This article appears in the April 12, 2019 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.
What Are the Children Telling Us?
[Print version of this article]
April 6—On March 30, 2019, the Swedish 16-year-old, Greta Thunberg, was honored with a “Special Climate Protection Award” at the Golden Camera ceremony in Germany. Thunberg, who the day before had led a 10,000-person demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate, received the award to a standing ovation, amidst the gushing adulation showered on her by the assembled movie and television stars, paparazzi, authors, academics, activists and politicians.
The occasion for the award was Thunberg’s leading role in catalyzing the March 15th world-wide “School Strike for Climate” demonstrations which took place in more than 100 nations, with at least 1.4 million—primarily very young—students participating, all around the demand for strict adherence to the proposals of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for reducing global carbon emissions, dismantling industry, and eliminating key components of the modern economy.
Like her only marginally less delusional U.S. counterpart, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the “eco-warrior” Thunberg has routinely engaged in “end-times” prophecies. In speeches, letters and proclamations, she has declared again and again that there are only eleven years remaining to “save the planet” from the destruction wrought by human beings, and on January 23 of this year she predicted:
The date is January 23, 2031. The world has just ended. No humans are left on the planet once known as “Earth.”
The “School Strike for Climate” is a movement which Thunberg, herself, is given credit for sparking, following her 2018 one-person vigil at the Swedish Parliament. On March 15th, demonstrations occurred in more than 2,000 cities. Germany had the largest number of demonstrators at 300,000, and of the 18 nations which had the highest participation, four (the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand) are countries over which Queen Elizabeth is sovereign, and eleven others are all from northern Europe.
In the United States, the School Strike essentially flopped with only 17,000 participants nationwide, compared to Canada’s 150,000. Nevertheless, we also see in America the media hype and promotion surrounding freshman Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, as well as the rush to endorse her suicidal Green New Deal by Democratic Party pre-Presidential candidates. Like Thunberg, Ocasio-Cortez has regularly predicted the end of the world. Speaking at an event commemorating Martin Luther King Day on January 21, 2019, Ocasio-Cortez stated, “The world is gonna end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change.”
Adding to the pessimism, a few weeks later, in an “Instagram Live” video, she warned, “Our planet is going to face disaster if we don’t turn this ship around . . . and it does lead, I think, young people, to have a legitimate question: ‘You know, should—is it ok, to still have children?’”
Young Victims
Greta Thunberg has proclaimed, over and over, that it is the children who will save the planet, and she has stated in several interviews that her conversion to becoming an “eco-warrior” began at the age of eight. She became a vegan at the age of eleven, and took other actions, such as radically reducing her consumption of energy and avoiding flying. At age 15 she initiated her vigil in front of the Stockholm Parliament, holding a self-written cardboard sign, “Skolstrejk För Klimatet” (“School Strike for Climate”).
A great many of the March 15th actions were led by very young—sometimes pre-pubescent—children. For example, the strike in Scotland was led by 13-year-old Holly Gillibrand; in the Netherlands, the organizer was 10-year-old Lilly Platt; and in Canada it was 6th grader Sophia Mathur. Even in Thailand, one of the not-advanced-sector nations that had any participants, the student strike was led by an 11-year-old. This is a pattern being repeated over and over again, with the role of young girls particularly pronounced.
On March 1, 2019 Thunberg issued an open letter to the London Guardian, proclaiming the generational divide, which thus necessitates, according to this Golden Camera award winner, leadership by the young:
We, the young, are deeply concerned about our future. We are the voiceless future of humanity. We will no longer accept this injustice. . . . We finally need to treat the climate crisis as a crisis. It is the biggest threat in human history, and we will not accept the world’s decision-makers’ inaction that threatens our entire civilization. . . . We can and will stop this madness. United we will rise until we see climate justice. We demand the world’s decision-makers take responsibility and solve this crisis. You have failed us in the past. If you continue failing us in the future, we, the young people, will make change happen by ourselves. The youth of this world has started to move, and we will not rest again.
Currently, organizations targeting children for recruitment to “save the planet” number in the hundreds, if not thousands. Fridays for Future, Youth for Climate and Youth Strike 4 Climate, We the Future, Earth Guardians, Rising Up!, Extinction Rebellion—these are but a few of them.
This is a massive effort, and what we are witnessing is the cynical use of the very young to agitate for a genocidal agenda, one which is demanded by the British Empire and their like-minded oligarchical allies. The youth are merely the fodder for oligarchical designs. These are young victims who have been abused since birth. They have been trained to believe that the human species is a scourge upon the earth, a polluter, a destroyer. They have been inculcated in a form of nature worship not far removed from the worst forms of degenerate culture known in modern and ancient history, and that discovered in the archeological record. Add to the mix the grip of Hollywood, video games and legalized drugs, and you have a youth culture extraordinarily manipulable.
Innocent and the ‘Innocents’
At this juncture, let us look back at another era, when a similar fever of hysteria gripped a generation of the very young.
In 1198, Innocent III was elected Pope. Historians have dubbed him the “great crusading Pope.” Not only did he organize the Fourth Crusade, he also called into existence numerous bloody “crusades” in Europe itself, including the infamous Albigensian Crusade in France, as well crusades in Spain and the Baltic region.
A graduate of the Bologna School of Jurisprudence, where the curriculum centered on the teaching of bestial Roman Law, Pope Innocent’s writings unveil a soul tormented by a profound pessimism. His premier work is De Miseria Conditionis Humanae (On the Wretchedness of the Human Condition). It is divided into three parts: first, the wretchedness of the human body; second, man’s futile ambitions; third, the decay of the human corpse, the anguish of the damned in hell and the Day of Judgment.
Shortly after his investiture, in 1198, Innocent issued his first “crusading letter,” sending it to all the archbishops of the West. He directed the call to arms not only to kings and emperors, but to counts and barons and even to cities. For the next 18 years, Innocent’s proclamations kept up a drumbeat for the urgent demand that Europe take up arms to defend Christianity. The issue of the Crusades—as a holy mission—permeated all of European culture throughout those decades. Doom and destruction were predicted if the people of Europe failed to act. Processions, special masses, sermons and other interventions were carried out non-stop in thousands of towns and villages to energize the “crusading spirit.” As one historian puts it:
There had long existed an ancient custom of the Church, observed on St. Mark’s day, April 25th, called the “Litania Major,” or Greater Litany. It was a processional litany, instituted centuries before by Gregory the Great, during the ravages of the plague, but generally still maintained in Latin Christendom. On this day the altars were shrouded in black, and priests and people went through the streets of towns and cities, chanting prayers and carrying crosses likewise draped. From this last feature, the day was popularly called the “Black Crosses.” At the time of which we are speaking, this ceremony was adapted to commemorate the sufferings of those who had died in the defense of the Holy Land, and to implore mercy in behalf of the Christians now beleaguered there, as well as of the many others that were pining in slavery. We can well imagine that such an observance, accompanied by stirring sermons and vivid threats and promises, would have excited the people, especially the young, who had neither the experience nor the judgment requisite to discern the hopelessness of the Crusades, and the delusiveness of such appeals.[fn_1]
The Crusade Begins
In the spring of 1212, a twelve-year-old boy named Stephen, from the village of Cloyes in France, began preaching in the village and surrounding areas, declaiming that he had been selected by God to lead a Crusade of Children to rescue the Holy Land. He traveled to the Shrine of St. Denys in Paris. There, the shrine was turned over for his exclusive use, and thousands, mostly children, came to hear him. Many of them returned to their villages and their message soon became a contagion. According to contemporary reports, perhaps more than half of these recruits were young girls.
Some of these acolytes traveled as far as Burgundy and Champagne. A second point of origin for the crusade was Cologne. Here, a ten-year-old boy named Nicholas began to preach and recruit. He too claimed to have received a command from God. As in France, Nicholas quickly recruited thousands of adherents, and some of his followers, known as “minor prophets,” traveled to other regions, and their fervor, and the message of their holy mission, enticed many more to join.
By the end of June, Nicholas was prepared to set off on the Crusade, but a disagreement arose as to the route, and his “army” split into two groups. Nevertheless, in early July, Nicholas and those who chose to follow him, numbering at least 20,000, departed for the Holy Land.[fn_2] They traveled southward along the Rhine, their numbers stretched out for several miles along the road.
Many wore makeshift uniforms and special hats. They carried banners and crosses, proclaiming their mission. They sang as they marched, mostly hymns to Jesus and Mary. They possessed no weapons, because they believed that the Muslims would lay down their arms at the sight of them. At each new village, their entrance created great commotion, and they won new recruits from the astonished and enraptured children. Their message was simple: God had chosen the children to save Europe and rescue the Holy Sepulcher.
Soon, however, reality intervened. They reached the Alps, and many perished in the crossing, from accidents, hunger, and disease. In Italy they were set upon by roving bands who kidnapped large numbers of them and stole many of their possessions. They were at the mercy of any who saw fit to molest them. Yet, they continued.
On August 25th, they arrived at the gates of Genoa. According to contemporary reports, no more than 7,000 remained of the 20,000 who had left Cologne. They were granted permission to enter the city and marched to the seashore, having been promised that the sea would part, giving them a land route to march to Jerusalem. When this failed to happen, the band began to disintegrate. Some decided to remain in Genoa; others resolved to return home, almost all of whom perished or disappeared along the way. The small number that remained with the “army” marched on to Pisa. There, some obtained sea passage. It is reported that two shiploads of children set sail for the Holy Land. There is no record of them arriving; no one knows what happened to them.
The last remnant of these crusaders eventually walked to Rome, where they obtained an audience with Innocent III. He urged them to return to their parents, but he also praised their devotion to the cause of the Crusades and admonished them that since they had taken a vow to rescue the Holy Sepulcher, they must fulfill this as adults.
The Second German Army
The portion of the Cologne youth that chose to not follow Nicholas along the Rhine,—probably a group of about the same size—departed from the city almost simultaneously, eventually arriving at Lake Constance. Along the way, they too suffered from hunger, exposure, and attacks from local nobles. They passed through Switzerland and eventually arrived on the plains of Lombardy. Unfortunately, this was a region greatly devastated by the wars with Frederick Barbarossa. Here these German youth received a very hostile reception. Many were murdered; others were grabbed to be carried away to misery and slavery. Nevertheless, those that survived continued their march, waving banners and singing hymns.
Arriving in Ravenna, they repeated the attempt of those who sought to “part the sea” at Genoa, for a route to Jerusalem. When this failed, they continued their journey. As their numbers dwindled, those who remained passed through Apulia and other cities, eventually reaching Brindisi, almost at the extremity of the Italian peninsula. There they were treated with extreme cruelty, with almost all of the girls carried away and sold into slavery at the public market. Again, as had happened at Pisa, the few who remained managed to obtain passage on a ship, which they were told was bound for the Holy Land. They departed and they, too, were never heard from again.
The French Children
During the month of July, the crusading army of Stephen of Cloyes departed from Vendôme, a city between Paris and Tours. Of the 30,000 who set off, more than half were under 12 years old according to one source. They passed through central France, crossing the Rhone at Lyons, eventually arriving at Marseilles, the entire journey of about 300 miles being far less arduous and shorter than those taken by the two German armies.
Here, too, they stood on the shore, expecting the waves to part, only to be frustrated. They came back to the shore each morning for many days, and eventually a significant number gave up and set out to return home. Thousands remained, however, and a deal was struck with two merchants who offered to provide vessels to convey them to Palestine, free of charge. In total, seven vessels set out, crammed with at least 5,000 children crusaders, for transport to the east. As they pulled out to sea, sacred rites were performed, and hymns were chanted. They also were never seen or heard from again.
Eighteen years later, an aged priest arrived in Europe, claiming to have escaped from the Muslims and to possess knowledge as to the fate of the French children. According to the priest, the merchants had taken the children to North Africa and sold them to a Muslim slave trader. They were then all auctioned off, with a significant number being transported to both Alexandria and Baghdad. Whether this story is true or not, it is certain that none of the children ever returned to France. In 1237, Pope Gregory IX erected a church to honor the French martyrs. He called it Ecclesia Novorum Innocentium—the Church of the New Innocents.
Then and Now
What are the lessons to be learned from all of this? How do the child crusaders relate to today’s eco-warriors? The first thing to recognize is the axiomatic deep pessimism, which permeates today’s “greenie” movement. The ideology of this movement now has an almost hypnotic grip on the minds of millions of children. It is grounded entirely in a pessimistic view of human nature—that the human species is a destructive force, that scientific advancement threatens the future, that the world is coming to an end. The very young are being cynically manipulated through fear, and they are being told that only they can provide salvation. That the greatest impact of this campaign has been in Europe—especially in northern Europe—is no accident. The effects of two Europe-wide wars in the last 100 years—wars which killed tens of millions—as well as the 20th century heritage of synarchism, fascism, and pervasive existentialism has created a deeply pessimistic youth culture, disconnected from any concept of upward human advancement and progress.
Look at what the modern environmentalist movement really is. The Worldwide Fund for Nature (World Wildlife Fund) is the largest, and arguably the most influential organization within this milieu. The WWF was founded in 1961, at the initiative of Julian Huxley, a scion of several generations of racist British oligarchs. Huxley, in 196,1 was also the President of the British Eugenics Society. From the beginning, the WWF’s two primary sponsors were Prince Philip Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh, who has publicly called for the extermination of more than half the human species, and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld of the Netherlands, a former card-carrying member of the Nazi Party.
Huxley, Philip, Bernhard, and others of their ilk, have been remarkably frank about their true goals: kill off several billion people; prevent poor nations from developing modern economies; put a halt to scientific and industrial advancement; and prevent all upward human progress. Theirs is a Malthusian view, an oligarchic view, and it represents the utter depravity of the ruling elites.
Yet, children are rushing forth to become zealots for this oligarchical cause, all because they have been told that they are participating in a mission to save Mother Earth. This is the new religion, the new Holy Crusade. You can not argue scientific truth with a “green warrior.” You are dealing with superstitious crusaders, with mass delusions, with infantile fears—“The world will end if we do not act!”
For Innocent III, the actions of the doomed children of France and Germany were a spectacular boon to his agenda of keeping the crusading fervor alive. So too for today’s deluded children. They are the mere sacrificial pawns of a deeper oligarchical agenda. They are the marionettes who don’t see the strings above their own heads. These children have been reared in a cesspool of moral ambivalence, war, hedonism and the curtailment of scientific progress. We are simply witnessing, as in the 13th century, the cultural effluvia of a dying system.
Why do we tolerate this? Putting the weight of the world on the shoulders of young children—not to speak of terrifying them with doomsday scenarios—is simply child abuse. It is menticide. Youth should be a time of creative play, when the development of the cognitive faculties is paramount. Would not the world be a better place if we had more children like Jackson Oswalt, the twelve-year-old who built a nuclear fusion reactor in the family room of his parents’ home in Memphis? Shouldn’t children be given the opportunity to develop their creative talents, and aspire to become participants in the colonization of Mars and other great tasks? Don’t they deserve a truly human identity?
[fn_1]. George Zabriskie Gray, The Children’s Crusade: An Episode of the Thirteenth Century, Houghton, Mifflin and Co., The Riverside Press, Cambridge, 1870. [back to text for fn_1]
[fn_2]. The size of both the German and French “youth crusades’’ is extraordinary, given that, at that time, most towns and villages only had a few hundred residents, and even the cities generally numbered in the low thousands. [back to text for fn_2]
