It’s not unusual for an angst-ridden adolescent, especially one of privilege, to devote her or himself to what seems like a grand and important cause. In a way it’s even admirable, even if the cause Thunberg chose is based on computer models and billions of dollars circulating among the global elite. A sobering comparison would be an entire generation of young people sent to the slaughterhouse of the WW1 trenches- multiple millions- and a similar number of non-combatant casualties of a war, largely because a 53-year-old “Kaiser” felt Germany deserved a bigger piece of the world pie. My generation- the “baby boomers”- worried about “the bomb,” and indeed nuclear war was a definite potentiality. Thunberg’s anguish is due to the possibility of a global temperature increase of a few degrees over the next 100 years, and fortunately none of the predictions of doom made over the last quarter century have come true.

Following the coverage of her transatlantic boating adventure she floated in and out of the news for her climate activism, but has more recently achieved headlines as a useful idiot for Hamas and the “Israel is a Neo-colonial genocidal country” crowd. Sticking with a nautical theme, Thunberg set sail on two voyages ostensibly to deliver aid to Gaza, though there was no doubt any such watercraft would be intercepted by Israel. The first act of this performance art was in June, a single 60 foot yacht carrying “humanitarian” aid of several hundred pounds of rice and flour. It was indeed halted by Israel and Thunberg was sent back to Europe, ironically in a carbon belching airplane. Or, as Thunberg put it in a pre-recorded message, “If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, ..."The rice and flour was collected by Israel and sent to Gaza by established routes.

In Oct. 2025 Thunberg again tried to make a run to Gaza as part of a much larger contingent: 40+ boats and over 400 “activists.” As they knew they would be, the flotilla was intercepted by Israeli naval forces and the people involved were detained. Thunberg remained in custody for 4 or 5 days and was again deported and flown back to Europe. Upon return to Sweden she claimed she and others were "kidnapped and tortured" by the Israeli military. She initially declined to elaborate, stating “I don't want to share what I was subjected to because I don't want it to make headlines and 'Greta has been tortured', because that's not the story here." Several days earlier accusations included she developed a rash, perhaps due to bedbugs, insufficient amounts of both water and food, and sitting for long periods on hard surfaces. Subsequently her claims included being beaten, 'kicked (me) every time the flag touched my face', and that her cherished frog hat was stomped on. The source for these claims are the activists themselves, and there is no corroboration otherwise. Israel obviously denied any mistreatment, and a reasonable person would conclude mistreatment would seriously go against Israel’s interests, noting the Hamas strategy for entire two-year war has been largely based on public relations, claiming that Israel is brutish: truth has not played a role in Hamas’ strategy.

Tom L. Fitzsimons was born in Dover Plains, NY on Oct. 18, 1923. His father was a nice enough guy but a bit of a ne’er-do-well who squandered an inheritance and his mother was a perpetual and pretentious social climber. In his early years the family was middle-class, but bad decisions and eventually the Depression dropped them into the lower middle-class, and they frequently moved around Connecticut and the NY City area. When Tom was in his teens his father took off and the family split up for a while, but nevertheless he thrived in his high school years in sports and activities as the editor of the school newspaper and the drama club. He was still in high school when the US entered WW2 (Dec. 1941) but soon after graduation (June 1942) and was accepted in the Army Air Corps as a pilot cadet and earned his wings and a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in March, 1943. His initial assignments were stateside, where he qualified in both the B17 and B24. In April 1944 he arrived in England and was assigned to the bomber command of the 8^th US Army Air Force. From April to Dec. 1944 he completed the (coveted) 30 missions, which typically allowed for rotation back to the US. At this point is should be noted that about 44% of all US Army Air Force crews were killed in action and typically only 11 bombing missions were completed before being shot down.

In Dec. 1944 Fitzsimons, now a Captain, for whatever reason decided not to rotate back to the US but transitioned to fighter planes, especially the P51 Mustang. During his time in service he was awarded not just the formidable Air Medal but the Distinguished Flying Cross, the fourth highest military award for heroism and the highest for extraordinary aerial achievement. He was also awarded the Purple Heart, because on April 20, 1945, hardly two weeks before the war in Europe was over he was shot down over Holland and killed, perhaps the last US fighter pilot killed in the European theater. Eventually he was interred at the Maargraten United States Military Cemetery in the Netherlands along with over 8,000 other young Americans. He was 21 years-old at the time of his death. It’s sobering and even a little frightening to realize Greta Thunberg is presently 22 years-old.

It’s likely Thunberg, emotionally troubled at 15 when she first gained notice, was sincere in her actions and even found them therapeutic. As her celebrity grew along with global attention and adulation, she evolved into an on-call celebrity for whatever the injustice de jour, almost a pet for the global elite/World Economic Forum types. I suspect every time she raises a fist in defiance or solidarity or whatever or drapes herself in a keffiyeh, she has no idea she is advancing the goals of those who cloak their desire for authoritarianism with dramatic, click-bait words like “occupation,” apartheid” and “genocide.” Ultimately, Thunberg is a perpetual child being manipulated by those seeking to consolidate and preserve their wealth and power.

In claiming she has been abducted, kidnapped, abused, and tortured Thunberg is not just diminishing but defecating on people who have truly and abjectly suffered over the ages. The fact that there are many who cheer her on sadly demonstrates the level of greed and selfishness we have obtained in our shallow and privileged lives. At 21 Tom Fitzsimons gave his life to fight real, not make-believe, fascism. At 22 Greta Thunberg devotes her life to photo ops and regurgitating slogans.