Vacation Rebellion

My view of Extinction Rebellion until recently was that cringey middle class people were using their privilege in the only way they could imagine: by throwing lame street parties, giving themselves trophies for turning up and lifetime achievement awards for surviving the greatest boom in couch potatoism in human history. I thought that's horrible, I hate it, but at least they're going to be brutalised by the cops and experience enlightenment.

However, when XR Victoria here in Australia made an apology to and thanked the police my mind was opened to new galaxies of foolishness. BTW if you think this is harsh, the first draft of this piece began, “In the fourth in this series about climate justice and Extinction Rebellion I explore my profound grief and dismay upon learning Boomers in XR are calling themselves “Elders”. Boomers who have done fuck all but feather their own nests are Elders of a Rebellion now? You fucking old greyheaded cunts.”

Of course people who fit in an age bracket don't all live in an alternate reality where being a wanker is celebrated, but it really is a thing.

And I guess old people in XR are showing some insight into their own condition by asking to be treated like baby activists adorably finding their way, saying, “Give us a chance to find our feet!”

But you're 60, Linda and Gary, and after over half a century of living on yearly vacations mountain you come down to where the rest of the little people are and your first instinct is to block the streets like lost holidaymakers and your next move is to form a strong emotional attachment to the police?

Get fucked. Learn some fuckin resilience, stop weirdly using the threat of climate disaster as a cudgel against people who want climate justice and start listening to indigenous people.

Because XR Boomers love climate science but seem to believe science was invented 100 years ago by their own grandfather, who was only a racist because science hadn't been invented yet. XR in Australia needs to address that shit. Fuck off.