind, is that they are (generally) less mutated. Thus, we are dealing with a conflict within the White population, or even the White middle class, between "mutants" and "normies".
In passing, Dutton mentions Greta Thunberg. He finds it highly significant that this leading figure in the climate protests is a "child", female, autistic and somewhat "exotic" (Swedes being exotics globally speaking, according to Dutton´s analysis). Greta thus symbolizes everything that is off about this movement (she is also well-educated and relatively privileged). There is also a pseudo-Christian aspect. Dutton mentions "from the mouth of babes". In Sweden, a Church of Sweden Twitter account (supposedly tongue-in-cheek) claimed that Jesus had appointed Greta one of his successors, and a Church of Sweden magazine compared her to a prophet! The Devil, it seems, knows his own...
It´s pretty obvious that the above analysis can be easily extended to the SJW-Woke phenomenon as a whole. Defending gays isn´t enough anymore, it has to be trans. And the trans-people don´t even have to transition, so a bearded man with a penis can just declare himself a woman. Defending abortion of unviable fetuses isn´t enough either, now it has to be killing of viable babies. Next in line? Probably euthanasia for teens, paedophilia, or whatever.
The often bizarre antics of the Woke can also be explained by the above analysis. For instance, the recent tearing down of posters of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Yes, it´s a deliberate provocation.
Of course, if Dutton is right, then there is no rational argument to be had with the climate change activists (or the Woke in general). "Mutants" can only be restrained. Perhaps by force? Indeed, the jolly prof does seem to draw that conclusion at the end of his presentation.
There is, of course, just one problem with all of the above: what if the climate crisis is real? Or, to put it in Duttonian terms, what if "Uncle Ted" was right? (For some reason, Dutton always refers to the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski as Uncle Ted!)
What is the normie solution to our climate predicament?
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